Guide · October 10, 2026 · updated October 19, 2026

Move-Out Cleaning Checklist for Tenants in Washington (2026)

Empty bedroom with dark wood floors, open closet doors and a ceiling fan, ready for move-out

Room-by-room move-out cleaning checklist for WA renters in Snohomish & King County: what landlords check, what to photograph. Text for a written price.

By Yuri and Tatiana, owners of Shining Cleanse LLC, a family cleaning company based in Everett, WA and licensed in 10 cities across Snohomish and King County.

A move out cleaning checklist in Washington starts with your move-in condition checklist: a landlord who collects a deposit must give you one (RCW 59.18.260), and your unit is compared with it, minus normal wear. Clean inside the appliances and cabinets, the bathrooms, baseboards, windows and closets, then the floors, and take dated photos.

Below is the list we work from on our own move-in and move-out cleanings. Empty the unit first: cleaning around boxes misses the floor edges.

What do landlords check at move-out?

They compare the unit with the move-in checklist and look where dirt collects: inside the oven and fridge, cabinet shelves, the toilet base, shower glass, window tracks, baseboards and carpet traffic lanes. Faded paint, light scuffs and worn walkways are usually normal wear. Grease on walls, burns, pet damage and heavy soiling usually are not. Our move-out checklist for landlords shows the same inspection from their side.

The move-out checklist, room by room

Kitchen

Oven: racks out, walls, door glass, the drawer underneath
Stovetop, burners or glass top, hood and filter
Fridge and freezer: shelves and drawers out and washed, door seals wiped
Every cabinet and drawer inside, including liners you added
Sink, faucet, dishwasher filter and door edges
Backsplash, cabinet fronts, tops of the fridge and cabinets

Bathrooms

Toilet inside and out, including the base and bolts
Tub and shower: soap scum, scale on glass and fixtures, grout lines
Sink, vanity drawers, mirror, medicine cabinet
Exhaust fan cover, light fixtures, baseboards behind the door

Every room

Baseboards, door frames, doors and switch plates
Window sills, tracks and the inside of the glass; blinds slat by slat
Closet shelves and rods, and the floor under them
Floors last: vacuum edges and corners, then mop hard floors

The steps people most often skip are covered in our list of move-out cleaning mistakes.

Before: heavily soiled move-out bedroom carpet — **Our job · Before & After:**Heavily soiled move-out bedroom carpet restored. Unedited phone photos from our work in Snohomish & King County — see more in our before & after gallery.

After cleaning, same spot: heavily soiled move-out bedroom carpet — **Our job · Before & After:**Heavily soiled move-out bedroom carpet restored. Unedited phone photos from our work in Snohomish & King County — see more in our before & after gallery.

Do I have to clean the carpets when I move out in Washington?

Check your lease first. Some ask for professional carpet cleaning with a receipt; others do not. Under RCW 59.18.280, a landlord may not keep deposit money for carpet cleaning unless they document wear beyond ordinary use. This is general information, not legal advice.

Vacuuming alone does not lift traffic lanes or pet odor. Our move-out carpet cleaning is a fixed price by unit size and comes with a dated before-and-after photo report you can forward.

What should I photograph before I hand back the keys?

Every room from the doorway, same angles as your move-in photos
Inside the oven, fridge, cabinets and shower
Carpet in each room, plus any stain on the move-in checklist
Anything already damaged when you moved in

Then return all keys and remotes, get that in writing, and give the landlord your forwarding address in writing so the deposit statement reaches you.

When is it worth hiring a move-out cleaner?

When the date is tight or a long day of scrubbing costs you more than the price. We are two owners and do the job ourselves, usually in 3–6 hours on site. We charge $120 an hour for two cleaners ($60 per person-hour): $360 for a 1-bedroom (a studio is often $300), $540 for a 2-bedroom and $720 for a 3-bedroom, with fridge, oven and interior windows included and before/after photos sent to you.

Move-out carpet is $220, $226 or $276 by unit size, $20 less when booked with our clean. See our pricing page or the full move-out cleaning cost breakdown. We work in Mountlake Terrace and our other licensed cities.

Empty living room with shining hardwood floor and chandelier — **Finished result from our job:**Finished empty living room hardwood floor on a move-out job. Both owners (Yuri and Tatiana) do every job ourselves — text 2–4 phone photos of your space to (425) 539-5492 or request a written quote for a fixed price before we come out.

FAQ

Should I leave the fridge plugged in when I move out?

Ask the landlord. If it stays on, leave it closed. If you unplug it, dry it and prop the door open so it does not start to smell.

Should I patch nail holes before moving out?

Ask before you patch. Some landlords prefer to do it themselves so the paint matches; a visible patch can look worse than a small hole.

How far ahead should I book a move-out cleaner?

A week is comfortable. We usually have same-week availability for move-outs, and a tight date is often possible if you text at least 48 hours ahead.

Get a written price

Text 2–4 photos and your move-out date to (425) 539-5492 or request a written quote. We reply with a written price the same business day (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm).

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