Most move-out inspections aren't looking for a spotless showroom, they're checking a fairly standard list of specific spots. Hit those consistently and you're in good shape, no matter how the rest of the move went.
Kitchen
- Oven interior, racks, and stovetop degreased
- Inside and behind the refrigerator (if it's staying), including the drip tray
- Cabinet fronts and interiors wiped down, hardware degreased
- Range hood and filter
- Sink, faucet, and disposal area descaled
Bathrooms
- Grout and tile descaled, not just wiped
- Inside toilet tank lid and base
- Exhaust fan cover dusted
- Mirror and medicine cabinet interior
- Caulking checked for mold or buildup
Living areas & bedrooms
- Baseboards along every wall, not just visible sections
- Window tracks and sills, a top offender on inspection lists
- Closet shelves and floors
- Light fixtures and ceiling fan blades
- Vents and returns, dusted or vacuumed
Walls
- Nail holes patched, not just left empty
- Touch-up paint color-matched, not just any white
- Scuff marks addressed near doorways and light switches
Floors
- Carpet vacuumed in all directions, heavy-traffic areas spot-treated
- Hard floors mopped, including under movable furniture
- Corners and edges, the most commonly missed spot on any floor
The week before you move out
Photograph every room before you start packing, and again right before you hand over keys. If your unit had a written move-in inspection report, pull it out and compare, that document is your single best reference point for what "good condition" looked like when you arrived.
For more on the legal side of what a landlord can and can't deduct, see our guide on getting your full deposit back in Georgia.
When it's worth hiring it out
This list takes most people a full weekend to get through properly, and that's before packing and coordinating movers. Our Deposit-Back Package covers this entire checklist plus wall patching and paint touch-ups in a single visit, with a photo log you can keep for your own records.
Skip the weekend of scrubbing, get a flat-rate move-out clean.
See the Deposit-Back Package