How Much Does Move-Out Cleaning Cost in Chicago?

Short answer: a move-out clean in Chicago is billed at our residential rate, $69 per cleaner-hour, and the 4-hour minimum makes $276 the floor. Most apartments run 4 to 8 cleaner-hours, or $276 to $552. Most houses run 8 to 14 cleaner-hours, or $552 to $966. The inside of the oven, fridge and cabinets is part of the job, not an add-on.

What a move-out clean includes

A move-out clean is a top-to-bottom clean of an empty home. The team cleans the inside and outside of the oven, fridge and microwave, wipes every cabinet and drawer inside and out, scrubs the bathrooms, wipes baseboards by hand, cleans blinds, sills and fixtures, and vacuums and mops every floor. It is the clean a landlord or a buyer expects to walk into.

If you rent in Chicago, the RLTO move-out checklist shows what the city's ordinance says about deposits and what landlords look for.

Move-out cleaning cost by home size

Typical totals for an empty home at $69 per cleaner-hour. Treat them as examples. The quote comes after we hear about the home.

• Studio or 1 bedroom: $276 to $414, which is 4 to 6 cleaner-hours.
• 2 bedrooms: $414 to $552, or 6 to 8 cleaner-hours.
• 3 bedrooms: $552 to $759, or 8 to 11 cleaner-hours.
• 4 or more bedrooms, usually a house: $759 to $966, or 11 to 14 cleaner-hours.

We count in cleaner-hours: two cleaners for 2 hours is the same 4 cleaner-hours as one cleaner for 4, and either one meets the minimum. Move-outs usually get a team of two or three, so a 3-bedroom house is done in an afternoon.

Why a move-out costs more than a regular clean

The home is empty, so every surface is exposed and gets cleaned, including the floor of every closet and the wall behind where the fridge stood. The inside of the appliances and cabinets is included, and the oven alone can take an hour. And the standard is higher. A regular clean is for the people who live there. A move-out clean is for someone who is about to inspect it.

It is also usually the first real clean the home has had in a while, since most people stop cleaning once the boxes come out.

What the national guides say

Thumbtack's move-out cleaning guide, updated May 2026, puts the national average at $199 to $354. Our ranges start near the top of that, because the oven, fridge and cabinet interiors are included rather than added on, and because every booking is at least 4 cleaner-hours. Ask any quote you compare whether the appliances are inside the price. Often they are not.

Who books a move-out clean

• Renters who want the deposit back. If your deposit is a month's rent, a $414 clean on a 2-bedroom is a small bet.
• Sellers who want the home to show well at the walk-through.
• Landlords and property managers turning a unit between tenants. If you need the unit ready for the next person, a move-in clean is the same job from the other side.

What adds to the cost

• A heavily used oven, or a fridge with spills under the drawers.
• Soap scum and hard water spots that have had years to set. Lake Michigan water leaves them on every shower door in the area.
• Pet hair in carpet and along the baseboards.
• Belongings left behind. The team has to work around them, so clear the home first.
• Interior windows and tracks, blinds, and the garage floor, which are add-ons.

Two things we do not do: carpet shampooing and washing walls. If the lease asks for carpets to be shampooed, book a carpet company separately.

When to schedule it

Book the clean for after the movers leave and before the walk-through or the listing photos. A day's gap is ideal. Tell us the date you hand over the keys and we will work back from it. We confirm the hours and the total before the visit.

Getting a quote

Spotless Home Cleaners has handled move-outs in Chicago and the suburbs since 2014. Send the bedroom and bathroom count, say if the home is empty, and give us your move-out date. Book online or call (847) 499-7075.