If you are looking for move out cleaning in Edmonton, you are likely in one of three situations. You are a renter moving out of an apartment, condo, or rental house and you want your full damage deposit back. You are a homeowner who just sold and your purchase contract requires the property handed over in clean condition for the new owner. Or you are a landlord or property manager turning a unit over for the next occupant. The cleaning standard for all three is the same — inspection-ready, top to bottom — but the stakes look different.
Nice To Be Clean has been doing move-out cleans across Edmonton since 2013. We have cleaned hundreds of vacate jobs across every type of property in the city — Strathcona basement suites, Downtown condos, Old Glenora character homes, Windermere new-build executive houses, Mill Woods townhouses, Riverbend bungalows, walk-up apartments off Whyte Avenue, and 3,000-square-foot Terwillegar family homes being handed over to new owners. We know what Edmonton landlords, property managers, and home buyers look for during final inspection because we have stood beside them on hundreds of those walkthroughs. Our 5.0 Google rating across hundreds of verified reviews is built largely on this work.
This page walks through exactly what is included in our move-out clean, what Alberta law actually says about cleaning deductions, the differences between move-outs for renters and homeowners, the most common mistakes that cost tenants their deposit, and why our checklist is built around the line items property managers and buyers actually flag on the inspection report.
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Most tenants do not know this, and most cleaning companies do not bother explaining it. Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act (the RTA) is the law that governs damage deposit deductions. Here is what it actually says, in plain English.
Under the RTA, your landlord can deduct from your damage deposit for cleaning costs only if you returned the rental in a condition dirtier than it was at move-in, beyond what counts as normal wear and tear. The reference point is the move-in inspection report you signed when you took possession — that is your baseline. If the property is returned in equal or better condition than that baseline, no cleaning deduction is permitted.
Normal wear and tear is what happens just from living somewhere. Light scuffs on walls from furniture. Small nail holes from picture hooks. Carpet wear in high-traffic areas. Minor fading from sunlight on hardwood near windows. None of this is grounds for a deduction. What is grounds: significant staining, deep gouges, broken fixtures from misuse, food residue baked into appliances, mould in bathrooms, pet damage, or a property that is substantially dirtier than at move-in.
If a landlord withholds part of your deposit and you disagree, Alberta has the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS). It is faster and cheaper than court — most disputes resolve in a few weeks for a small filing fee. Your strongest evidence in any RTDRS hearing is documentation: the original move-in report, photos of the property after cleaning, and a professional cleaning receipt with a detailed checklist showing exactly what was done. Our move-out cleans come with all three.
The point: a professional move-out clean to landlord-inspection standard is not just about pride in handing back a clean unit. It is the legal evidence that protects your deposit if anything goes sideways. That is the framework we built our service around.
Edmonton property managers and landlords use checklists during final walkthroughs. They have a list of items they tick off, room by room. We built our move-out checklist by working with property managers across the city for over a decade and reverse-engineering what they actually flag at inspection. Here is everything covered on every move-out clean we do.
More damage deposits are reduced over kitchen cleanliness than any other room. Inside the oven and inside the fridge are the two single most-flagged items. We do them both, every time.
Edmonton landlords specifically inspect grout, caulking, exhaust fans, and behind toilets — the four areas most tenants miss. Our checklist covers all four.
Baseboards, window tracks, light switches, and inside closets are the four spots property managers run a finger across during inspection. Our cleaners hit every one.
Move-out cleaning sounds like one job. In practice, the people who book it fall into four distinct groups, and the right approach is slightly different for each. Here is how we frame it on the phone depending on who is calling.
If you are a renter moving out of an apartment or condo, the math is straightforward. Your damage deposit in Alberta is capped at one month's rent. For most Edmonton rentals that means somewhere between fifteen hundred and three thousand dollars sitting in escrow, waiting on a final walkthrough. Cleaning is one of the most common reasons landlords reduce that number — sometimes legitimately, often not. A professional move-out clean with a dated receipt and photo documentation gives you the strongest possible case for getting all of it back. The vast majority of our renter clients do.
We can do the clean while you finish your move, the day after you hand back keys, or any time before the landlord's final inspection. You do not need to be present — leave a key with us, with the building manager, or coordinate access with the landlord directly. If your unit needs more than maintenance-level work — heavy soap scum buildup, baked-on oven grease, neglected appliances — our deep cleaning service can be added on for an inspection-grade reset. For Edmonton condos specifically, including high-rises with strata cleaning requirements, our condo cleaning page covers the additional details.
Renting a house is a fundamentally different cleaning job from renting an apartment. More square footage, more bathrooms, often a basement, often a yard or garage. We have cleaned rental houses across Edmonton from compact two-bedroom bungalows in Bonnie Doon to four-bedroom rentals in Riverbend and Westmount. The Alberta tenancy law framework is identical to apartments — the damage deposit is still capped at one month's rent, the inspection standard is still "equal or better than move-in" — but the work scope and timeline are larger. Plan on a full-day clean rather than a half-day, and book five to seven business days ahead rather than three to five.
If you are a homeowner who just sold a house in Edmonton, your purchase contract almost certainly includes a clean-condition clause for possession day. The exact wording varies — "broom-clean," "professional cleaning," "free of debris," "in clean and tidy condition" — but the underlying requirement is the same: the buyer expects to walk into a clean home, and your real estate lawyer expects to close possession without a dispute over condition. We handle this on a tight timeline. Many sellers book us for the day before possession, with the team finishing in the morning so the buyer's walkthrough finds a spotless property.
Sellers who are also buying a new property often book us for both ends — a possession-handover clean of the home they sold, plus a move-in clean of the home they are taking possession of so it is clean before any of their furniture arrives. We can do both jobs on the same day if the timing lines up. If you are still in the listing phase rather than the closing phase, our pre-listing cleaning service covers the showing-prep clean instead.
If you just bought a home and the previous owners did not leave it as clean as you would like, a move-in clean is the right call before you unpack a single box. We can do it the day of possession, the day before you take physical occupancy, or any time in the first week. The checklist is identical to a move-out clean plus extra sanitization — door handles, light switches, faucets, toilet seats, fridge interior, every cupboard before you put dishes in it. For new-construction homes specifically, our post-construction cleaning service handles the drywall dust, paint splatter, and contractor debris that survives even the most diligent builder cleanup. After your move-in, many of our buyers transition into a recurring cleaning schedule — bi-weekly is the most common pick.
If you are a landlord or property manager, you already know that vacancy days cost money and that a unit shown dirty does not rent. We do turnover cleans on tight timelines for Edmonton landlords managing single-property rentals all the way up to property managers handling multi-unit buildings. We invoice on flexible terms (per-unit, monthly, or as part of a turnover package) and we work directly with your departing tenants for access and key handoff if you prefer to stay out of the middle. For commercial or mixed-use portfolios, our commercial cleaning service covers the office, retail, and light-industrial side as well.
Two questions every tenant asks on the first call: how long will it take, and how far in advance do I need to book? Here are the honest answers.
For a small one-bedroom apartment or condo in average condition, our team usually finishes in two to four hours. For a two-bedroom apartment or condo, four to six hours. For a small two-bedroom rental house or townhouse, five to seven hours. For a three-bedroom Edmonton home in average condition, six to eight hours — typically a full work day. Larger four- and five-bedroom houses can run nine to ten hours and may need a two-cleaner team to finish in a single day. Heavy soil — pet damage, smoker units, neglected ovens, deferred maintenance — adds time to all of the above. We always quote based on a walkthrough or a detailed description of the unit, not on square footage alone, because two identical floor plans in different conditions are completely different jobs.
For apartments and condos, book three to five business days ahead of your possession date if you can. For houses, give us five to seven business days because the work scope is larger and we usually need a bigger team. Month-end fills fastest — the last week of every month is peak season for Edmonton move-outs because most tenancies turn over on the first, and many home sales close on the last business day of the month. The last few days before long weekends fill almost as quickly. If you are within forty-eight hours of your possession date and need a clean, call us at (780) 940-3866 and we will tell you honestly whether we have a slot. Sometimes we do, sometimes we do not — we will not promise something we cannot deliver.
Same-day or same-week move-out cleans are possible during slower periods (mid-month, early month) but rare during month-end. If your timeline is tight, the best move is to call as soon as you know your possession date, even if you do not have all the details locked in yet. We can pencil you in and confirm specifics later.
There are dozens of cleaning companies in Edmonton that say they do move-out cleans. Most of them treat it as a regular clean with extra rooms. We treat it as a forensic, checklist-driven, inspection-grade job — because that is what the work actually is. Here is what separates how we run move-outs from the rest of the market.
Move-out cleaning is the kind of job where flat rates almost always go wrong. A two-bedroom condo where the previous tenant baked a lasagna onto the oven floor and never wiped a baseboard for two years is fundamentally different from a two-bedroom condo where a careful tenant kept the unit clean throughout. Pricing them the same is how cleaning companies end up either undercharging and rushing the job or overcharging and frustrating the client. Neither helps you recover your deposit.
We quote based on the actual unit — bedroom count, bathroom count, square footage, current condition, pet history, and how much time has passed since the last deep clean. Most quotes take under two minutes on the phone or through our online booking form. Three things to know before you call:
Renters generally come out ahead financially. Your damage deposit is capped at one month's rent in Alberta — usually fifteen hundred to three thousand dollars in Edmonton. A professional move-out clean is a fraction of that. The math almost always works in your favour, especially if there is any chance the landlord would have flagged cleaning at inspection.
Home sellers protect their closing. If your purchase contract requires the home in clean condition for possession, a documented professional clean is the cleanest way to satisfy that condition without a buyer dispute on possession day. Most Edmonton real estate lawyers will tell you the cost of a handover clean is a rounding error compared to the cost of a closing dispute.
Home buyers start fresh. If you are taking possession of a home that was not left as clean as you would like, a move-in clean before you unpack is the simplest way to start your new home life on the right foot. We can do it the morning of possession day so the place is ready when your moving truck arrives.
Landlords and property managers can book bulk pricing. If you manage multiple properties or do regular turnovers, we structure pricing for repeat work. Call and ask — we will work out something that fits how your operation runs.
Photo documentation is included free. If you want photos of the unit after the clean for your records (or for an RTDRS hearing), we provide them at no extra charge.
Call (780) 940-3866 or request a quote online for a free, no-obligation move-out cleaning quote.
Our move-out cleaning teams cover all of Edmonton plus the surrounding Capital Region within a 40 km radius of our Morrison Way office. We have cleaned vacate jobs in basement suites in Old Strathcona and Garneau, walk-up apartments along Whyte Avenue and Jasper Avenue, condos in Oliver and Downtown, family homes in Glenora and Westmount, townhouses in Terwillegar, Rutherford, and Summerside, and detached homes throughout Riverbend, Windermere, Mill Woods, Castle Downs, and The Hamptons. Same checklist, same standard, every neighbourhood.
For tenants moving into Edmonton from a surrounding municipality, or moving out of Edmonton into one, we cover both ends. Click your community below for service-specific details.
Don't see your community? Call (780) 940-3866 and we'll confirm coverage in under a minute.
Our home office is at 4030 Morrison Way NW, Edmonton, AB T5E 6S7. Open Monday through Saturday 24 hours, Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM. Same-day phone consultations for urgent move-out bookings.
Yes, in most cases. Under Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act, a landlord can only deduct from your damage deposit for cleaning costs that exceed normal wear and tear. A professional move-out clean to landlord-inspection standard, paired with a dated receipt and photo documentation, is the strongest possible evidence that the property was returned in equal-or-better condition than at move-in. The vast majority of our renter clients recover their full deposit. If a dispute does arise, our receipt and checklist hold up at the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service. (For homeowner sellers, the same documented clean satisfies the "clean condition" clause in most Edmonton purchase contracts and prevents possession-day disputes with the buyer.)
Inside oven, inside fridge, microwave, dishwasher, all cabinets inside and out, full bathroom scrubbing including grout, baseboards throughout, interior windows, window sills and tracks, all closets, light switches and outlet covers, spot wall cleaning, all floors, and trash removal. Full checklist is in the section above. We do not charge add-on fees for inside-oven or inside-fridge — both are standard on every move-out clean we do.
No. Most tenants leave a key with us, with the building manager, or arrange access through the landlord directly. We are fully bonded, insured, and background-checked. We notify you when we arrive on site and again when the clean is finished. Photo documentation is available at no charge if you want it for your records.
For apartments and condos, three to five business days ahead is ideal. For houses, give us five to seven business days because the work scope is larger and we usually need a bigger team. Month-end fills first because most Edmonton tenancies turn over on the first of the month and many home sales close on the last business day — if you can get on the schedule a week or two ahead, you will have the most flexibility. For tight timelines, call (780) 940-3866 and we will tell you honestly what we can fit in.
One-bedroom apartment in average condition: 2 to 4 hours. Two-bedroom apartment or condo: 4 to 6 hours. Two-bedroom rental house or townhouse: 5 to 7 hours. Three-bedroom Edmonton home: 6 to 8 hours, typically a full work day. Four- and five-bedroom houses: 9 to 10 hours, sometimes with a two-cleaner team. Heavy soil, smoker units, or pet damage adds time. We quote based on the actual property, not square footage alone, because identical floor plans in different conditions are different jobs.
Yes. Every move-out clean ends with a written checklist of what was done, dated and signed by the lead cleaner, plus a paid receipt. Both are emailed to you the same day. You can forward them directly to your landlord or property manager, attach them to a damage deposit return request, or use them as evidence at an RTDRS hearing if needed.
Yes. Our move-in cleaning covers the same checklist as a move-out plus extra sanitization (door handles, light switches, faucets, toilet seats, fridge interior, every cupboard) before you unpack. Many buyers book us for both ends — a vacate clean of the unit they are leaving and a move-in clean of the home they are taking possession of. We can do both jobs on the same day if the timing lines up. After move-in, most clients transition into a recurring house cleaning schedule — bi-weekly is the most popular cadence.
Yes. Most Edmonton purchase contracts include a "broom-clean" or "professional clean" requirement for possession day. We schedule house handover cleans for the day before possession so the buyer's walkthrough finds the property in finished condition. Houses take longer than apartments — plan on a full day for a typical three-bedroom home. Book five to seven business days ahead if you can, especially if your possession date falls at month-end.
If your unit has heavy oven grease, baked-on bathroom buildup, neglected appliances, or pet damage, our deep cleaning service can be added to a move-out clean for an inspection-grade reset. We will tell you on the quote call whether your unit is in standard or heavy condition so there are no surprises. Heavy-condition cleans take longer and cost more, but they are usually still well below the damage deposit at stake — so the math still works in your favour.
Yes. We carry general liability insurance and theft bonding on every job. Every cleaner is criminally background-checked before their first shift. Documentation is available on request before your booking. We have operated continuously in Edmonton since 2013 with zero insurance claims against us.
Do not leave your damage deposit to chance. Get a free, no-obligation quote in under two minutes — we will confirm timing for your possession date, walk you through exactly what is included, and book your slot.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Family-owned since 2013 · Bonded & insured · 5.0 Google rating
