In Ohio, a landlord can keep part of your security deposit for unpaid rent and for damage caused by not keeping the place up, but has to list every deduction in writing within 30 days of the lease ending and the keys being returned. A clean you can prove, done after the last box leaves, is what keeps that list short.
This isn’t legal advice. It’s what the law says in plain words, and what we see on move-out cleans around Columbus.
What does Ohio law say about getting your security deposit back?
The landlord has 30 days after the lease ends and you hand over the keys to return the deposit, minus any deductions, with a written, itemized list of what was kept and why. That’s Ohio Revised Code 5321.16.
Three details in that section matter most when you move out:
| What the law says | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Deductions can cover past-due rent and damages from not meeting the tenant’s duties or the lease | Cleaning can only be charged if the condition comes from not keeping the place up |
| Each deduction has to be itemized in a written notice within 30 days | You’ll see exactly what was charged, line by line |
| You have to give the landlord a forwarding address in writing | Skip it and you lose the right to the extra damages the law allows if the landlord doesn’t follow the rules |
If a landlord doesn’t follow those rules, the same section lets a tenant recover the money wrongfully withheld, plus damages equal to that amount and reasonable attorney’s fees. Most move-outs never get near that point. A clean apartment and a forwarding address on paper usually settle it.
What can a landlord charge for cleaning?
Whatever goes beyond keeping the place up as the law requires. Under Ohio Revised Code 5321.05, a tenant has to keep the part of the home they use safe and sanitary and keep the plumbing fixtures as clean as their condition permits.
In practice, that’s where cleaning charges come from: a greasy oven, a refrigerator left with food in it, soap scum on the tub, a bathroom that looks lived in. Ordinary signs of a home being lived in, like faded paint or light wear on carpet, are a different matter from dirt that was left behind. Your lease may also spell out cleaning expectations, so read that section before you book anything.
What does a move-out clean have to cover to pass the walkthrough?
The inside of everything, not just the surfaces. Landlords and property managers open the oven, the fridge, the cabinets and the closets, because those are the places that show how the home was left.
The checklist most walkthroughs follow:
- Kitchen: inside the oven and the refrigerator, inside every cabinet and drawer, the stovetop, the backsplash, the sink and the faucet.
- Bathrooms: tub and shower, including the glass and the grout lines; toilet, including the base; sink, mirror and the inside of the vanity.
- Every room: baseboards, door frames, light switches, vent covers, window sills and closet shelves.
- Floors: vacuumed and mopped, including the strip along the wall where furniture stood.
A move-out clean covers all of it. For an empty three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house in average condition, ours runs $315 to $400. Why move-out cleaning costs more than a regular clean explains where the extra time goes.
When should the move-out clean happen?
After the last box leaves and before the final walkthrough, with the water and power still on. Cleaning around movers means doing the floors twice, and a clean done two days early picks up footprints and dust from the last trips.
Book as soon as you know your date: end-of-month dates fill first. If your walkthrough is on the same day as the clean, leave a couple of hours between them.
How do you protect yourself on move-out day?
Document the home after the clean, before you give back the keys. Photos and a short video of each room, with the date, are your answer if a deduction shows up that you don’t agree with.
A short list for the last day:
- Photograph every room after the clean: the inside of the oven and fridge, the bathrooms, the floors and the closets.
- Keep the receipt or invoice for the professional move-out clean.
- Give the landlord your forwarding address in writing, by email or letter, and keep a copy.
- Return every key and garage opener, and note the date you did.
- Put a reminder on your calendar 30 days out.
If you’re comparing prices for the clean itself, line the quotes up the same way: same home, inside the appliances or not. Our estimator gives you a move-out range for your rental in about a minute.
