· Michael Blair
A move-out clean is judged against a checklist by someone looking for reasons. The items that get flagged are consistent, and most of them are things a normal clean never touches.
The commonly missed items
Inside the oven, including the racks and the door glass. Inside and behind the refrigerator. The extractor filter. Skirting boards and door frames.
Then: window tracks, blind slats, light fittings and their bulbs, and the inside of every cupboard and drawer.
Walls and marks
Scuffs and nail holes are the most disputed item. Small nail holes are usually normal wear; anchors, large holes and heavy scuffing generally are not.
Filling and touching up is often worth doing yourself, since it is cheaper than being charged for it.
- Oven inside, racks and door glass
- Refrigerator inside, and behind it
- Extractor filter degreased
- Every cupboard and drawer, inside
- Window tracks and blind slats
- Skirting, door frames and light fittings
Outside is part of it
Garage floor swept and free of oil, patio and walkway cleared, bins cleaned, and anything left in the garden removed.
These get overlooked because they are outside, and they are exactly what a walkthrough notices first.
Document the finished state
Photograph every room, appliance interior and any pre-existing damage after cleaning and before handing over keys.
That record is what resolves a dispute, and it takes ten minutes.