Move-out cleaning checklist for Toronto renters (get the unit ready for inspection)

What Ontario law asks of you

Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act makes the tenant responsible for the "ordinary cleanliness" of the unit (section 33). That is the bar. Not a show-home finish.

According to NOW Toronto, a landlord generally can't force you to pay for a professional clean if you leave the unit in ordinary cleanliness. Heavy dirt or damage is another story: the landlord can ask the Landlord and Tenant Board for compensation.

In practice, a clean unit avoids the argument. It also makes your move-out photos worth something.

This is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, the Ontario government points renters to the Landlord and Tenant Board (1-888-332-3234) and to community legal clinics.

What landlords and property managers look at

Walk-throughs follow the same pattern. The checks below are the ones that come up again and again.

• Inside the fridge and freezer: crumbs, spills, smells, ice build-up.
• Inside the oven, the stovetop and the range hood filter.
• Bathroom limescale on taps, shower glass and the toilet base.
• Floors in the corners and along the baseboards.
• Inside cabinets, drawers and closets: empty and wiped.
• Window sills, tracks and the inside of the glass.
• Marks on walls, doors and light switches.
• Garbage, recycling and anything left on the balcony or in the locker.
• Keys, fobs, garage remotes and mailbox keys returned.

Kitchen checklist

• Empty the fridge and freezer. Pull out shelves and drawers, wash them, dry them.
• Defrost the freezer if ice has built up. Wipe the door seals.
• Clean inside the oven, the racks and the drawer under it.
• Degrease the stovetop, knobs and backsplash.
• Wash or replace the range hood filter.
• Run the dishwasher empty. Clean the filter and the door edges.
• Microwave: inside, turntable, door.
• Cabinets and drawers: inside, outside and the tops.
• Sink and faucet: scrub and descale.

Bathroom checklist

• Toilet: bowl, seat, hinges and the base on the floor.
• Shower and tub: descale the glass, tiles and grout lines.
• Clear hair from drains.
• Mirror, vanity, inside the drawers and the medicine cabinet.
• Exhaust fan cover: dust it.
• Floor, including behind the toilet.

Bedrooms, living room and entry

• Closets: empty, shelves wiped, hangers gone unless they came with the unit.
• Baseboards, door frames and doors: wipe them down.
• Light switches and outlet covers.
• Window sills and tracks, inside glass.
• Floors: vacuum, then wash hard floors. Corners last.
• Balcony: swept, nothing stored, nothing left in the planters.
• Storage locker and parking spot: empty.

The spots people miss

Most move-out disputes come from a few places nobody looks at until the walk-through.

• The top of the fridge and the gap beside it.
• The drawer under the oven, and the floor under the stove if it slides out.
• The dishwasher filter and the rubber door seal.
• Grout lines in the shower and the caulking around the tub.
• The top edge of doors and door frames.
• Inside the light fixtures: dead bugs show up fast.
• Window tracks and the frame of the sliding balcony door.

Ten minutes on this list saves a long conversation later.

What to have on hand

• An all-purpose cleaner, a degreaser for the kitchen and a descaler for the bathroom.
• Microfibre cloths, a non-scratch scrub pad and an old toothbrush for grout and tracks.
• A vacuum with a crevice tool, a mop and a bucket.
• Garbage bags and a box for anything left behind.

Use products made for each surface. Stone counters, stainless steel and glass cooktops all scratch or stain with the wrong cleaner.

Before you start, and before you hand back the keys

Clean after the movers leave, not before. Furniture hides dust and scuffs.

In a condo, check the building's move-out rules early. Many buildings ask you to book the service elevator.

When you are done, take your own photos of every room, inside the appliances too. Use the same angles as your move-in photos if you have them. Keep them with your lease.

Book a move-out clean at a flat price

No time? We clean empty units across the Greater Toronto Area. The price is fixed before the clean and shown when you book:

Empty unit, standard size, reasonable condition. Any extra, like heavy build-up, is confirmed with you before we start. For 4 bedrooms or more, the flat price is confirmed the same day.

You get before and after photos, room by room. Useful for your landlord, and for you.

We work in Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke, Downtown Toronto, Mississauga and Markham.