If you are soon leaving the furnished rental accommodation you are leasing, here are some tips to properly prepare for your departure and move-out...
Contracts signed during your furnished rental
During your stay in your furnished accommodation, you have signed various contracts (insurance, electricity, gas, etc.) or subscriptions (Internet, pay-TV channels, etc.).
Before your departure, don't forget to:
- Cancel or transfer your home insurance
- Cancel or transfer your subscriptions for electricity / gas / water / internet / phone. For a proper inspection of the property during the move-out inspection, remember to ask the electricity provider to leave a minimum amount of electricity in the accommodation.
Cleaning: Tips for maintaining your accommodation and leaving it clean
At the end of your lease, the furnished apartment must be returned clean. As a tenant, it is also your responsibility to carry out any necessary minor repairs in the furnished accommodation before the move-out inspection. Indeed, if additional cleaning or repairs are deemed necessary after your departure with the intervention of a professional, this would result in additional costs for you and could prolong the processing of the return of your security deposit/provisions.
Here are some tips for cleaning your apartment: making your move-out and the return of your security deposit easier!
General cleaning
When cleaning your furnished apartment at the end of your lease, remember to clean the floor, baseboards, behind, underneath, and inside furniture, ventilation grilles, electrical outlets, windows, and glass.
Also, remember to clean the remaining items in your accommodation more thoroughly: everything must be as clean as on the first day. This includes:
- Light fixtures: depending on their material, dust them or clean the surface. Don't forget to replace the bulbs if they no longer work.
- Also, remember to clean doors and their frames which can easily get dirty from repeated use. Wash the paint if necessary.
- Check the condition of your ceiling. Remove dust with a soft bristle broom and perform delicate passes for impeccable cleanliness. You can finish cleaning by using the same technique with a microfiber cloth.
Check the proper functioning of doors, closets, windows, switches...
Carry out minor repairs at your expense: resealing sink and shower/bathtub joints if they cannot be cleaned, replacing bulbs, replacing batteries, reattaching door handle, replacing broken mugs/glasses/cutlery, replacing duvet or pillows that are in poor condition...
All these details will help you avoid deductions from your security deposit.
Kitchen cleaning
- Cooking regularly can make your surfaces greasy.
To clean the exterior of lacquered furniture, scrub with a sponge soaked in dish soap and immediately wipe with a cloth to avoid water marks.
For wooden furniture, use a microfiber cloth dampened with a few drops of white vinegar. Then quickly dry them with a dry microfiber cloth.
- Remember to defrost the refrigerator and freezer 2 to 3 days before leaving the furnished apartment. Then clean the interior with a spray of water and vinegar and then wipe with a soft cloth. For the exterior, degrease with a little black soap in hot water then rinse with a mixture of water and vinegar.
- Remove crumbs from the toaster and clean the outside of the appliance with a product suitable for its type of surface.
- Clean your microwave thoroughly and disinfect it with hot water, white vinegar, and a few drops of lemon essential oil. The steam created will allow you to easily remove food residues and clean your appliance properly.
- Clean the oven by running a pyrolysis cycle if the appliance has one. Once your oven is cold, finish cleaning with black soap and baking soda.
- Remove stubborn stains from cooking hobs. Mix baking soda with water and scrub vigorously. You can also try degreasing your hobs with black soap. For limescale stains, use white vinegar. For fragile surfaces like induction or ceramic hobs, use a specific product.
Bathroom Cleaning
Moisture easily creates mold or tartar stains. It's easy to see at a glance if the room has been cleaned. So, it's important to focus on the bathroom during your cleaning before your move-out inspection.
Start with the most important element: the toilets.
Over time, tartar stains that don't go away with a simple toilet cleaner can accumulate.
To descale your toilets and make them white, empty the water from the bowl. Let the walls air out, and the residue will loosen. You can enhance this technique by pouring a quarter liter of white vinegar into your toilets and letting it sit overnight. The next day, scrub with a brush, and your toilets will be sparkling clean.
Next, to fully clean your bathroom, arm yourself with 3 simple things: white vinegar, water, and baking soda:
- First, remove all traces of limescale with white vinegar. Scrub your plumbing and shower walls with a sponge soaked in vinegar. Let it sit for a few moments, then rinse with clear water to remove the white marks. For more stubborn stains, mix white vinegar with baking soda to obtain a foamy mixture. Use this mixture to scrub your faucets with a toothbrush, and the surfaces will become shiny again.
You can also disassemble your showerhead and soak it in a basin of vinegar for more effective cleaning.
- Then, clean all the tiles in your bathroom with a spray bottle filled with a mixture of water and vinegar. To freshen your home, you can also add a few drops of lavender essential oil.
- Check the joints of the shower and/or bathtub: the bathroom is prone to mold stains, which can settle even in the shower joints. It's easy to overlook during your cleaning. But it could be a problem during your inspection.
To make your joints impeccable, scrub a mixture of white vinegar and lemon juice onto your joints with a toothbrush. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse with water.
- Clean the rest of the elements thoroughly (basin, shelf, cabinet or shelf).
Window Cleaning
A little before your move-out inspection, remember to clean your windows. Take advantage of a sunny day to see the marks clearly and remove them. Once again, white vinegar is your best ally for this: make a mixture of white vinegar and water, spray it on your windows, clean with a sponge, and dry everything with a cloth.
- Clean every part of the window
- In addition to the glass and the window frame, remember to clean the inside by vacuuming the joints with a fine nozzle. Finish with a cloth if necessary for a clean finish.
- The window sill is also an important point to clean before your departure, inside and out.
Checking Drainage Ducts
Another important point not to neglect: drainage ducts. For the well-being of the next tenant and also for your own peace of mind, check that the ducts are not blocked. If they were, the landlord could notice it during the inspection by checking the water flow.
If there's a blockage, use strong measures to unclog it with a plunger or the chemical action of certain products.
If the flow is not a problem, simply remember to maintain your pipes regularly. You can use specific products or apply a mixture of vinegar and baking soda overnight.
Cleaning Ventilation Ducts and Vents
The ventilation ducts in your home are in constant contact with the air in your house. They ensure healthy air, which preserves the occupants' health. However, the grilles protecting the ventilation ducts can become clogged with cooking grease, dust, or moisture. Remember to clean them once or twice a year, and you'll have less work during your departure.
To do this, start by removing the ventilation grilles. Then clean them with water and soap. Finally, let them dry before putting them back in place. If you can't remove the cover, clean the grilles directly in place by spraying a little vinegar on them. Then, run a cloth between the blades to clean them.
During the Move-Out Appointment
Before the move-out inspection, prepare all sets of keys, vigik, parking badge that were given to you upon arrival... as you'll need to return them during your move-out appointment.
If you can't carry out certain repairs yourself, you can inform the manager of your furnished apartment before your departure.
We'll do a complete tour of the apartment to check its condition compared to when you moved in. The property manager will make the comparison at our agency once the elements are transmitted by our inventory agent.
Remember to provide us with your new address to receive the quick return of the security deposit and to forward any mail.
Some Examples of Additional Charges
End of lease cleaning rates (to be adjusted according to the size of the accommodation and the level of dirt):
- For a furnished apartment of 30m² and less: between 250€ (basic cleaning) and 380€ (thorough cleaning)
- For a furnished apartment between 31m² and 60m²: between 480€ (basic cleaning) and 760€ (thorough cleaning)
- For a furnished apartment between 61m² and 90m²: between 580€ (basic cleaning) and 1140€ (thorough cleaning)
- For a furnished apartment between 91m² and 120m²: between 680€ (basic cleaning) and 1340€ (thorough cleaning)
- For a furnished apartment between 121m² and 150m²: between 780€ (basic cleaning) and 1540€ (thorough cleaning)
- For a furnished apartment between 151m² and 180m²: between 880€ (basic cleaning) and 1740€ (thorough cleaning)
- For a furnished apartment between 181m² and 210m²: between 980€ (basic cleaning) and 1940€ (thorough cleaning)
Note: any intervention and/or repair by a service provider may involve additional costs:
- Professional travel expenses around 50€ excl. tax
- Professional labor costs around 50€ to 65€ excl. tax
- Supply of materials if needed (e.g., bulb, seal...)
Here are some examples of average costs for the most common interventions (prices are indicative and may vary depending on the availability of service providers, the specificity of the furniture or accommodation):
- Joint resealing: approximately 90
- Bulb replacement: €15 per unit + travel
- Unclogging sink/shower/WC (excluding macerator): €135
- Minor leak repair: €135
- Pillow replacement: €30 + travel
- Replacement of pots/pans: €90 + travel
- Replacement mattress protector: €20 + travel
- Drawer repair: €95
- Closet door adjustment: €60
- Handle/furniture re-fixation: €60
- TV cable replacement: €55
- Curtain rod installation: €115
- Window/door lubrication: €150
- Showerhead installation: €30 + travel
- Window handle repair: €190
- Lock replacement due to lost key: Average cost €900 unless reinforced security lock
- Lost Vigik pass: Average cost €50
If you leave items to be disposed of in the accommodation, please note that the cost of clearance is at least €80 depending on the size of the items to be disposed of.
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