Before You Start

This is the complete move out checklist for Calgary tenants, built around exactly what landlords and property managers inspect. Work through it room by room and you remove cleaning as a reason for any deposit deduction. A few things before you begin: empty the unit completely first, since cleaning around belongings leaves gaps; gather your supplies including a HEPA vacuum if you can access one; and budget realistically — a thorough two-bedroom move out clean takes one person a full day. Start early rather than leaving it to handover day, especially at month-end when so many Calgary leases turn over at once. Note too that Calgary’s hard water and dry air mean bathroom mineral scale and oven grease need proper products and dwell time, not just a quick wipe.

Kitchen Checklist

The kitchen carries the most inspection weight, and the oven is the number-one deduction source in Calgary, so start here.

• Inside oven — walls, floor, ceiling, racks, and door glass degreased
• Range hood filter cleaned or replaced
• Stovetop, including under elements or glass top
• Inside fridge and freezer — shelves, drawers, door seals
• Inside microwave, and all cabinet and drawer interiors
• Countertops, backsplash grout, and sink descaled
• Dishwasher filter and interior
• All appliance exteriors, and floors under and behind appliances

The oven takes the longest — apply a degreaser and give it dwell time before scrubbing. This one item, done properly, addresses the single most common deposit deduction Calgary tenants face.

Bathroom Checklist

Bathrooms are inspected closely for cleaning and sanitation.

• Toilet — inside the bowl including under the rim, seat top and underside, base and behind
• Shower and tub — walls, floor, and grout scrubbed
• Faucets and showerhead descaled (Calgary hard water leaves mineral scale)
• Shower door tracks, seals, and glass
• Sink, vanity top, and inside the vanity cabinet
• Mirror cleaned streak-free
• Exhaust fan cover removed and cleaned
• Floor mopped, including behind the toilet

Grout and mineral scale are the two areas Calgary bathrooms fail on most. Scrub grout lines properly, and use a descaler on faucets and glass — the mineral deposits are Calgary’s hard water, and ordinary cleaner won’t shift them.

Bedrooms, Living Areas, and Closets Checklist

Throughout the living spaces, the details matter to inspectors.

• Inside all closets — floors, shelves, and rods
• All baseboards wiped in every room
• Window sills and tracks on every window
• Interior windows cleaned
• Light fixtures and ceiling fans dusted
• Light switch plates and door handles wiped
• Closet and room doors, including tops of frames
• All floors HEPA-vacuumed and mopped

Inside closets and window tracks are the most-missed items in this category. Empty every closet completely and clean the floor, shelves, and rod — inspectors check inside them, and an untouched closet floor is an easy deduction.

Whole-Unit Final Steps

Before you hand over the keys, finish with the whole-unit items.

• All bins emptied and cleaned
• Walls spot-cleaned for marks (per your lease terms)
• Nail holes filled if your lease requires it
• All light bulbs present and working
• Balcony or patio swept, if applicable
• In-suite laundry — wipe machines, clean lint trap
• Return all keys, fobs, and remotes
• Unit left empty and swept throughout

Confirm every light bulb works and is present — missing or dead bulbs are a small but common deduction. And do a final walkthrough with this checklist in hand before you lock up.

Protect Yourself and Know Your Rights

Once the unit is clean and empty, protect yourself with documentation. Take date-stamped photos of every room in the clean, empty unit on your way out — this is your evidence if a deposit dispute arises later. Under Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act, your landlord must return your deposit within 10 days of the tenancy ending, with an itemised statement of any deductions, and you’re entitled to attend the move-out inspection.

Remember the distinction: cleaning is entirely within your control and this checklist handles it completely, but normal wear and tear — minor scuffs, worn carpet from ordinary use — cannot legally be deducted. Damage beyond normal wear is separate from cleaning. If you’ve worked through this full checklist and documented the result, you’re in the strongest possible position to recover your entire deposit. And if you’d rather hand the whole job to professionals with a re-clean guarantee that protects your deposit, that option is always there.

CGY Cleaners move out cleaning starts from $185 with a 24-hour re-clean guarantee — we clean the full landlord checklist so you recover your deposit. Request a free quote today. Trusted by 250+ happy customers across Calgary and surrounding areas since 2020.