Written by MaidEX Cleaning Services Editorial Team · Reviewed by Milad Hoseini, Founder & CEO · Published September 4, 2026 · 7 min read
The short version: move-out cleaning services clean an empty home top to bottom — inside cabinets, oven and fridge, bathrooms, baseboards, closets and floors — so it meets the “reasonably clean” standard BC landlords inspect for your damage deposit. Industry-wide they run about $120–$420 depending on size and condition. With MaidEX you see a flat-rate price in about 60 seconds — 5% GST included, no PST, backed by a 24-hour re-clean guarantee. Get your instant price →
If you searched move-out cleaning services, you're almost certainly at the end of a lease or a sale and want the place handed over spotless — with your deposit protected. This guide explains exactly what a professional move-out clean covers, what it costs, how it maps to BC's tenancy rules, and how to choose a service you can trust (with the full room-by-room inspection checklist).
What are move-out cleaning services?
Move-out cleaning services are a thorough, top-to-bottom clean of an empty home, done to the standard a landlord or new owner inspects at handover. It's the most detailed clean there is: because the home is cleared out, cleaners reach inside cabinets and closets, behind appliances, and every baseboard, corner, and surface that furniture normally hides.
It's different from a regular or deep clean in one key way — the goal isn't to maintain a home you live in, it's to reset an empty one to inspection-ready. That's why move-out cleans target the exact spots a move-out inspection checks: inside the oven and fridge, grout and tile, and marks on walls and switch plates.
What's included in a move-out clean?
A move-out clean covers the whole empty home room by room — kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, and easy-to-forget spots. Here's the room-by-room scope a proper service should follow (and what you can compare any quote against):
Kitchen
- ✓Inside & outside of all cabinets and drawers
- ✓Inside the oven, stovetop, and range hood
- ✓Inside & behind the fridge/freezer (defrosted if needed)
- ✓Countertops, backsplash, and sink descaled
- ✓Dishwasher wiped inside and out
- ✓Floors swept and mopped, under appliances where possible
Bathrooms
- ✓Toilet, tub, and shower scrubbed — grout and glass included
- ✓Sink, vanity, and mirror polished
- ✓Inside cabinets and drawers wiped
- ✓Exhaust fan cover dusted, floors washed
Bedrooms & living areas
- ✓Inside closets and shelving wiped
- ✓Baseboards and door frames dusted
- ✓Marks wiped from walls and light switches
- ✓Floors vacuumed and mopped throughout
Easy-to-forget spots
- ✓Light fixtures and ceiling-fan blades
- ✓Blinds (paid add-on)
- ✓Vents and returns
- ✓Balcony or patio swept (where it's yours to clean)
Inside-oven, inside-fridge and inside-cabinet detailing are included as standard in every move-out clean, at no extra charge. For the printable version, see our move-out cleaning checklist.
How much do move-out cleaning services cost?
Move-out cleaning generally costs more than a regular clean because an empty home is cleaned in far more detail. In the U.S., a move-out clean commonly runs about US$120 to US$420, with a national average near US$360 — those are U.S. figures in U.S. dollars, and the number depends mostly on the home's size and how much build-up there is (Angi, 2026 move-out cleaning cost data). MaidEX's own BC flat-rate prices are shown below.
The problem with most quotes is you don't learn the price until someone visits or the job is done. MaidEX prices a move-out clean by the size of your home and the extras you choose, and shows the exact flat-rate total — 5% GST included, no PST — before you enter any payment details. See how it's built on the prices page, or read our move-out cleaning cost in Vancouver guide for real local examples. In BC, cleaning is PST-exempt, so you pay only the 5% GST — never the extra 7% provincial tax.
Do move-out cleaning services help you get your deposit back?
Yes — a professional move-out clean is the most reliable way to meet the legal standard your deposit depends on. In British Columbia, a landlord can only keep part of your deposit for cleaning if the home isn't left “reasonably clean”; normal wear and tear doesn't count against you (BC Residential Tenancy Branch, Policy Guideline 1). A checklist-based move-out service is built to clear exactly that bar.
“Landlords can charge up to half of one month's rent as a security deposit… Once the landlord has received the tenant's forwarding address, they have 15 days to return the deposit(s) to the tenant if there are no issues.” — Province of British Columbia, Tenancy deposits and fees (2026)
The stakes are real: a BC deposit can be up to half a month's rent, and if a landlord misses the 15-day return deadline they can be ordered to pay you double the deposit (Province of BC). Two things protect you most — leaving the home reasonably clean, and having proof. Take dated photos after the clean, and match your original move-in inspection report.
When should you book a move-out cleaning service?
Book a move-out clean once the home is empty and your move is done — the sooner you lock the date, the better, since rental turnovers cluster at month-end. The most common reasons people book one:
- End of a lease — to hand back the keys reasonably clean and protect your deposit.
- Selling or completing a sale — leaving the home spotless for the new owner's possession date.
- Moving into a new place — a move-in clean resets a home before your furniture arrives.
- Property managers & landlords — turning a unit around fast between tenants.
Clean after everything is moved out — an empty home is faster and far more thorough to reset than one full of boxes.
How do you choose a move-out cleaning service?
Choose a move-out service that is insured, checklist-based, transparent on price, and backed by a guarantee. Run any company through this quick checklist before you book:
- Upfront, flat-rate pricing — you should see the price before the clean, not after.
- A published move-out checklist — a real service follows a defined room-by-room scope so nothing landlords check is skipped.
- Insured, background-checked cleaners — protects the home and gives you recourse.
- A satisfaction guarantee — the best services re-clean anything that isn't right, free.
- Genuine local reviews — recent, specific reviews from real customers in your area.
MaidEX is built around exactly these: a flat-rate price you see up front, a standardized move-out checklist, insured cleaners, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee — if something isn't right, we re-clean it within 24 hours, which matters most when an inspection is on the line.
Move-out vs deep vs regular clean — which do you need?
| Regular | Deep | Move-out | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home is | Lived-in | Lived-in | Empty |
| Goal | Maintain | Thorough reset | Inspection-ready / deposit back |
| Inside cupboards & closets | — | Fronts | Inside & out |
| Detail level | Standard | High | Highest |
Not moving but overdue for a reset? See deep clean vs move-out clean. Staying put? A deep clean is the one you want.
Where does MaidEX offer move-out cleaning services?
MaidEX provides move-out and move-in cleaning across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, including Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, New Westminster, Langley, and surrounding cities. Because we're local, you get cleaners who know what BC landlords inspect for and a price that already includes the 5% GST with no PST added.
Move-out cleaning services — FAQ
What do move-out cleaning services include?
Move-out cleaning services clean an empty home top to bottom: kitchen (inside cabinets, oven, stovetop, behind the fridge), bathrooms (tub, shower, grout, toilet, vanity), and all bedrooms and living areas (inside closets, baseboards, marks off walls, floors). Because the home is empty, cleaners reach everything a lived-in clean can't.
How much do move-out cleaning services cost?
It depends on the size and condition of the home. In the U.S., Angi (2026) reports move-out cleaning commonly runs about US$120–$420, with a national average near US$360 — those are U.S. figures in USD. MaidEX shows its BC flat-rate price — 5% GST included, no PST — before you book, so there's no in-home estimate or surprise charge.
Do I get my damage deposit back if I hire a move-out cleaning service?
A professional move-out clean gives you the best shot at your full deposit because it meets the 'reasonably clean' standard BC landlords inspect against. In BC a landlord can only keep part of your deposit for cleaning if the home isn't left reasonably clean — normal wear and tear doesn't count.
How long does a move-out clean take?
Most move-out cleans take a few hours depending on home size and condition — it's the most detailed clean because the whole home is reset with nothing in the way. Booking the clean after your furniture is out makes it faster and more thorough.
Is move-out cleaning taxed in BC?
You pay only the 5% federal GST. General residential cleaning — including move-out cleaning — is PST-exempt in BC, so there's no 7% PST added on top.
What's the difference between a move-out clean and a deep clean?
A move-out clean prepares an empty home to the standard landlords inspect for your deposit; a deep clean is a thorough reset of a home you're still living in. Move-out is the most detailed of the two because the home is vacant and every surface is reachable.
See your exact move-out price — GST included, no PST — in about 60 seconds.
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About the author
Milad Hoseini
Founder & CEO, MaidEX Cleaning Services
Written by the MaidEX Cleaning Services Editorial Team and reviewed by Milad Hoseini, who founded MaidEX in Vancouver. MaidEX provides insured, background-checked cleaning across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. More about MaidEX →
How this guide was made
This guide draws on MaidEX's hands-on cleaning experience across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, along with publicly available sources. It was drafted with the help of AI tools, then reviewed and fact-checked by our editorial team and approved by Milad Hoseini, Founder & CEO, before publishing.