Quick answer: In Los Angeles, a typical apartment move-out or deep cleaning on the general market often costs about $200 to $500, depending on size, condition, and whether the unit is vacant. TurnOver LA's Make Ready is $225 for a studio, $255 for a 1 Bedroom, $335 for a 2 Bedroom, and $425 for a 3BR or larger. Each Make Ready includes a deep clean, a 12-pt photo report, and a flat 48-hour turnaround.
Cleaning prices in LA make more sense when the scope is clear. A recurring house cleaner, a three-hour maintenance visit, and a vacant-unit turnover are different jobs with different risk for the owner. For a rental that needs to be shown, documented, and handed to the next resident, start with the condition of the unit rather than an hourly estimate. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
What do cleaning services usually cost in Los Angeles?
For general market context, a vacant apartment move-out or deep clean in Los Angeles commonly falls around $200 to $500. Studios at the clean end of the spectrum sit near the low end, while larger units with grease, heavy bathroom buildup, pet hair, or neglected interiors move up. That is a market range, not a TurnOver LA rate, and quotes that look low can exclude inside appliances, detail work, supplies, or follow-up access.
TurnOver LA uses flat Make Ready pricing by unit size: Studio $225, 1 Bedroom $255, 2 Bedroom $335, and 3BR or larger $425. The work includes a deep clean and a 12-pt photo report, which gives an owner a record of the completed condition before leasing photos or showings. For a broader look at local turnover budgets, see apartment turnover cost in Los Angeles. In submarkets where vacancy can cost $80 to $200 per day, knowing the scope before scheduling matters as much as the cleaning rate.
Why do Los Angeles cleaning quotes vary so much?
Condition drives the price more than square footage alone. A lightly used one-bedroom in West Hollywood with an empty refrigerator and routine dust is not the same as a unit with grease on cabinet fronts, soap scale in the shower, adhesive on walls, and personal property left behind. Access also matters. Elevator reservations, limited parking, stairs, gate codes, and a unit that still has utilities disconnected can all change the work plan.
The most useful quote separates cleaning from repairs and materials. TurnOver LA's quote covers labor and the crew's own supplies. If the unit needs paint, replacement parts, or fixtures, those materials are identified at the on-site inspection and added to the final invoice only with owner approval. That keeps a cleaning quote from hiding repair work that should be reviewed separately. For units with scuffs or damaged walls, coordinate the clean with painting and drywall work instead of asking a cleaner to cover a repair issue with touch-up supplies.
What can a cleaner do in three hours?
Three hours can cover a useful maintenance clean in a small, reasonably kept apartment, but it is rarely enough to guarantee a complete turnover clean. A cleaner may vacuum and mop accessible floors, wipe kitchen counters and exterior appliance surfaces, clean one bathroom, dust reachable areas, remove light trash, and reset obvious touch points. The result depends on how much clutter remains and whether the job includes detailed work such as blinds, oven interiors, cabinet interiors, baseboards, grout, or heavy soap scale.
For a vacant rental, hourly time promises can create arguments at the end of the visit. The crew may spend most of the shift on one neglected kitchen and leave the rest of the unit incomplete. A scope-based Make Ready service is better suited to an owner who needs a documented rent-ready standard rather than a limited number of labor hours. It also avoids sending a leasing agent into a unit where only the visible areas were addressed.
Is $50 an hour for cleaning good in LA?
A $50 hourly rate can be reasonable in Los Angeles, but it is not enough information to compare bids. Ask whether that rate is per cleaner or per crew, whether supplies are included, whether travel and parking are extra, and what happens if the work takes longer than expected. Two cleaners at $50 each are a $100 per hour crew. A lower hourly rate can also become expensive if the cleaner is working around clutter, waiting for access, or discovering damage after arrival.
For occupied-home maintenance, an hourly arrangement may be appropriate because the resident can direct priorities. For a landlord turnover, a flat scope is usually easier to manage. You need the kitchen, bathroom, floors, fixtures, and photos completed to a known standard, not simply labor applied until a clock runs out. Compare the scope against this move-out cleaning cost guide before choosing between hourly housekeeping and a vacant-unit cleaning package.
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From $225 · 48-hour turnaround
Get an instant quoteHow does the 80/20 cleaning rule work for a rental?
The 80/20 rule means putting most of the cleaning effort into the small set of areas that create most of the visual and sanitary impact. In an apartment turnover, those areas are usually the kitchen, bathroom, floors, entry, and high-touch surfaces. It is a triage method, not permission to skip a proper clean. A prospective resident notices greasy cabinet fronts, a stained toilet bowl, hair in a shower drain, and dirty floors faster than nearly any other defect.
Use the rule to set the first pass of work in this order:
- Remove trash and personal property that blocks cleaning access.
- Degrease the kitchen, including the range area and cabinet faces.
- Clean and disinfect the bathroom, with attention to grout and fixtures.
- Vacuum, detail edges, and mop floors after overhead dust is removed.
- Wipe entry points, switches, handles, and visible wall marks.
- Finish with photos and a walk-through for missed items.
A strong 80/20 pass gets the unit presentable quickly. The final 20 percent, including corners, inside cabinets, and detailed surfaces, is what prevents a showing-day surprise.
What should be included in an apartment cleanup checklist?
A practical turnover checklist should follow the route a prospect takes through the unit. Start at the entry, then move room by room so no area is cleaned twice or missed. Check for trash, abandoned property, odors, wall damage, burnt-out bulbs, loose hardware, dirty filters, and water issues before the cleaner leaves. Cleaning a unit before identifying a leaking trap or a broken toilet seat often creates avoidable rework.
For the cleaning scope, include appliance exteriors and interiors as needed, counters, sinks, cabinet faces and interiors, tubs, toilets, showers, mirrors, floors, baseboards, windowsills, closets, and reachable light fixtures. A written checklist also helps distinguish legitimate work from normal use. California deposit decisions require care, and California Civil Code §1950.5 sets the framework for lawful security-deposit deductions. Review normal wear and tear in California before assigning cleaning or repair charges to a former resident.
When should a landlord add repairs to the cleaning visit?
Add repairs when a defect will keep the unit from being safely shown, legally habitable, or competitively rentable. Common examples are a loose door handle, damaged outlet cover, leaking fixture, failed smoke detector, loose cabinet hinge, or a wall hole that remains visible after cleaning. Cleaning crews can document these issues, but cleaning alone does not solve them. Scheduling the right trade in the same turnover window reduces handoffs and avoids a clean unit sitting vacant while a minor repair waits.
TurnOver LA can pair cleaning with handyman and general maintenance when the inspection identifies a punch-list item. This is particularly useful after a walk-through reveals small problems that a departing tenant's furniture had hidden. Labor and crew supplies are covered in the quote, while necessary paint, parts, and fixtures are presented for approval at the on-site inspection. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
How should owners compare cleaning quotes before booking?
Compare quotes on completion standard, not the first number on the screen. Confirm whether the provider is cleaning an occupied home or turning a vacant rental. Ask what rooms and detail items are included, who provides supplies, whether appliances and cabinets are in scope, whether the crew can identify repair issues, and whether the work is documented when complete. A cheap quote that requires a return visit or leaves a leasing agent to find missed areas is not a cheap turnover.
For LA landlords, the operational question is whether the unit can move from keys returned to ready for photos or showings without a week of vendor coordination. TurnOver LA's Make Ready combines the deep clean with a 12-pt photo report and a flat 48-hour turnaround on every job, with no rush or same-day upcharge. Review the apartment turnover checklist, then book the scope that matches the actual condition of the unit. Get instant quote in 30 seconds