Move-out cleaning checklist to get your deposit back

Getting your full deposit back at the end of a tenancy rarely comes down to luck. It comes down to whether the unit is handed over in the condition the agent expects, room by room. Most disputes start over grease behind a hob, limescale on shower glass, or dust inside wardrobe tracks, small things that are easy to miss when you are busy moving out. This guide walks through what actually gets inspected so nothing catches you off guard.

If you would rather hand the whole job to a trained team, our move-in and move-out cleaning service starts from $270 by unit size, with same-week slots and a deposit-ready handover. We check the home before we leave. Either way, the checklist below is the standard we work to.

Why end of tenancy cleaning decides your deposit

In Singapore, most tenancy agreements ask you to return the property in the same clean state you received it, fair wear and tear aside. Agents and landlords inspect against the inventory list and the photos taken at check-in, so the cleaner the baseline they have, the more they expect back. The HDB guidance on renting out a flat and ending a tenancy is a useful reference for what a proper handover looks like when a home is let out.

End of tenancy cleaning is different from a normal weekly clean. It is a deep reset of the whole unit, done after your belongings are gone, so every surface, corner and fitting is visible and reachable. That is the version of the home the inspector sees, and it is the version your deposit is judged against.

A good move out cleaning checklist singapore renters can trust is not just a list of rooms. It is a list of the specific spots that quietly cost people money: the filter behind the cooker hood, the grout line in the shower, the window track packed with dust. Miss one and the agent flags it. Cover them all and the walk-through is short and the deposit comes back in full.

The move out cleaning checklist singapore landlords inspect

Here is what an agent typically runs their finger across during a handover walk. Work through this move out cleaning checklist singapore agents rely on in the order below, and you will cover almost every point that triggers a deposit deduction. It is the same sequence a professional team uses, so nothing gets skipped and nothing gets touched twice.

Kitchen: grease is the first thing they check

The kitchen is where a handover is often won or lost, because grease and cooking residue build up in places you stop noticing after a year. Give yourself the most time here.

• Oven interior, racks and door glass, degreased fully
• Hob, burners and knobs, with baked-on residue removed
• Cooker hood and the filter behind it, a common miss
• Fridge inside and out, if it is being left behind
• Cabinet interiors and exteriors, handles included
• Sink, taps and drainage, descaled and polished
• Tiled walls and splashback, with grease and grime cleared

Oven and fridge deep-cleans are available as add-ons if you want those handled separately or the unit has been heavily used.

Bathrooms: limescale, grout and the exhaust fan

Bathrooms show hard-water marks quickly in our humidity, and inspectors know exactly where to look. A shower screen streaked with limescale reads as neglect even when the rest of the home is spotless.

• Limescale removed from glass, screens and taps
• Toilet cleaned and descaled, inside the bowl and around the base
• Sink, floor tiles and wall tiles washed down
• Grout scrubbed so it looks even, not patchy
• Mirror polished streak-free
• Exhaust fan dusted, another spot people forget

Bedrooms and living areas: walls, wardrobes and windows

These rooms look clean at a glance, so the checking happens at the edges. Scuff marks on walls and dust inside window tracks are the usual culprits for a end of tenancy cleaning deduction.

• Walls wiped and scuff marks spot-cleaned where possible
• Skirting boards dusted along their length
• Wardrobe and cabinet interiors emptied and wiped
• Windows cleaned, including tracks and grilles
• Ledges, sills and shelves dusted
• Ceiling and wall fans wiped down
• Aircon vents and accessible filters cleared of dust

Sofas, mattresses or curtains staying with the unit can be freshened with upholstery steam as an add-on, which helps when there are marks a wipe will not lift.

Floors: the finish that ties it together

Floors are the last thing done and the first thing an inspector notices. Every room gets vacuumed to lift grit from corners and along skirting, then mopped so the finish is even from the entrance to the back bedroom. Marble, vinyl and tile each take the right approach so nothing is left dull or streaky.

Photograph the handover condition once the clean is done, and keep the original inventory list. A dated set of photos is the simplest way to settle any question about the deposit later.

Timing, unit size and how to book

Two things change how long a move-out clean takes: how much is left in the unit, and how big it is. Always book the clean for after the furniture is removed, so surfaces, floors and wardrobe interiors are all reachable. A clean done around boxes and beds is never a true deep clean, and it is exactly the version that loses deposits.

Size matters too. A compact HDB flat moves quickly, while a larger home such as an Executive Apartment, a maisonette, or anything from around 1,300 sqft takes longer and costs more, simply because there is more surface to cover properly. Our move-out pricing reflects that, starting from $270 and set by unit size, with fixed quotes so there are no surprises on the day.

This move out cleaning checklist singapore renters follow is close cousin to two other jobs we handle often. If you are staying put but the home needs a full reset, our spring and deep cleaning service covers the same depth without the tenancy pressure. And if you are moving into a freshly renovated unit, post-renovation cleaning clears the fine dust that settles everywhere after works finish.

When you are ready, send the unit type and your preferred date and we will confirm a same-week slot and a fixed price. You can reach us through the contact page or on WhatsApp, and our own trained, background-checked team handles the clean from start to finish. Follow the checklist, book after the furniture is out, keep your photos, and end of tenancy cleaning becomes the easy part of moving.