Who buys move out cleaning
Property managers and apartment communities are the volume clients. One turn coordinator can supply steady work all year, and they buy on reliability and turnaround, not price.
- Tenants trying to protect a security deposit.
- Landlords and property managers turning a unit between leases.
- Apartment communities with recurring turn schedules.
- Realtors preparing a listing or closing a sale.
- Homeowners moving out under a contract requirement.
What is expected in a move out clean
- Oven, stovetop, range hood filters and inside the microwave.
- Inside all cabinets and drawers, plus tops of cabinets.
- Refrigerator interior, and behind appliances where they can be moved.
- All bathroom surfaces descaled, including glass, grout lines and fixtures.
- Baseboards, door frames, switch plates, vents and ceiling fans.
- Interior windows, sills and tracks.
- Closets, shelving and laundry area.
- Floors vacuumed and mopped; carpet shampooing quoted separately.
Protect yourself with a written scope
Move out jobs go wrong when the unit is not empty, utilities are off, or the condition is far worse than described over the phone. Quote on the assumption that the property is vacant with working power and hot water, and say so in writing.
List exclusions explicitly: trash and debris removal, exterior areas, garages, mold remediation, paint or wall repair, and hoarding conditions. Those are re-quote triggers, not free extras.
Checklists and photo proof
Use a room-by-room checklist and finish with photos. In deposit disputes and property manager relationships, documented completion is what protects your invoice.
Standardizing the checklist also makes the job trainable, which is what lets you send a crew instead of doing every turn yourself.
Pricing structure
Quote flat rate based on square footage, bed and bath count, and condition, rather than hourly. Add separate line items for carpet cleaning, appliance deep cleans, wall washing and heavy condition surcharges.
Set a minimum, and a same-day or after-hours premium. Turn work is deadline-driven, and urgency has value you should be paid for.