The Sioux Falls Move-Out Cleaning Checklist (Print This)
What landlords actually look at before they release your deposit.
6 min read · Published May 6, 2026 · By Brandon Ness, HausClean
If you've ever rented in Sioux Falls, you know the routine: move-out day arrives, and somewhere on the lease there's a clause about returning the unit in 'move-in condition.' What that actually means varies by landlord — but most of them inspect against a near-identical checklist. Hit the checklist, get the deposit back. Miss a few items, lose a few hundred dollars.
We turn rentals every week as the cleaning crew for landlords, property managers, and Airbnb hosts across Sioux Falls. We've also done dozens of move-out cleans for renters who'd rather pay us once and skip the deposit-loss anxiety. Either way, here's the room-by-room checklist that matches what gets inspected.
Kitchen — where the most deposits are lost
Kitchens are deposit-killers. Grease behind the range, crumbs in drawer slides, sticky shelf liners — landlords find every one of them.
- Inside the oven, including the racks and the broiler tray
- Behind and underneath the range (pull it out where possible)
- Hood vent + filter (filter goes in the dishwasher)
- Inside the refrigerator, including the bottom drawers
- Inside the freezer (defrost if it's iced over)
- Inside every cabinet and drawer (yes, including the ones you forgot)
- Tile + grout in the backsplash
- Sink, faucet, garbage disposal
- Floor — sweep, mop, baseboards
Bathrooms — the second-most-checked rooms
Bathrooms get inspected harder than the rest of the home because they're easy to grade. Hard-water stains on glass, mildew in the grout, dust on the exhaust vent — every one is a line item.
- Inside vanity drawers and under the sink
- Tub + shower glass treated for hard water
- Tile + grout (floor and walls)
- Mirror, fixtures, hardware polished
- Toilet — including behind it and the floor under the base
- Exhaust vent dusted
- Floor mopped, baseboards wiped
Bedrooms + closets
Empty bedrooms feel done in 5 minutes — but landlords care about the closets and the corners.
- Inside every closet — shelves wiped, rod dusted
- Walls + door frames spot-cleaned
- Light switches + outlet covers
- Window sills, blinds, tracks
- Floor + baseboards
Living areas + final walk-through
Living rooms and dining rooms tend to be cleaner because they have less storage. Don't skip the ceiling fans and the underneath of any built-ins.
- Ceiling fans (high dust)
- Window interiors, blinds slat-by-slat
- Light fixtures + glass globes
- Walls + doors spot-cleaned
- Floors + baseboards
- Final walk-through with a flashlight (you'll find what the inspector finds)
What landlords usually charge for if you miss it
These are the 5 line items we see most often on Sioux Falls deposit deductions:
- Inside the oven — typically $50–$120
- Inside the refrigerator — typically $40–$100
- Tile + grout in the bathroom — typically $80–$200
- Hard water on shower glass — $40–$80
- Carpet condition (vacuumed but not shampooed) — $100–$300
When it's worth hiring it out
We'll be honest: if your lease has a 'professionally cleaned' clause, or your deposit is more than $500, hiring it out almost always wins. Our Next Chapter Clean is built specifically against this checklist — we charge a fixed rate, send photos when we finish, and stand behind the work for 48 hours after the inspection.
If you'd rather DIY, print this list and work top-down by room. Bring better tools than you think you need.