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Toronto cleaning servicePractical Toronto condo guide

Toronto condo move-out cleaning checklist.

Empty the unit, confirm building access, keep utilities available, clean from high surfaces to floors, photograph the result, and complete the key or fob handoff. The checklist below helps tenants, landlords, Realtors, and property managers keep those steps in one place.

Open the checklist Readable on screen and formatted for printing.
01

Before cleaning day

Remove personal belongings, garbage, recycling, and unwanted furniture. Cleaning and junk removal are different services, so do not assume a cleaner can remove large items or decide what should be discarded.

Photograph the current condition and flag anything that may change the price: burned-on oven residue, stained carpet, adhesive, smoke residue, heavy soil, or a balcony. Agree on who can approve extra work if the actual condition differs from the information used for the quote.

02

Confirm condo access before setting the service window

Condo rules vary by corporation. Ask management or concierge whether your building requires advance notice, cleaner names, elevator or access-point booking, proof of insurance, a parking arrangement, or work within specific hours.

  • Confirm who will meet the cleaner or provide authorized entry.
  • Check whether a fob is needed for the elevator, parking, or waste room.
  • Record the permitted loading route and contractor or visitor parking.
  • Agree on secure key, lockbox, and fob return.
  • Do not send alarm, door, or lockbox codes through an insecure channel.

The Condominium Authority of Ontario explains that condo rules regulate day-to-day activities and may regulate matters such as parking. Review your corporation's declaration, by-laws, and rules. Read the CAO guidance.

03

Keep utilities available until the clean is verified

Working lights, outlets, hot water, and safe indoor conditions are part of an ordinary cleaning setup. Coordinate any utility transfer or account closure after the final clean and check.

Empty and defrost the refrigerator only if the agreed scope calls for it. If it is switched off, leave its doors open to reduce odour. Toronto Hydro provides a dedicated process to move or close service; choose dates that do not cut power before the work is complete.

04

Room-by-room move-out cleaning checklist

Whole unit

  • Remove belongings, food, garbage, recycling, and unwanted furniture.
  • Dust reachable ledges, shelving, vents, fixtures, doors, and baseboards.
  • Wipe handles, switches, closet shelves, tracks, and empty drawers.
  • Vacuum carpet edges and closets; vacuum and damp-mop hard flooring.
  • Record wall marks, damage, or repairs separately from cleaning.

Kitchen

  • Wipe counters, backsplash, cabinet fronts, handles, and exposed shelving.
  • Clean the sink, faucet, drain area, stovetop, controls, and range-hood exterior.
  • Wipe appliance exteriors and clean interiors only when included in the scope.
  • Remove crumbs and residue from empty drawers and cupboards.
  • Check for food, liners, and cleaning products left in cabinets.

Bathrooms

  • Remove ordinary residue from the tub, shower, doors, tracks, and fixtures.
  • Clean the toilet bowl, seat, lid, exterior, base, and surrounding floor.
  • Wipe mirrors, counters, cabinet fronts, and empty vanity interiors.
  • Dust reachable fans, vents, lights, trim, and baseboards.
  • Remove hair and debris from corners and along floor edges.

Bedrooms, living area, and den

  • Dust reachable horizontal surfaces, ledges, shelving, and corners.
  • Wipe closet rods, doors, tracks, switches, handles, and baseboards.
  • Clean accessible interior window glass and ledges only when included.
  • Check behind doors and inside every storage area.
  • Use products suitable for the flooring and other finished surfaces.

Clean the entry and flooring last so the final route out of the unit does not undo completed work.

05

Work that usually needs a separate quote

Photos help, but they do not always show scale. A written quote should state inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, and what happens when the condition is materially different.

  • Carpet extraction, upholstery cleaning, or stain treatment
  • Exterior windows, inaccessible glass, or work at height
  • Balcony cleaning, pressure washing, or common-area work
  • Junk, furniture, construction debris, or hazardous-material removal
  • Heavy grease, smoke residue, pest waste, mould, or unusual odours
  • Wall washing, paint touch-ups, repairs, or special equipment
  • Urgent, overnight, or tightly restricted service windows
06

Final walkthrough and photo record

With the lights on, open cupboards and closets, check appliance interiors included in the scope, inspect floor edges, and record any unfinished item separately from pre-existing damage.

  • Take one clear wide photo of each completed room.
  • Photograph appliance interiors and add-ons that were included.
  • Confirm no supplies, garbage, or personal items remain.
  • Lock the unit and return keys or fobs to the agreed recipient.
  • Keep the written scope and completion record together.
07

Tenant and owner responsibilities are not the same as scope

Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board describes the tenant cleanliness baseline as the standard most people would consider ordinary or normal. It does not say every tenant must buy a professional deep clean. A lease, handoff plan, or property manager may still ask for a defined service, but that scope should be agreed separately.

This page is operational guidance, not legal advice. See the Landlord and Tenant Board's tenant information for the legal baseline.

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