How To Prepare An Apartment For A Landlord Inspection

Moving out of a rented apartment often leaves you with a final, dreaded chore: cleaning it thoroughly for the landlord’s inspection. When you first rented the place, you likely paid a sizeable security deposit—often equivalent to three months’ rent—which the landlord can retain if you don’t return the apartment in good condition. How much of that deposit you get back depends on how well you maintained the property and the state in which you left it. From the bathroom and kitchen to the bedroom and garden, your landlord will carefully inspect each area before deciding on the refund. So, how do you prepare your apartment for a landlord’s inspection?

The best way to ensure you don’t miss any details is to create a comprehensive cleaning checklist. This checklist will remind you of every task that needs attention and help you track what’s already done. Moving can be overwhelming—you have packing, shifting, and settling into a new place to manage. At the same time, you must ensure that both your old and new apartments are in good shape. By making a list, writing it down, and systematically checking off each completed task, you can confidently prepare your apartment for a landlord’s inspection and increase your chances of getting your full deposit back.

How to prepare an apartment for a landlord inspection - checklist for every part

Final cleaning before leaving a rented home.

Many of you are unaware of how to prepare an apartment for a landlord inspection. You must ensure that every part of the apartment that you will be moving out of must be clean in all respect. The bedrooms and living room does not need much of your attention as they are empty rooms that just need thorough dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing for any rigid stains, and mopping.

Although, you must follow the checklist below for a clean look in every part of the apartment, which includes-

The nail holes created by you for hanging things must be patched with the help of spackling and repainting
Baseboard cleaning with a washcloth and soapy warm water
Scrubbing the bathtub, but never with a steep wool as the shiny porcelain layer gets scratched
Deep cleaning of the carpets
Wash window clean-up
Unreachable areas like the vents, ceiling tops or the corner of the ceiling must be dust off
Cleaning the lights and fixtures in every room
Check for any crack or crevices and immediately get it repaired
Cobwebs cleaning and vacuuming

The bathroom- how to prepare an apartment for a landlord inspection

Are you worried how to prepare an apartment for a landlord inspection in the bathroom? The bathrooms are the most contaminated area in your apartment and need regular cleaning. You can check out our earlier article on rapid bathroom cleaning tips for your help. The landlord is bound to check this area of the apartment very thoroughly. The checklist for the bathroom inspection includes-

Get rid of the soap scum in the shower, bathroom tiles or bathtub and bleach or decolorize the grout
Hairfalls in the bathroom is common so ensure the vanity and bathroom drawers does not contain liners or hair
If the toilet seat look unpleasant, replace it
Sweep and mop the countertop, sink, toilet, and lastly the floor
The dusty exhaust fan in the bathroom must be vacuumed
Mirror cleaning

How to prepare an apartment for landlord inspection in the kitchen

The kitchen is another important part of the apartment after the bathroom that needs deep and thorough cleaning. Although there are rapid kitchen cleaning tips available, deep cleaning becomes essential before preparing it for landlord’s inspection. Here is the checklist for kitchen cleaning-

Liners and cabinets cleaning
Washing the front and top of the cabinets
Disinfecting and cleaning the countertops
Faucet and sink clean-up
Scrubbing and deep cleaning the refrigerator, taking the shelves out if required
Use the steel wool for cleaning the burners and drip pans
Oven cleaning inside and out
Dishwasher cleaning if you have one
Exhaust fan or Ventilation hood cleaning
Remove and sweep behind all appliances if you are using landlord’s one

Conclusion

Apart from the inside of the apartment, cleaning the garden and garage is also highly important and will be observed by the landlord. Sweeping the garage and scrubbing the porch stairs must be kept in mind. Cutting the grass, removing the weeds or any of your other items stuck in the garden area must also be cleared when you think of how to prepare an apartment for a landlord inspection. Following the above checklist can ensure you get the refund and bid goodbye to your landlord.

Moupriya Das