You may forget about your security deposit during the duration of your stay at your apartment, but as soon as you begin moving out, you’ll start to worry about getting it back. Some property managers are stricter than others, but all of them will check the apartment to make sure you’re leaving it in good condition and it won’t require any major cleaning or repairs.
With any landlord, your apartment will be inspected, including the walls, carpet, floors, and more. Hiring a professional cleaning company can help you make sure the apartment is in good condition, but you’ll have to pay a lot of money. Cleaning the rental yourself is much cheaper, and with these hacks, you’re sure to get your deposit back.
1. Go From Room to Room
When you go from task to task, such as cleaning all the carpets first, you’ll quickly exhaust yourself because you won’t be seeing how much you have accomplished. Instead, clean out the apartment from room to room. Start in the bedroom, and once you’re finished, you can move onto the next. The bedroom is one of the smallest rooms in your apartment, so it’s a great place to start and will allow you to feel like you’ve completed a project so you’re motivated to move on.
When cleaning all of the rooms in your apartment, make sure to do the following:
● Remove cobwebs
● Dust everything
● Vacuum carpet and shades
● Remove and/or repaint dirty spots from walls
● Mop floors
2. Bathroom Cleaning Tips
When you move into the bathroom, make sure to take note of any smells. One room your landlord will be paying close attention to is the bathroom because it’s one of the most important features of the apartment.
Once you’ve removed all of your belongings from the tub, counters, and floor, deep scrub the walls, bathtub, sink, toilets, and counters to make sure you’re not leaving any mess behind. You can save time by spraying an all-purpose cleaning solution on everything from countertops to cupboards and let it sit, then wipe it down with a dry cloth. Remember to:
● Scrub toilet (and clean plumbing behind it)
● Clean sinks and faucets
● Wipe towel rails
● Remove hard water stains
● Clean the mirrors
● Scrub bathtub
● Get rid of any mold
● Clean the floors
3. Kitchen Cleaning Tips
The kitchen is one of the most difficult areas of your rental to clean because it’s the room you make the most messes. From spilling food all over the counter to finding soup stains on the ceiling from a freak disaster, your kitchen has seen a lot.
In the week before you move, you likely won’t be trying to create a mess, so you’ll likely eat out a lot or plan less elaborate meals, making this a great time to tackle your kitchen cleaning. Here’s what you should remember:
● Clean all countertops
● Clean the oven
● Remove debris from cupboards and drawers
● Toss leftover food and wipe down the fridge
● Clean the grout
● Scrub the stove
● Clean the dishwasher
● Wipe down exterior appliances
● Remove trash
● Mop floors
4. Spend Extra Time Cleaning Carpets
Carpet cleaning can be the most difficult to tackle. Many renters have a vacuum, but they don’t own a carpet cleaner. You have two options for removing stains: buying or borrowing a carpet cleaning machine or purchasing a carpet cleaning solution and getting on your hands and knees to scrub a stain out of the carpet. If you have been careful enough not to produce any stains, you’re in luck.
Most carpet damage will be considered regular wear and tear, so anything like flattened carpet in walkways won’t be something you’ll be penalized for. However, large stains and ripped-up carpets are things you will be penalized for. Here’s how you can pay extra special attention to the carpets:
● Vacuum carpet and carpet edges
● Vacuum underneath furnishings
● Steam clean the carpet
● Hand-wash stains
5. Clean the Windows
Windows that are free from rain stains and dirt will make your rental look much better than windows with stains. Make sure you clean the interiors and exteriors of your windows if possible so dirt and stains don’t show up on sunny days. Here’s how to properly clean your windows :
● Remove marks and oil stains
● Clean window sills
● Wipe down frames
● Dust blinds, curtains, and shades
6. Remove Mold
Mold can be common in houses or apartments because of an increase in humidity. Mold is most commonly found in the bathroom or near windows, but if you’ve had a large spill you didn’t clean up or a pipe burst at some point, then you could have mold anywhere. Make a note of any mold in your rental so you can determine whether or not you’re responsible for it. For example, you’re responsible for mold in the bathroom, but you are likely not responsible for mold in the carpet due to a burst pipe the landlord failed to properly clean up.
You can easily remove mold by mixing one part bleach with three parts water and scrubbing the mold on the walls until it disappears. If you have mold in the carpet, you’ll need to contact your landlord immediately, as this poses health and safety issues. Mold may be able to be cleaned off the carpet, but you can’t simply know how deep it goes until they rip up the carpet.
If after you’ve scrubbed the mold off of the walls, you notice it left a stain, you can repaint that section of the wall. Be sure you have eliminated all of the molds, though, so the next tenant has clean air to breathe.
7. Repair Damages
As you’re cleaning your rental out, you may notice minor damages to the apartment that are a result of normal wear and tear. Things like scuffs on the walls or broken blinds will likely not be a big deal to your landlord. However, you’ll have to cover larger repairs like holes in walls or rips in the carpet. It can even apply to any issues on your lawn. If you can, repair any damages before your inspection so you won’t lose a portion of your security deposit.
8. Remove Odors
Your rental can have a weird smell due to multiple reasons, like leaving trash out longer than you should have, having a pet with frequent accidents, or smoking. You can remove many of these smells by cleaning your apartment, washing carpets, and opening the windows to let fresh air in. Unfortunately, some smells, like pet urine and smoke, will require a little bit more work. Pet urine likely goes past the carpet and into the pad, so that’s something your landlord might need to take out of your deposit if you didn’t immediately clean up the accident.
Luckily, you can get rid of odors like smoke. According to Smart Move, one thing you can do is properly clean the walls and carpets. If you happened to borrow a carpet cleaner from a friend, you’re in luck. You can wash your walls to ensure the smell is truly gone. If for some reason, thorough cleaning isn’t enough, you can purchase an air purifier to deodorize your rental before the inspection.
Avoid Losing Your Security Deposit
You can avoid losing your security deposit by keeping your rental in tip-top shape year-round, which will make cleaning it when you move out much easier. This is easier said than done, though. Aim to clean out your apartment a day or two before your move-out date so you can make a note of any damages. Many damages can be repaired by you at a lower price than what the landlord will take out of your security deposit. Instead, take a trip to a home maintenance store and purchase things like paint and putty to cover up small holes in the walls.
