Move-Out Cleaning Cost 2026: DIY vs. Hiring a Cleaner
Hiring a cleaner for a move-out costs roughly $110 to $350 for a one-bedroom apartment, going by four recent cost guides. Doing it yourself costs about $26 for six basic products, or more for a full kit, plus your own time, which one guide puts at four to ten hours. The guides disagree a lot, so the honest answer is a range, not one price.
This guide lines up what those sources say, shows what a quote includes and what costs extra, and works through one DIY vs. pro example with our own arithmetic. Renters should also read our security deposit guide, which covers the legal side.
Professional move-out cleaning cost by home size
Four guides gave prices by bedroom count. Two are from 2026, one from December 2025, and one is undated and cites no sources for its figures.
| Home | This Old House (2026) | Leaserunner (undated) | Galaxy Maids (2026) | HireAHelper (Dec 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $100–$210 | $100–$180 | $150–$250 | $150–$250 |
| 1 bedroom | $110–$230 | $150–$250 | $180–$300 | $200–$350 |
| 2 bedroom | $120–$270 | $250–$350 | $250–$450 | $300–$500 |
| 3 bedroom | $160–$320 | $350–$750 (3+ bedrooms) | $350–$700 | $400–$600 |
Yelp’s page (September 2026) is lower still: $75–$175 for a one- or two-bedroom apartment of 600–1,200 sq ft.
The spread is large: a two-bedroom tops out at $270 in one guide and starts at $300 in another, and none of the pages explains why. Our inference is that companies may quote a deeper clean with appliance interiors, while This Old House lists those as add-ons, which would lower its base price. Galaxy Maids, HireAHelper and Leaserunner also sell or market cleaning.
Hourly rates and price per square foot
Hourly rates per cleaner run $25–$50 (Leaserunner), $25–$65 (Yelp), $35–$60 (Breasy) and $40–$75 (HireAHelper). Care.com lists city averages of $19.64–$28.57 an hour as of March 2026, yet also says some services charge $40–$80, without explaining the difference.
Per square foot, This Old House gives $0.20–$0.45, and HireAHelper gives $0.15–$0.30 for a standard clean, with deep cleaning adding 25–50%. Breasy, which writes for property managers, quotes $0.15–$0.25 for a standard turnover and $0.35–$0.50 or more for heavy soiling. It says the unit’s condition moves the price more than its size, and that rush requests add 15–30%.
As a check, our own assumption of a 750 sq ft one-bedroom at $0.20–$0.45 comes to about $150–$340, inside the spread above.
What is included and what costs extra
No two companies define “move-out clean” the same way. Care.com and Noble Cleaning list appliance interiors inside a standard move-out service. This Old House, Yelp and Galaxy Maids treat oven and fridge interiors as add-ons. Always ask what the quote covers.
| Task | Add-on prices reported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oven interior | $15–$40 (This Old House); $25–$75 (HireAHelper); $75–$200 (Noble) | The widest disagreement in the data |
| Refrigerator interior | $10–$50 (This Old House); $40–$75 (Breasy); $50–$150 (Noble) | HireAHelper gives one $25–$75 range for either appliance |
| Interior windows | $1.60–$3.20 each (This Old House); $3–$5 per pane (Noble); $5–$10 per window (Breasy) | Priced per window or pane |
| Carpet cleaning | $75–$300 (This Old House); $100–$200 (Noble) | Care.com lists carpet as excluded |
| Tile and grout | $75–$150 (Breasy); $250–$700 (This Old House) | Very different scopes are possible |
Standard service in most guides means floors, bathrooms, kitchen surfaces, dusting, baseboards and window sills.
One-bedroom apartment: DIY vs. professional
- DIY supplies$26–$150
Low end is our sum of six priced Target items; high end is a full-kit estimate from one guide.
- DIY supplies plus rented carpet machine$86–$218
Our arithmetic: supplies plus $59.98–$67.98 for 24-hour rental and one bottle of solution.
- Pro, This Old House$110–$230
One-bedroom range, updated 2026.
- Pro, other three guides$150–$350
Leaserunner, Galaxy Maids and HireAHelper combined.
- Pro plus oven, fridge and carpet$250–$750
Our sum: base $150–$300 plus carpet $75–$300 plus oven and fridge $25–$150.
DIY move-out cleaning: supplies and hours
We checked six single products on Target’s site in September 2026. Prices move with sales, so treat these as a snapshot.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Easy-Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner, 14.5 oz | $5.49 |
| Mr. Clean Original Magic Eraser, 6 count | $5.49 |
| Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges, 6 count | $5.57 (sale; $6.19 regular) |
| Windex Original glass cleaner, 26 fl oz | $3.99 |
| Clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach, 24 fl oz | $2.89 |
| Bar Keepers Friend powder cleanser, 21 oz | $2.69 |
| Total (our sum) | $26.12 |
That excludes a mop, vacuum, trash bags and cloths, which many people already own. Guides put a whole supply set higher: $50–$150 (Noble) or $5–$50 per item (Bob Vila, 2023).
The oven is mostly waiting. Easy-Off’s deep-clean directions say to warm the oven to 200°F, turn it off, spray and leave the foam about an hour and a quarter before wiping. It warns against use on self-cleaning ovens, aluminum or chrome, and calls for long rubber gloves and ventilation.
How long will all of it take? Sources disagree:
- Leaserunner: 4–10 hours solo, depending on property size, with up to an hour for oven scrubbing alone.
- Amenify (a cleaning vendor): 2–3 hours for a studio or one-bedroom and 4–8 for a two-bedroom.
- Noble (a cleaning company): 20 hours or more for a thorough job. That looks like an outlier next to the others, and Noble sells cleaning, so weigh it accordingly.
Crews are faster: This Old House says two to three hours for an empty home, and Breasy estimates 1.5–2.5 hours for two people on a studio or one-bedroom. That is about five person-hours, close to our estimate below.
Carpets: rent a machine or hire it out
Carpet has the widest add-on range in the guides, so price it separately. Rug Doctor lists its upright machine at $39.99 for 24 hours and $49.99 for 48 hours where offered, and says prices vary by store. Solution is extra, from $19.99 (Clean + Refresh, 48 oz) to $27.99 (Max Advanced). Other guides put a hardware-store rental at $25–$50 a day. Our arithmetic for 24 hours plus one bottle is $59.98–$67.98. The pages do not say how much floor a bottle covers, so check the label.
Hiring costs more but saves the work. Yelp (September 2026) gives an average of $175 for steam cleaning, a $121–$250 range and $30–$80 per room in apartments. Another guide, updated September 12, 2026, says $25–$75 per room with minimum fees of $100–$150, so a single room may cost more than a rental.
Room-by-room checklist with time estimates
The tasks below follow checklists from Redfin and other sources. The times are our own estimates for a one-bedroom in moderate condition, not measured figures, and they assume you have supplies ready.
| Area | Tasks | Our time estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Oven and racks, fridge and freezer, microwave, cabinets, counters, sink | 2 hours hands-on, plus about 75 minutes of oven soak |
| Bathroom | Tub or shower, grout, toilet, vanity, mirror, fan cover | 1–1.5 hours |
| Bedroom, living area, hall | Baseboards, sills, doors, switches, closets, light fixtures | 1–1.5 hours |
| Windows and blinds | Glass, tracks, blinds | 30–60 minutes |
| Floors, last | Vacuum, mop | 30–45 minutes |
| Carpet machine (optional) | One pass with a rented machine | 1–2 hours |
That totals about 5–7 hours without the machine and 6–9 with it. Clean top to bottom and do floors last, once the unit is fully empty.
Worked example: DIY vs. pro for a one-bedroom
This is our arithmetic from the ranges above, not a quote. We assume a one-bedroom of about 750 sq ft with carpet in the bedroom and living area.
| Scenario | Pro | DIY | Your time | Gap per hour of your time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light clean, no carpet, appliances included in the quote | $150–$300 | $50–$100 | 5–7 hours | about $7–$50 |
| Carpet and oven/fridge billed separately | $250–$750 | $110–$168 | 6–9 hours | about $9–$107 |
The pro base of $150–$300 covers most of the four one-bedroom ranges. Row two adds carpet ($75–$300) and oven and fridge ($25–$150). The DIY column uses $50–$100 for supplies plus $60–$68 for the machine. The hourly gap divides the smallest saving by the longest job and the largest saving by the shortest.
The result is not a verdict. If your time is worth $10 an hour, DIY wins in nearly every case. If a day off costs you $200 in lost pay, row one could go either way and row two leans toward hiring. Get written quotes before you decide.
Does a cleaner protect your deposit?
Not automatically. FindLaw says a cleaning deduction should restore the unit to its original state and match the effort involved. California’s statute allows deductions for cleaning that returns the unit to its move-in level of cleanliness, bars requiring professional carpet or other professional cleaning unless reasonably necessary for that, and requires the landlord to photograph the unit after move-out, before cleaning or repairs they plan to charge for. Other states differ, and FindLaw does not say whether a lease can require a professional.
Leaserunner and a July 2025 Yahoo guide say a professional’s invoice shows you made an effort. Our inference is that an invoice plus dated photos is stronger than photos alone. No page we read gave a reliable typical cleaning deduction, so we quote none. Read your lease, ask for the landlord’s cleaning standard in writing, and see our deposit guide for photos and deadlines.
When to hire and when to DIY
Hire if:
- You have a day or less between packing and the key handover.
- The oven, grout or bathroom has heavy buildup.
- Your lease asks for a receipt or professional cleaning, and your state allows it.
- Your time is worth more than the gap in the worked example.
DIY if:
- The unit is small and was kept reasonably clean.
- You own most of the supplies and can spend a full day.
Split it: hire for the heavy items and do the light cleaning yourself, as Noble suggests. HireAHelper says DIY prep can trim $50–$200 from a bill.
How to vet a cleaning company
The BBB’s 2020 tips are still the basics: interview at least three companies, check that each is registered, bonded and insured, ask for references, and get a written agreement stating what will be cleaned and by when. It also says a representative should walk through your home before quoting. Noble and Galaxy Maids add a binding itemized quote, a satisfaction guarantee and reviews that mention move-outs. Then ask our own questions:
- Is the oven, fridge, carpet and inside of windows in the price?
- Will you follow my landlord’s checklist if I give you one?
- If the landlord flags something, will you re-clean, and within how many days?
Galaxy Maids suggests booking 5–7 days ahead and Noble 2–3 weeks.
Ways to save
- Leave the unit empty and tidy. Yelp lists furnished vs. unfurnished as a price factor, and Breasy says condition affects price more than size.
- Book early and midweek. HireAHelper and Noble point to weekday slots, and Breasy lists weekend surcharges of $25–$75.
- Compare three quotes with the same scope written down.
- Check the lease before paying for carpet cleaning. Redfin’s checklist says to run a carpet cleaner if the lease requires it, which implies you may not need one otherwise.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a quote includes the oven, fridge and carpet.
- Starting the clean before the last box is out, then finding new dirt behind furniture.
- Using oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven or on aluminum or chrome parts.
- Paying a cleaner without a written scope.
- Skipping the after photos.
If paint touch-ups are also on your list, our bedroom painting cost guide covers the numbers, and the renter upgrades guide lists lower-risk changes for the next place.
Move-out cleaning FAQ
How much does move-out cleaning cost?
Most guides land between $100 and $500 for an apartment and up to $750 or more for a three-bedroom house. The exact figure depends on size, condition and whether oven, fridge and carpet are included. Get two or three written quotes with the scope spelled out before you book.
How long does a professional move-out clean take?
Vendor pages give about 1.5–5 hours for a studio or one-bedroom and 2–8 hours for a two-bedroom, a wide spread that the pages do not explain. Heavy soiling, extra crew members or add-ons like carpet and windows change the time, so ask the company how many people it sends and how long it expects to be there.
Is DIY move-out cleaning cheaper?
Yes on cash: about $26 for six products and $50–$150 for a full kit, versus $110–$350 for a pro one-bedroom clean. But you pay in time, often 5–7 hours or more, so the saving shrinks once you count that.
Can my landlord make me hire a professional cleaner?
It depends on your state and lease. California’s statute bars requiring professional cleaning unless it is reasonably necessary to restore the unit’s move-in condition. We found no source that settles this nationally, so check your local law.
Sources
Prices and rules were checked in September 2026 and change with sales, region and law. Company blogs and vendor pages are marketing material, so we compared several and note dates where the page gives them.
- This Old House: move-out cleaning cost: costs by size and add-on, per-square-foot range (updated 2026).
- Leaserunner: move-out cleaning cost: costs by unit size, hourly rates, solo cleaning time, invoice advice.
- Galaxy Maids: move-out cleaning costs in 2026: size ranges, vetting criteria, booking lead time.
- HireAHelper: move-out cleaning cost: size ranges, hourly and per-square-foot rates, tips (updated December 2025).
- Yelp: move-in and move-out cleaning costs: lower price ranges (September 2026).
- Yelp: steam cleaning costs: professional carpet cleaning prices (September 2026).
- Care.com: move-out cleaning cost: hourly rates by city, inclusions and exclusions.
- Noble Cleaning Services: move-out cleaning cost: add-on prices, DIY supply range, vetting checklist (July 2024).
- Breasy: move-out cleaning cost: standard vs. deep clean pricing, surcharges.
- Bob Vila: move-out cleaning cost: older add-on and rental figures (updated 2023).
- Oh So Spotless: carpet cleaning cost: per-room prices, minimums (updated September 12, 2026).
- Rug Doctor: where to rent: machine rental prices.
- Rug Doctor: carpet cleaning solutions: solution prices.
- Easy-Off: Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner: oven cleaning directions and warnings.
- Target: Easy-Off oven cleaner, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Scotch-Brite sponges, Windex, Clorox toilet bowl cleaner, Bar Keepers Friend: supply prices.
- BBB: 7 tips for hiring a cleaning service: vetting steps (2020).
- Amenify: move-out cleaning time estimates: time by home size, vendor estimate.
- Mike’s Service Pros: how long a move-out cleaning takes: crew time and carpet time (February 2025).
- Redfin: move-out cleaning checklist: checklist tasks by room.
- Yahoo: hire cleaners or DIY before a move: pro vs. DIY considerations (July 2025).
- FindLaw: cleaning deductions from a deposit: move-in condition standard.
- California Civil Code 1950.5: cleaning deductions, professional cleaning limit, photo rules.
