When you get ready to start moving out of a rental home, and either into another one or into your own home, one of the things you may hear about is end of lease cleaning.
What is end of lease cleaning for a rental home, and should you pay to get it yourself?
What is end of lease cleaning? — This is cleaning that is done by a cleaning service that specializes in cleaning homes when a tenant is moving out.
These cleaning services come to your former home on a mutually agreed upon time and clean it thoroughly. Their goal is to clean it to such an extent that you get all of your initial deposit returned by your landlord with no problems at all.
Why you should hire an end of lease cleaning company? — Hiring a company that specializes in end of lease cleaning is smart for several reasons.
First, they will do the in depth, deep cleaning job you probably do not want to do. Not if you do not like dealing with ingrained dirt and grime.
Secondly, they will also clean places you may not have thought of cleaning, but places that will be those a typical landlord looks at when he decides if he is going to refund your whole deposit or not.
Finally, they will also save you time and effort, and allow you to spend your time preparing your new home rather than back at your former home on your hands and knees cleaning the kitchen floor.
What should a typical end of lease cleaning include? — When you choose a cleaning service, there are a few things a typical cleaning should include.
First, they should tell you what they will clean in your former home. This should include all rooms, all floors, all doors, windows and windowsills. It should also include the bathroom and the kitchen, and all your kitchen appliances both inside and out. It helps to keep certain things already clean, check out these little tips to help speed up the process and keep costs down a bit:
How much can you expect to pay? — There are usually two ways to pay for end of lease cleaning.
The first is on an hourly basis and will include a payment per hour for each cleaner that comes to your home.
The other way is by paying for an all-inclusive package of cleaning services. This is a package that guarantees both what will be cleaned and how much the entire clean will cost you.
If you have a larger home, or a home that really does need an in depth, deep cleaning, then paying for an all-inclusive package may get you the better deal.
If you are just going to need a typical end of lease cleaning, however, then you may end up paying less if you pay per hour per cleaner.
Most services will cost between $200 to #300 for typical apartment, and between $400 and $500 for an average size house.
