What Should You Charge for a Move Out Clean in LA?

Quick answer: Across LA, a professional move out clean commonly falls around $200 to $600, depending on unit size, vacancy condition, and whether the scope includes appliances and interior cabinets. TurnOver LA's Make Ready package is $225 for a studio, $255 for a 1 Bedroom, $335 for a 2 Bedroom, and $425 for a 3BR or larger, with a 48-hour turnaround.

For a vacant apartment, charge by bedroom count and condition, then write the included tasks down before anyone starts. A basic clean price without oven, cabinet, wall, or damage language creates disputes on both sides. Get instant quote in 30 seconds

What should you charge for a move out clean in LA?

Start with the general LA market, not an hourly guess. A typical move out clean across LA runs about $200 to $600 for an average apartment or home, with the low end fitting a smaller empty unit in decent condition and the high end covering larger or heavily used spaces. That market number is context, not a TurnOver LA rate.

TurnOver LA uses flat Make Ready pricing for the cleaning baseline: $225 for a Studio, $255 for a 1 Bedroom, $335 for a 2 Bedroom, and $425 for a 3BR or larger. Each package includes a deep clean and a 12-point photo report, completed within 48 hours. That format gives an owner or manager documentation to review before the next showing, rather than relying on a verbal report that the unit is done. If a unit needs more than cleaning, identify that work separately rather than burying it in the cleaning number.

Should you charge hourly or use a flat rate?

For ordinary vacant apartments, a flat rate is usually easier to sell and easier to approve. The customer knows what the base clean covers, and the cleaning team has a clear finish line. Hourly billing can make sense for an occupied unit, a hoarding condition, active construction dust, or a job where the scope cannot be confirmed until access is available.

An hourly number, including $50 an hour, is not enough information by itself. A customer needs to know how many labor hours are expected, whether two cleaners are arriving, what rooms and appliances are included, and what happens when the unit is dirtier than described. Flat pricing works best when paired with exclusions and an inspection process. For TurnOver LA jobs, labor and the crew's own supplies are covered in the quote. Paint, parts, or fixtures are inspected on site and added to the final invoice only with approval first.

What should a move out cleaning scope include?

A move out clean should focus on the surfaces a new resident, leasing agent, or move-in inspector will touch first. Do not call a quick wipe-down a deep clean. The scope should be specific enough that the cleaner, owner, and departing tenant can all see where the price came from.

A practical vacant-unit scope includes:

1. Kitchen counters, sink, backsplash, cabinet fronts, and the accessible interiors of emptied cabinets.
2. Oven, cooktop, hood, refrigerator shelves, and refrigerator drawers, when included in the agreed scope.
3. Bathroom fixtures, tub or shower, toilet, vanity, mirror, exhaust cover, and visible grout buildup.
4. Floors, baseboards, window sills, closet shelves, switch plates, and door edges.
5. Bagged trash and loose debris removal, unless the volume requires a separate cleanout.
6. A final walk-through with photos of completed rooms and any remaining damage.

For a room-by-room standard, see our move out cleaning guide. If the work is part of a broader turnover, the apartment turnover checklist helps keep cleaning, repairs, keys, and listing readiness in order.

How do bedrooms and condition change the price?

Bedroom count is a useful starting point because it roughly tracks bathrooms, floors, closets, and total touchpoints. It is not the only driver. A clean two bedroom with one bathroom can take less corrective work than a one bedroom with a greasy kitchen, pet hair in every closet, and a neglected shower.

Across LA, the broad $200 to $600 market range should be treated as a planning range, not a promise for every layout. TurnOver LA's flat Make Ready rates provide a clear base comparison:

This is why square footage alone can mislead. The operational count is kitchens, baths, closets, appliances, wall condition, and leftover contents. Use a walkthrough or current photos before agreeing to a fixed scope.

When should cleaning become a separate repair or cleanout line item?

Cleaning should restore removable dirt, dust, grease, and ordinary turnover buildup. It should not silently absorb repair work or disposal work. A wall with greasy fingerprints may clean up. A wall with holes, failed anchors, or peeling paint needs a repair decision. A refrigerator with a few crumbs is cleaning. A refrigerator left full of food, broken shelves, or odor contamination may need more time and separate disposal.

For example, TurnOver LA lists a small drywall patch plus texture at $150 per patch and paint touch-up only at $200. Those are distinct services, not add-ons that should be assumed inside a cleaning quote. For bulky belongings, a unit cleanout or junk haul is $500. Separating these line items protects the cleaner from an unprofitable job and lets the owner approve work based on photos. Review drywall patching in rental apartments when deciding whether a mark is cleanable or repairable. Get instant quote in 30 seconds

Can a landlord charge a tenant for move out cleaning?

A cleaner's invoice and a landlord's deposit deduction are separate questions. A vendor can price the actual work needed to return a unit to a rentable condition. A landlord may only deduct from a California security deposit as allowed by law, and ordinary wear is not automatically billable to the departing tenant.

California Civil Code §1950.5 permits certain deductions, including cleaning necessary to return the premises to the level of cleanliness at the start of tenancy, subject to the statutory rules. Review the actual language in California Civil Code §1950.5 and the California DCA Landlord-Tenant Guide before making a deduction. California generally requires the deposit accounting and any remaining deposit within 21 days. Our guide on landlord turnover charges explains the operational difference between cleaning caused by a tenant and costs that belong to normal ownership.

Is $50 an hour good for house cleaning?

It can be, but only after the scope and crew size are clear. At $50 per hour, a four-hour job is $200 for one cleaner before supplies, travel, insurance, scheduling time, and callbacks. If two cleaners work two hours each, the labor math is still four labor hours, but the customer may assume it is a two-hour job unless the estimate explains it.

For move out work, flat pricing is often more useful than advertising an hourly rate. It avoids debates about whether oven detailing, cabinet interiors, blinds, or baseboard buildup took too long. The 80/20 rule is useful here as a quality-control habit, not a pricing formula: prioritize the small group of areas that drives most first impressions and inspection failures. Kitchens, bathrooms, floors, odor sources, and visible walls usually deserve the first pass. Then complete the remaining detail work promised in the scope.

How can you prevent a cleaning price from delaying the next lease?

Price and schedule the clean as one turnover decision. Every day a unit sits unrentable can cost roughly $80 to $200 in vacancy loss depending on the LA submarket, before utilities, leasing labor, or concessions. Saving a small amount by waiting for three separate vendors can cost more than a clear scope completed promptly.

A Make Ready booking covers the baseline deep clean and 12-point photo report in 48 hours. If inspection identifies wall work, use painting and drywall service as a separate approval path. If the unit is mostly clean but needs a focused reset, review the deep cleaning service option. The photo report is particularly useful when an owner is off site, because it records what was completed and flags the items that still need authorization. Get instant quote in 30 seconds

Price the scope, document the condition, and keep turnover moving

The right charge for a move out clean is the amount that covers the actual unit, the agreed scope, and the time needed to leave it ready for inspection. In LA, use the $200 to $600 general market range only as a first budgeting check, then compare it with a defined package. TurnOver LA's Make Ready pricing starts at $225 for a Studio and includes the 12-point photo report that helps close the loop.

Do not use cleaning to hide paint, drywall, hardware, or haul-away costs. Photograph condition before work, get approval for materials, and separate repair decisions from the cleaning baseline. That approach gives owners cleaner records and gives vendors a price they can actually deliver within the turnaround window.