The Chicago Renter's Move-Out Cleaning Checklist (Get Your Deposit Back)

In Chicago, your security deposit often comes down to one thing: the condition you leave the apartment in. Landlords and property managers across the city do a walkthrough on move-out day, and cleaning is the most common reason deposits get docked.

The good news is that most deductions are avoidable. This checklist covers what Chicago landlords actually look at, room by room — including the spots renters most often forget.

Kitchen

The kitchen gets the closest look during walkthroughs. Grease and appliances are where deposits go to die.

• Inside the oven — including the racks and the drawer underneath
• Inside and behind the refrigerator (pull it out if you can)
• Inside all cabinets and drawers; wipe the fronts
• Stovetop, backsplash, and range hood filter
• Sink, faucet, and disposal
• Floor, including along the baseboards and under appliances

Bathrooms

• Tub, shower, tile, and grout — no soap scum or mildew left behind
• Toilet, including the base and behind it
• Vanity, mirror, and inside drawers and medicine cabinet
• Exhaust vent dusted
• Floor mopped, including corners and edges

Throughout the apartment

• Baseboards, door frames, and switch plates wiped down
• Windowsills and window tracks
• Closets emptied, shelves wiped, floors vacuumed
• Light fixtures and ceiling fan blades dusted
• All floors vacuumed and mopped
• Nail holes filled if your lease requires it, and walls spot-cleaned

The spots Chicago renters miss most

After years of move-out cleans across the city, the same handful of spots come up again and again: inside the oven, the tops of cabinets and the refrigerator, window tracks, baseboards behind furniture, and the bathroom exhaust vent. Hit these and you're ahead of most move-outs.

When to bring in a professional

If you're short on time, the apartment needs more than a light clean, or your deposit is large enough that a deduction would sting, a professional move-out clean is usually money well spent. A typical move-out cleaning costs far less than the deductions landlords take for the same work.

Dust Busters provides move-out cleaning across Chicago — including inside appliances, cabinets, and all the spots above. Get a free quote and cross the cleaning off your moving list.