Move-Out Cleaning Checklist for Your Honolulu Rental Property

By Blogs | June 30, 2021

In Hawaii, renters are required to give at least 28 days’ notice before moving out. This is to help landlords get organized for the move-out process.

Once your tenants have sent you their notice, you will need to advertise your property and schedule viewings. And you should also use this opportunity to clearly communicate with them about your move-out cleaning policy.

At Agency Rentals, we always recommend that landlords provide a clear cleaning checklist to their tenants so that they know exactly what is expected when it comes to cleaning the property.

No time to create one yourself?

To make it easier for you and save you time, we’ve put together this move-out cleaning checklist. This way, you can use it as a full cleaning guide the next time one of your tenants gives you their notice for a smoother end-of-lease experience.

Move-Out Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Notoriously one of the hardest places to clean in a home, this is usually something tenants dread. One of the main issues in the kitchen area is grease as, if not cleaned regularly from appliances, walls, and floors, grease splatter and stains can become hard to remove. So, we’ve listed below the steps your renters will need to complete when deep cleaning the kitchen:

  • Start by dusting ceilings, blinds, and fixtures
  • Spot clean walls
  • Wash the windows
  • Clean out kitchen appliances (microwave, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, stovetop, oven, etc.)
  • Remove and clean dishwasher and rangehood filters
  • Remove grime and grunt from the sink faucet
  • Clean the small space between your stovetop and countertop (use a butter knife covered with a microfiber cloth)
  • Clean inside, outside, and under the sink
  • Clean the sink pipe
  • Deep clean oven, trays, grill, and racks
  • Clean inside the cabinets
  • Wipe down the front of all the cabinets
  • Clean the kitchen door and door handle
  • Wipe down light fixtures, and knobs
  • Clean the baseboards
  • Sanitize all surfaces
  • Vacuum and mop the floors
  • Ensure lights are working and change light bulbs if necessary

Deep Clean the Bathroom & Laundry Room

The bathroom is another critical area that requires extra care. Indeed, this room can be challenging to spot clean due to the buildup of grime, soapy scum, hair, and body fluid over time. Also, if the bathroom isn’t well ventilated, steam can cause hard water deposits on the walls.

Here’s a bathroom cleaning checklist:

  • Dust the ceiling, walls, top of the bathroom cabinets, and exhaust fan
  • Clean the bathtub and shower glass
  • Wash shower curtains and wipe the rack if applicable
  • Clean the sink and sink fixtures
  • Wipe down the walls and remove wipe marks
  • Remove mold from grout
  • Clean basin and drain
  • Clean the mirrors
  • Clean inside the cabinets
  • Clean the bathroom door and wipe fingerprints off the doorknobs
  • Wipe the front of the cabinets
  • Wipe the towel rack and soap holder
  • Disinfect light switches
  • Scrub, clean, and disinfect the inside and outside of the toilet
  • Wipe the toilet paper roll holder
  • Clean the windows
  • Clean the baseboards
  • Sanitize all surfaces
  • Vacuum and mop the floor
  • Ensure lights are working and change light bulbs if necessary

Cleaning the Laundry Room

  • Dust the laundry room ceiling, window corners, and the top of the door
  • Clean surfaces and shelving
  • Disinfect light switches
  • Clean the utility sink and the faucet
  • Clean the vent
  • Dust baseboards
  • Clean the taps
  • Clean the walls
  • Vacuum and mop the floors

Bedrooms

  • Dust the ceiling, walls, baseboards, the top of the door, light fixtures and remove any cobwebs
  • Wipe down the windows
  • Clean the door and wipe the doorknob
  • Wipe the front of the wardrobe
  • Clean inside the wardrobe
  • Wipe clean any shelving
  • Vacuum drapery and slats of blinds
  • Clean the exterior blinds
  • Remove any marks on the walls
  • Fix any screw and nail holes
  • Disinfect light switches
  • Wash fly screens
  • Vacuum and mop the floor or steam the carpet
  • Ensure lights are working and change light bulbs if necessary

Living Room

As one of the rooms where people spend most of their time and entertain, the living room often has scuff marks on the floor and walls due to furniture and dust on light fixtures or the mantel.

Therefore, here’s what your tenants should do:

  • Dust the ceiling, light fixtures, walls, baseboards, top of the doors, window corners, and blinds
  • Disinfect light switches
  • Remove scuff marks from the doors and walls
  • Remove any stains or scuff marks from floorboards
  • Wipe down doorknobs and handles
  • Clean windows, window treatments, and window sills
  • Dust and clean ceiling fan
  • Vacuum and mop the floor or steam clean the carpet
  • Replace light bulbs if necessary

Wash the Outdoor Areas

If your Honolulu rental property features an outdoor area, your tenants will have to leave it clean, and tidy too.

  • Remove spider webs
  • Clean appliances such as barbecue
  • Clean windows and window frames
  • Clean balcony ceiling, walls, railing, and floor
  • Mow the lawn, remove weeds, and trim the trees or shrubs
  • Sweep debris away and hose down the deck or verandah
  • Sweep and hose down the paved areas
  • Clean the entrance door
  • Clean the doormats inside and outside the doorway
  • Repair any damage caused by pets or animals
  • Clean the pool and the filter, as well as the area around the pool
  • Clean rubbish bins
  • Sweep the floor in the garage and remove any spiderweb
  • Clean oil spillage or greasy buildup
  • Wipe garage shelving and clean the windows and doors

How Can a Honolulu Property Management Company Help?

The devil is in the details when it comes to end-of-lease cleaning.

Your renters should clean the house or apartment from top to bottom and leave the place in a pristine condition so that your Honolulu property manager can immediately start showing your rental property to potential tenants. Don’t have a Honolulu property manager at the moment?

We can help. Working with a reliable and experienced Honolulu property management agency can help you ensure a successful and stress-free move-in and move-out process. And as a recognized Honolulu rental agency, we pride ourselves on making sure tenants respect the higher standards of cleanliness when moving out. This way, we can quickly source high-quality tenants to replace them. So, if you need help managing your Honolulu property, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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