Move-Out Cleaning & Your Texas Security Deposit

Your deposit is not gone yet

If you are moving out of an apartment or rental home in Richardson, Las Colinas, or anywhere else across DFW, you already know the landlord holds a chunk of your money. Texas Property Code Section 92.103 requires landlords to return your security deposit within 30 days of you surrendering the property. If they keep any of it, they must send an itemized written list of deductions. The catch is that "cleaning" is one of the most common line items on that list, and it is also one of the easiest to prevent.

What Texas landlords can legally deduct for

Landlords can deduct for conditions beyond normal wear and tear. That phrase matters. Normal wear and tear covers things like small nail holes, slightly scuffed baseboards, and carpet that has simply aged. What landlords can charge you for includes:

• Grease buildup inside the oven or on the stovetop
• Mold or soap scum in bathrooms left uncleaned
• Sticky residue inside cabinets and drawers
• A fridge that smells because it was never wiped down
• Dirty floors, baseboards caked with dust, and grimy window sills
• Trash or belongings left behind

Every one of those items is something a good move-out clean handles directly. Spending a few hours, or hiring a crew to handle it, is almost always cheaper than losing part of your deposit to a landlord's cleaning invoice.

The short list every move-out walkthrough checks

Leasing agents and property managers in Plano, Carrollton, and Grand Prairie tend to follow the same basic checklist. Here is what they look at most closely:

Kitchen

• Inside the oven: baked-on grease is the single most common deduction. It has to come off completely.
• Inside the fridge: shelves, drawers, and the rubber door seal all get inspected.
• Inside cabinets and drawers: crumbs, sticky spots, and old shelf liner all count against you.
• Stovetop, hood vent, and the gap between the stove and the counter.

Bathrooms

• Soap scum and hard water stains on glass, tile, and chrome. DFW water is hard, so these build up fast, especially on frameless shower glass.
• Toilet bowl, base, and behind the tank.
• Grout lines, exhaust fan cover, and vanity drawers.

Throughout the home

• Baseboards wiped clean, not just vacuumed near.
• Floors mopped or vacuumed in every corner, including closets.
• Ceiling fan blades and light fixture covers. After a long DFW summer with the AC running non-stop, the dust on fan blades is real.
• Window sills and ledges.
• Walls spot-checked for scuffs that cross into damage territory.

How to time the clean against your lease end

The cleanest sequence is simple. Finish moving all your belongings out first, then clean. Trying to clean around furniture and boxes means you will miss spots. Once the home is empty, schedule the clean for the day before or the morning of your final walkthrough. That gives you time to fix anything the cleaner flags without rushing.

If you are in a newer build in Frisco or Forney, keep in mind that builder-white flat paint on walls shows every smudge. A walls add-on during the clean is worth considering if you have kids or pets. Older 1980s ranches in Plano or Carrollton often have textured walls that trap dust differently, so baseboards and corners need extra attention there too.

Also think about timing relative to the calendar. Oak pollen season in March and April and cedar fever in December and January mean more particulate settling on every surface. If your move-out falls in those windows, the clean needs to go deeper on horizontal surfaces and return vents.

Photograph everything before you hand back the keys

A clean home is only half the protection. The other half is documentation. Walk through every room after the clean is done and take dated photos or video of:

• Inside the oven, fridge, and every cabinet
• Bathroom tile, grout, and fixtures
• Every floor surface, including closets
• Baseboards and walls in each room
• Any pre-existing damage you noted on your original move-in checklist

If you are leaving a place in The Colony or Las Colinas and the landlord later claims a cleaning charge, dated photos taken after a professional clean are hard to argue with. Send them by email so there is a timestamp and a paper trail.

Where Marble Maids fits in

Our move-in and move-out cleaning covers exactly the areas that show up on a landlord's checklist. Inside the oven, inside the fridge, inside cabinets, bathrooms, baseboards, floors, and more are all part of the service. Add-ons like inside windows, walls, and laundry are available if your lease or your own standards call for them. We follow a written checklist on every visit, and if anything is missed we come back within seven days. Payment is cash-free and charged only after the clean is complete. Most clients in Garland, Allen, or Mesquite just leave us a door code and come back to a clean home ready for its final walkthrough.

The price depends on your home's size, its condition, and which add-ons make sense for your situation. Text us the details at (214) 753-4838 and we will send you an exact quote. A clean home is a happy home, and in this case, it is also money back in your pocket.