Move-out cleaning checklist for Reno renters

Why the move-out clean matters

Under Nevada law (NRS 118A.242), your landlord has 30 days after you move out to return your security deposit, or to send you an itemized statement of what was kept and why. The law lets a landlord keep the reasonable cost of cleaning, as well as repairs for damage beyond normal wear. A home left properly clean gives them one less reason to deduct.

Check your lease too. Some leases spell out cleaning expectations, and the law allows a lease to include a reasonable non-refundable cleaning charge.

Before you start

• Clean after the furniture is out. Empty rooms show every mark, and you can reach the corners.
• Take photos of each room when you finish. They are your record of the condition you left it in.
• Work top to bottom: dust falls, so ceilings and shelves first, floors last.

Kitchen

• Inside and outside of every cupboard and drawer, including shelf liners.
• Inside the fridge and freezer: shelves, drawers and door seals. Leave it unplugged and propped open only if your landlord asks.
• Inside the oven, the stovetop, burner pans and the range hood filter.
• Inside the microwave and dishwasher.
• Countertops, backsplash, sink and faucet.
• Cabinet fronts and handles, which collect grease.

Bathrooms

• Shower, tub and tile, including soap scum and water spots on glass.
• Toilet, inside and out, including the base.
• Sink, faucet, mirror and medicine cabinet.
• Inside vanity drawers and cupboards.
• Exhaust fan cover.

Every room

• Baseboards, door frames and doors, including handprints around handles.
• Light switches and outlet covers.
• Window sills and tracks, which collect a lot of Reno dust.
• Closet shelves and floors.
• Ceiling fans and light fixtures.
• Floors: vacuum, then mop hard floors.

Leave time for it

The most common mistake is planning the move-out clean for the last evening, after a long day of moving. Everything takes longer in an empty house than people expect, especially inside appliances. If you can, book it for after the movers leave but before the keys are due.

Let someone else handle it

A move-out clean from Tracy's Tidy Homes is a whole-home reset for an empty house: every room floor to ceiling, inside cupboards and inside appliances. Share your moving dates early so the clean fits around the truck. Moving in somewhere new as well? See our move-in cleaning checklist.

This is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your specific lease or deposit, check NRS 118A or ask a tenant resource such as Nevada Legal Services.