How much does it cost to pay someone to clean an apartment?

Quick answer: Across Los Angeles, hiring someone to clean an apartment typically costs $125 to $350 for a standard visit, and $200 to $500 for a move-out deep clean. TurnOver LA charges a flat Make Ready price: Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, 3BR+ $425, delivered in 48 hours. No hourly upsell. Get instant quote in 30 seconds.

Cleaning an apartment in LA usually lands between $125 and $350 for a standard visit, and $200 to $500 for a proper move-out deep clean. TurnOver LA’s Make Ready package is a flat rate by bedroom count, includes a 12-point photo report, and turns in 48 hours. If you manage vacancy loss, speed and predictability matter as much as price.

What do Los Angeles cleaners actually charge by apartment size?

Across LA, standard home cleaning services often price by hourly blocks, usually $35 to $60 per hour, or by flat visit. For apartments, that translates to about $125 to $350 for a standard tidy and surfaces, and $200 to $500 for a deeper move-out. Prices skew higher in buildings with tight parking and elevators, which is common in Santa Monica and Downtown. For turnovers, what you need is a move-out grade clean, not a light maid service. That means kitchens and bathrooms reset, appliances wiped inside and out, floors detailed, and hard water addressed. TurnOver LA prices this as a Make Ready, not hourly: Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, 3BR+ $425, 48-hour turnaround. If the unit also needs junk-out, painting, or repair, you can add fixed-price line items without blowing the schedule. Get instant quote in 30 seconds.

How does TurnOver LA pricing compare to the LA market?

Here is the side-by-side for a move-out grade clean by unit size. Market figures reflect what we see across Los Angeles, including Koreatown, Hollywood, and Pasadena, when hiring independent cleaners or small companies for turnover-level work, not recurring maid service.

TurnOver LA is flat priced and includes a 12-point photo report, so you can document scope and support deposit accounting. Every job completes in 48 hours. No rush fee. If the unit also needs paint touch-up, add $200, or repaint per room at $395 per room. See our Make Ready deep clean and painting and drywall pages for details.

How much to clean a 700 sq ft apartment?

A 700 sq ft unit in LA is usually a large studio or a compact 1 bedroom. Market pricing for a move-out grade deep clean on that footprint runs about $200 to $350 depending on appliance condition, bathroom scale, hard water, and pet hair. With TurnOver LA, the price is tied to bedroom count, not square footage. If it is a studio at 700 sq ft, it is $225. If it is a 1 bedroom at 700 sq ft, it is $255. Both deliver in 48 hours and include floors, cabinets, appliances, bathroom descaling, and a 12-point photo report. If the former tenant left debris, add a unit cleanout at $200 for studio or $310 for a 1 bedroom. For buildings with strict elevator windows in Koreatown, we schedule load-in and trash runs inside your window so you do not eat a second day of vacancy.

Is 50 dollars an hour for cleaning good in LA?

Fifty dollars per hour is common for experienced independent cleaners in LA, especially if they bring supplies and have to deal with paid parking. The problem is that turnover scope is variable, which means hourly billing can drift if the oven is caked or the tub has hard water scale. Most move-out cleans land at 4 to 8 labor hours, so you might pay $200 to $400 at $50 per hour. Flat packages reduce that ambiguity. TurnOver LA’s Make Ready is $225 for studios, $255 for 1 bedrooms, $335 for 2 bedrooms, and $425 for 3 bedrooms or larger. You know the number before keys change hands, and you get a timestamped photo report for your file. If repairs or paint creep in, you can bolt on a half-day handyman punch list at $230 without blowing the day.

What is the 3:30 rule for cleaning and does it work?

Some cleaners use a 3:30 idea as a discipline tool, meaning three passes of 30 minutes per zone. Pass 1 is trash and declutter, Pass 2 is wet work and scrub, Pass 3 is polish and floors. It is not an industry standard, but it works for turnover scheduling because it forces momentum and prevents getting stuck in an oven for 90 minutes while the bathroom is untouched. Our make-ready teams run a similar cadence. Kitchens and bathrooms get early wet work, then we let chemicals dwell while we strip stickers, patch small nail holes if painting is scheduled, and prep floors. Final pass is shine and exits, plus photo documentation. The result is predictable two to six hour on-site times by unit size, which lets you book painters for the next morning if needed. If you prefer one vendor to coordinate, we can clean, then paint touch-up for $200, then rekey for $150, all inside 48 hours.

What is included in a professional move-out clean?

Move-out cleaning resets the unit to ready-to-show. Expect kitchen degrease, cabinet interiors, appliance interiors and exteriors, sink polish, and backsplash. Bathrooms get descaling on glass and tile, grout attention, toilet and vanity sanitation, mirror polish, and fan covers. Bedrooms and living areas get dusting, track cleaning, baseboards, blinds dusted, and floor detailing. We bag left-behind trash and stage it for building disposal. TurnOver LA’s Make Ready bundles all of this and returns a 12-point photo report so you can prove condition for deposit decisions. If walls need help, add paint touch-up at $200 or a full repaint per room at $395 per room. If drywall has a fist-sized hole, add a small drywall patch at $150 per patch or medium repair at $240 per patch. See what is make-ready and our cleanout and junk haul service for add-ons.

How long should a proper apartment clean take?

Time is scope driven, but here is a useful planning bracket for LA apartments when the target is move-out ready. A studio typically takes 2 to 3.5 hours with one tech, or 1.5 to 2.5 hours with a team of two. A 1 bedroom is 3 to 5 hours. A 2 bedroom is 4 to 6.5 hours. A 3 bedroom or larger can be 5 to 8 hours depending on bath count. Elevators and parking constraints add 20 to 40 minutes of non-cleaning time in high density buildings. The point is to stage trades. Clean first, then paint touch-up if needed, then rekey, then photos. With TurnOver LA, every booking is targeted to complete in 48 hours. For leasing, bundle the TLA Launch Pad Media Package at $399 so you can list the same day you rekey. That package is single price and includes the listing media you need.

What extra costs can raise a cleaning bill in LA?

Market pricing climbs when cleaners are surprised by scope or logistics. Here are the common drivers, and how to control them.

1. Appliance interiors caked with grease or carbonized spills, which add 30 to 60 minutes. Photograph before, plan for a deep oven soak.
2. Heavy hard water on glass and fixtures, adding chemistry time. Use dwell time to run other zones.
3. Pet hair and dander in vents and along baseboards. Brush then vacuum to avoid recirculation.
4. Parking and elevator windows, which cut active minutes. Pre-clear dock time.
5. Junk-out and bagging, which is not cleaning. Book a unit cleanout at Studio $200 or 1 bedroom $310 to keep cleaning on task.

The advantage of flat packages is that you avoid hourly creep. TurnOver LA holds to Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, 3BR+ $425 for Make Ready. Add paint touch-up at $200 if walls need it, or a general maintenance visit at $125 for safety and minor fixes.

Can cleaning costs be deducted from a tenant’s deposit in California?

Yes, but only to restore the unit to the level of cleanliness it had at move-in, not to cover normal wear. California Civil Code §1950.5 is clear on allowable deductions for cleaning, damage, and unpaid rent. You must return the balance and an itemized statement within 21 days. For standards and examples, see the California DCA Landlord-Tenant Guide and our guide to normal wear and tear in California. When you deduct for cleaning, include invoices and the photo report. We provide a 12-point report with every Make Ready. For LA rent-stabilized units, align with the LAHD Rent Stabilization Ordinance to avoid habitability disputes while turning.

How do you limit vacancy loss during cleaning in LA?

Vacancy loss in LA runs about $80 to $200 per day depending on submarket. The leverage is in coordination. Book cleaning for day one, painters on day two morning, rekey by noon, and listing photos before close of day. With TurnOver LA you can keep it all in one schedule: Make Ready at the flat unit price, add paint touch-up at $200 or per-room repaint at $395, rekey at $150, and the TLA Launch Pad Media Package at $399. We turn all of it inside 48 hours. That usually saves one to two days of vacancy compared to juggling vendors on hourly billing. Get instant quote in 30 seconds.

What should you expect in a proper scope-of-work for cleaning?

You can avoid most change-orders by capturing scope up front. For apartments, a tight checklist looks like this.

• Kitchen: stove interior and racks, hood filter, refrigerator interior and gasket wipe, microwave, backsplash, counters, sink and aerators, cabinet interiors.
• Bathrooms: descaling glass and tile, toilet and seat bolts, vanity interior, medicine cabinet, fan cover, mirror.
• Throughout: baseboards, outlets and switch plates, door handles, closet shelves and rods, tracks and thresholds, blinds dusted, floors detailed.
• Debris: bag and stage for building disposal, then wipe below prior furniture footprints.
• Documentation: 12-point photos before and after, timestamped.

TurnOver LA’s Make Ready includes all of the above as a base deliverable. Add a general maintenance visit at $125 to test GFCIs, smoke detectors, and secure loose hardware while we are onsite.

When should you bundle cleaning with paint, repairs, rekey, and photos?

Bundle when you want to cut vacancy days and limit handoffs. A clean first day sets paint outcomes and reduces time painters spend on dusting. If you are changing locks, do it after painters, then shoot listing media last. All of these can run in a 48-hour window. Price points with TurnOver LA are fixed: Make Ready by size, paint touch-up at $200 or repaint per room at $395, small drywall patch at $150 per patch, full apartment rekey up to 2 locks at $150, and the TLA Launch Pad Media Package at $399. If junk is left behind, add a unit cleanout starting at $200. That stack keeps your total predictable and your calendar tight. Get instant quote in 30 seconds.

Quick reference: when a flat package beats hourly in LA

Flat pricing wins when scope is uncertain, access is constrained, or when documentation matters. Here is the short list.

1. Units larger than 500 sq ft with unknown appliance condition.
2. Buildings with elevator windows that can stall an hourly cleaner.
3. Security deposit cases that require photos and line-item invoices.
4. Coordinated trades where painters and locksmiths are queued.
5. Leasing deadlines where vacancy loss exceeds $80 to $200 per day.

TurnOver LA keeps the numbers fixed and the turn moving. If you need locks changed, we offer a full apartment rekey at $150, or front plus deadbolt at $110, scheduled inside the same 48-hour window.

Sources and compliance notes

For deposit rules and timelines, see California Civil Code §1950.5 and the state’s California Tenants Guide. For LA rent-stabilized units, review the LAHD Rent Stabilization Ordinance.