Apartment Cleanout in Los Angeles
LA tenants leave behind everything from a half-eaten Trader Joe's bag to a couch wedged into a 4th-floor walkup. A same-day cleanout is not just labor — it is dump fees, donation routing to Goodwill or Out of the Closet, and LA city e-waste compliance for every TV, fluorescent tube, and battery you don't want sitting in your unit. Flat rate from $250 covers a 2-person crew, the truck, the disposal, and the photo log. Text the address. Crew rolls today.
Junk haul-out, done legally and documented
A cleanout is the full removal of personal property from a unit after a tenant has moved out, been evicted, or abandoned the place. In California it is not a free-for-all. Under Civil Code §1980-1991a landlord cannot simply throw a former tenant's belongings on the curb. The landlord must serve a written notice of right to reclaim, wait at least 15 days (hand delivery) or 18 days (mail) for the tenant to come collect, and — if the items are reasonably worth more than $700 in total — sell them at a public auction with published notice rather than just dumping them. Items below the $700 threshold can be retained, sold, or disposed of after the notice window closes. Skipping the notice exposes you to liability for the property value plus statutory damages, which is why we ask landlords for the date their notice clock runs out before we dispatch.
The flat-rate cleanout price covers everything that actually costs money in this work: a dedicated truck, a 2-person crew, the dump fees at the LA Sanitation transfer station, the donation drop at Goodwill or Out of the Closet for usable items, and the e-waste compliance routing for any TVs, monitors, computers, batteries, fluorescent tubes, or paint. Independent junk-removal services in LA usually post a low hourly rate then bolt on dump fees, donation fees, stair fees, and elevator surcharges so the final invoice ends up 60-80% higher than the quote. Flat rate means flat — the only line that ever moves is the biohazard surcharge if the crew finds needles, animal waste, or mold on arrival, and that is quoted before work starts.
When the truck pulls away, the unit gets a broom-clean finish. Crew sweeps every room, knocks down dust ridges in the empty closets, wipes the kitchen and bath floors, and bags any trailing debris. The unit hands off clean enough that the next contractor — whether that is a make-ready crew, a painter, or a deep-cleaner — can start their work the same day without losing two hours just to an empty unit they have to sweep first. That handoff is where most cleanouts in LA fall apart, and it is the single most common reason landlords switch to a flat-rate operator after one bad experience with a $99 truck.
The full cleanout scope
Full-unit haul-out
Furniture, mattresses, appliances, boxes, kitchen contents, closet contents — everything the tenant left walks out the door.
Truck and crew
2-person crew minimum, dedicated truck per job. Up to a full truck load on standard packages, multi-truck dispatch on heavy jobs.
Donation routing
Usable furniture, clothing, and housewares routed to Goodwill or Out of the Closet so they don't hit the landfill.
Hazardous disposal
Paint, batteries, fluorescent tubes, and small e-waste handled per LA Sanitation rules — no surprise dump-fee passthrough.
Broom-clean finish
Post-haul sweep and broom-clean of every room so the make-ready or paint crew can walk in and start work immediately.
Photo log
Before, mid-haul, and after photos of every room — deposit-defense ready and timestamped to the job.
Cleanout cost by unit size
Truck, crew, dump fees, and donation routing all wrapped in. No surprise stair or elevator charges.
What makes LA cleanouts different
California Civil Code §1980-1991 abandoned property
Before a landlord can dispose of personal property left behind by a tenant, §1980-1991 requires a written notice of right to reclaim and a 15-day (hand delivery) or 18-day (mail) waiting period. If the items are reasonably valued above $700 in total, the landlord must sell them at public auction with published notice, not just throw them out. Items under that threshold can be retained, sold, or disposed of once the notice window has closed. We schedule the cleanout for the day after your notice period runs out and keep the timeline documented in case it ever gets challenged.
LA Sanitation e-waste and paint rules
LA Sanitation prohibits TVs, computers, monitors, paint, fluorescent tubes, and most batteries from going into curbside trash. They have to route through an LA Sanitation S.A.F.E. Center or a certified e-waste recycler. A cut-rate junk service that drops everything at the transfer station is exposing you to citation risk if it gets traced back to your address. Our crew sorts these items on-site, transports them to the correct stream, and keeps the dump receipts on file.
High-rise loading dock and freight elevator coordination
DTLA, Westwood, and Santa Monica towers require advance reservation of the loading dock and freight elevator, plus a certificate of insurance on file with the building before the crew can move anything. Most outside junk-removal services either don't carry the right COI limits or show up without dock approval and get turned away at the garage. We coordinate with building management 24 hours ahead, file the COI, and arrive inside the booked window.
Pair the cleanout with the rest of the turnover
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Hoarder-grade jobs run on a quoted basis because they require multi-truck dispatch, longer crew hours, and sometimes a biohazard surcharge if there is animal waste, mold, or contaminated bedding. Text photos of the unit to 310-774-0099 and dispatch returns a quote in under 30 minutes. Most hoarder cleanouts in LA land between $1,200 and $4,500 depending on volume and floor access.
Appliances (refrigerators, stoves, microwaves) and electronics (TVs, monitors, computers) are pulled out and routed correctly. LA Sanitation prohibits TVs and most electronics from going in regular curbside trash — they have to go through an S.A.F.E. Center or certified e-waste recycler. We handle that routing as part of every cleanout and the dump receipts are kept on file if you ever need them.
No. California Civil Code §1980-1991 governs abandoned personal property. After a tenant vacates, the landlord must serve a written notice of right to reclaim, then wait at least 15 days if hand-delivered or 18 days if mailed before disposing of the property. If the items are reasonably believed to be worth more than $700, the landlord must sell them at public auction (with notice published) and can only keep the proceeds after deducting storage and sale costs. Items under $700 can be kept, sold, or disposed of after the notice period. Skipping these steps exposes you to liability for the tenant's property value plus statutory damages. We can run the cleanout after your notice period closes — just text us the date the clock runs out.
Same-day cleanout is available for most LA neighborhoods if you text before 11am. Standard scheduling is next-day. For high-rises (DTLA, Westwood, Santa Monica) we add a 24-hour buffer to coordinate the loading dock and freight elevator reservation. Text the unit address and a few photos to 310-774-0099 and dispatch confirms availability in under 15 minutes.
Yes. Furniture, clothing, kitchenware, and books in usable condition get routed to Goodwill or Out of the Closet rather than dumped. It cuts your environmental footprint and reduces dump fees, which is part of why our flat rates stay flat. Donation receipts are available on request if you want them for write-offs.
If the unit has needles, syringes, animal waste, or visible mold, the crew flags it on arrival and the job switches to a biohazard protocol — sealed containers, PPE, and a separate disposal stream. There is a biohazard surcharge that varies with the volume, but it is quoted before any work starts. We do not no-show or refuse the job — we just need to know what we are walking into so the crew is geared up correctly.
Flat-rate packages: Studio $250 (up to 1/4 truck), 1BR $385 (up to 1/2 truck), 2BR+ $525 (up to a full truck). Hoarder and heavy jobs are quoted. Independent junk-removal services in LA typically charge $400-$900 for a 1BR and tack on dump fees, donation fees, and stair surcharges separately. Our flat rate includes truck, crew, dump fees, donation routing, e-waste compliance, and the post-haul broom-clean.
Ready to clear the unit?
Text the unit address, a few photos, and the date your §1980 notice period closes. Dispatch returns a quote and a window in under 15 minutes.
chatText 310-774-0099