This list is ordered by leverage, not chronology. The photographs and the written forwarding address matter more than any amount of scrubbing, because they are what you can prove.

Your progress0 of 24

Two weeks out

Re-read your lease for notice requirements, cleaning terms, and carpet clausesSend written notice if your lease requires it, and keep proof you sent itDig out your move-in photos and condition form — you are about to need themRequest a pre-move-out inspection if your state or lease provides oneAsk in writing where the deposit should be mailed and confirm your forwarding address

Clean what actually matters

Oven, stovetop, range hood — the most commonly charged itemRefrigerator, emptied, defrosted, and wiped insideBathrooms: tub, toilet, grout, mirrors, exhaust fanFloors swept, mopped, and vacuumed including closetsRemove every item you own — abandoned property is chargeableReplace burned-out bulbs and dead smoke-detector batteriesPatch small nail holes neatly if you can do it wellReturn all keys, fobs, remotes, and mailbox keys — get a receipt

Document it the same way you did at move-in

Photograph every room empty and clean, matching your move-in anglesClose-ups of anything a landlord might charge forPhotograph inside all appliances, cabinets, and closetsVideo walkthrough of the empty unit before you lock upPhotograph the keys being returned, or keep the return receiptRead the meters and photograph the readings

The paperwork that starts your clock

Give the landlord your forwarding address IN WRITING — in several states the deposit deadline does not start until they have itEmail a short move-out summary: date you vacated, keys returned, forwarding addressAttend the walkthrough if one is offered, and take your own photos during itKeep every message from that week — you may need the timeline laterNote the date you moved out and count your state’s deadline forward

If the deadline passes without your deposit or an itemized statement, you have a documented claim — and the law is on your side.

Deposit already withheld?If the deadline has passed, the checklist is behind you — the next step is a statute-cited demand, mailed certified.

Start my letter — $29

What counts as wear and tear Check my deductions My state's deadline

General information, not legal advice. Lease terms and state requirements vary — check your lease and your state's rules.

Move-out checklist

Two weeks out

Clean what actually matters

Document it the same way you did at move-in

The paperwork that starts your clock

Deposit already withheld?