Some people think that using a cleaning service when you’re moving out of a rental is not worth it. But hiring a cleaning service when moving out makes complete sense once you figure in the money you save from your security deposit being returned in full, and the time saved by not spending days cleaning yourself.
A move-out clean is an arduous and tedious task that takes a long time. This is especially true if you are not great at deep cleaning or have made a huge mess of the place while living there. Sometimes, it may take up to several days to clean out an apartment or house after you’ve moved everything out.
By hiring a cleaning service to do the job, you are not only saving yourself time and energy but also ensuring that the process is done thoroughly. Professional cleaners have years of experience, so they know exactly where to look and what to focus on while performing a move-out clean. They use special techniques and equipment that can make deep cleaning easier.
A move-out clean is designed to be a complete top-to-bottom and inside-out clean of your place so that you restore it to its state before you move in. This will ensure that you get your security deposit back.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Move-Out Clean
In deciding whether to hire a cleaning company for move-out cleaning, there are three things you should consider: monetary savings, time savings, and stress reduction.
Amount of Money Saved When Hiring a Move-Out Cleaning Service
According to RentCafe, the average rent in Seattle is $2,324 for a 691 sq ft apartment. And on average, a security deposit is equal to 1-2 months’ rent. So we are talking about a security deposit of $2,500 minimum.
Some landlords will try to find a way to deduct anything they can to keep some of your security deposit. But they might not keep your whole security deposit if you leave the place a mess. Let’s say they keep one-third. So that means you’re risking $800 of that security deposit if you do not clean the place well enough when moving out.
Hiring a professional cleaner to do a move-out clean for an apartment of up to 1,000 sq ft will cost you $300-400 at most. So assuming that $800 of your security deposit is at risk, you are saving yourself $400-500 by using a residential cleaning service. Now if your place is mostly carpet and it is really dirty or damaged, you are looking at a lot more than $800 of your security deposit at risk.
Saving On Your Time
You have to account for all your lost time and stress cleaning out your place too. After moving out all your stuff, the real work begins—the grunt work of cleaning and restoring the place to its original condition. That means wiping down the whole place, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning the bathrooms, cleaning the cabinets, dumping trash, wiping the inside and outside of all the appliances, getting grease off surfaces in the kitchen, etc. Even if you are an efficient cleaner, this work will take a whole day for just a small apartment. And if you are not an efficient cleaner, this will take you several days. And if you have other commitments, such as work, it might take even longer.
But when moving out, you really don’t have the luxury of time. The lease stipulates that you need to return the keys by a certain date.
Stress Reduction
And of course, last but not least, is stress reduction. Moving out of a place and into a new place is already stressful enough. You actually have to do the physical moving. You do not want to deal with the extra stress of cleaning too. Not everyone is Marie Kondo—cleaning is not a hobby for many of us. If you hire a good cleaning company, they will leave your place spotless and ready to be returned to the landlord.
What To Do Before A Move-Out Clean
A move-out clean is an extremely thorough cleaning that is intended to bring your place back to its original state before you moved in.
In order to do that, there are some things you can do to help cleaning companies do their job.
1/ Move all your belongings out. It is very inefficient to clean around things. So it is vitally important that you move everything out the day before the move-out clean. That way the cleaning company can clean everything.
2/ Give them an accurate assessment of the condition of your place. Some move-out cleans might only take 2-3 hours but others might take the whole day. If you have a really dirty place, be sure to let the cleaning company know. That way they can come prepared with the necessary materials, manpower, and supplies to get the job done. Pictures are extremely helpful.
3/ Take before-and-after pictures. Be sure to take before-and-after pictures to document everything in case there is a dispute with the cleaning company or your landlord.
4/ Book in advance. Moving cleans are big jobs that require a lot of time. Cleaning companies want at least a few days to organize and prepare. So if you need a moving clean done, try to book at least a week ahead of time. Rushing to book at the very last minute will really thin out your prospects of good cleaning companies to hire.
5/ Ask, don’t assume. Cleaning companies will usually have a checklist for a move-out clean. But if they don’t, ask them for one and make sure it is documented (written). And if there is anything that you are unsure of, ask. Don’t assume.
6/ If you need your carpet steamed, tell them. Very rarely is carpet shampooing included in a move-out clean. It is usually an add-on service. So if you need that, you need to tell the cleaning company.
