Ontario Move-Out Cleaning Checklist — Tenants' Guide to Getting Your Deposit Back 2026

Move-Out Cleaning in Ontario — Getting Your Deposit Back

Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act allows landlords to make deductions from the last month's rent deposit (the deposit form Ontario law permits) for cleaning costs if the unit is left in a condition below what was received. The standard is "reasonable cleanliness" — not perfection, but noticeably clean. Here's what landlords actually inspect and what the Landlord and Tenant Board considers when disputes arise.

What Landlords Actually Look At

In order of most-inspected to least:

1. Kitchen: Oven interior, stovetop, fridge interior, cabinet interiors, and sink condition are the primary dispute sources. A dirty oven is the most common deduction trigger
2. Bathrooms: Grout, caulking condition, toilet (including under the rim and base), and bathroom exhaust fan
3. Floors: Stains on carpet or damaged hardwood beyond normal wear
4. Walls: Marks, scuffs, and holes beyond normal picture hooks
5. Windows: Condition and cleanliness

Normal Wear and Tear vs Damage

The LTB distinguishes between normal wear and tear (acceptable, no deduction) and damage or unusual dirtiness (deductible). Normal wear includes: minor scuffs on walls, carpet flattening from furniture, small nail holes from pictures. Not normal: large holes in walls, stained carpet from spills, pet damage, or a heavily soiled oven.

Move-Out Cleaning Priority Order

1. Oven and stovetop — highest inspection priority
2. Fridge (defrost fully, clean all shelves and drawers)
3. All bathroom surfaces including grout
4. All floors including corners and under appliances
5. Inside all cabinets and closets
6. Windows and sills
7. Baseboards and light switches

A professional move-out clean through maidless.ca/ontario produces the documentation (before/after photos optional) and the thoroughness that protects against deposit disputes.