Moving guide · Updated
Move-out cleaning checklist for Round Rock & Austin renters
A room-by-room checklist, the Texas security-deposit rules that come with it, and a clear line between what a professional clean covers and what stays on your own list.
This move-out cleaning checklist is for renters handing back a house or apartment in Round Rock, Austin, Georgetown and the rest of Williamson and Travis counties. It covers three things: what Texas law says about your security deposit, the cleaning a move-out inspection looks at room by room, and the parts of moving out that no cleaning company can do for you.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your lease sets the specific move-out rules, so read it first. Each rule below links to the Texas Property Code if you want to check the exact wording.
What Texas law says about your security deposit
In Texas, a landlord has to refund your security deposit within 30 days after you surrender the property. If they keep part of it, they have to send the balance with a written, itemized list of deductions. They can deduct damage and charges you owe under the lease, but not normal wear and tear. And the clock depends on one step renters often skip: giving a written forwarding address.
| Rule | What it means for you | Texas Property Code |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day refund | The landlord refunds the deposit on or before the 30th day after you surrender the premises. | §92.103(a) |
| Notice to vacate | A lease rule that makes your refund depend on giving advance notice only counts if it is underlined or in conspicuous bold print in the lease. | §92.103(b) |
| No charge for wear and tear | The landlord may deduct damages and charges you are legally liable for under the lease, but may not keep any part of the deposit to cover normal wear and tear. | §92.104(a)–(b) |
| Itemized list | If anything is kept, you get the balance with a written description and itemized list of all deductions. The narrow exception is when you owe rent and the amount isn't disputed. | §92.104(c) |
| Forwarding address | The landlord doesn't have to refund or itemize until you give a written forwarding address. You don't lose the deposit just for leaving it out, but nothing has to be sent until you do. | §92.107 |
| Last month's rent | You can't skip any part of the last month's rent on the grounds that the deposit covers it. | §92.108 |
| Missed deadline | A landlord who neither refunds the deposit nor sends the itemized list within 30 days is presumed to have acted in bad faith. | §92.109(d) |
Source: Texas Property Code, Chapter 92, Subchapter C. If you end up in a dispute, TexasLawHelp.org's guide to security deposits explains the next steps in plain language.
Normal wear and tear vs. what cleaning can fix
Texas law defines normal wear and tear as deterioration that results from the intended use of a dwelling, including breakage or malfunction due to age or deteriorated condition. It does not include deterioration caused by negligence, carelessness, accident or abuse by the tenant, the tenant's household or guests (§92.001(4)).
In everyday terms: carpet worn flat along a hallway after years of walking is wear. Paint that has faded in a sunny room is wear. A cabinet hinge that gave out with age is wear. Grease on the range hood, soap scum in the shower, a dirty oven and crumbs in the refrigerator are not wear. They are cleaning, and if your lease makes you responsible for leaving the home clean, that is where deductions start.
That is the useful part. Of everything in a move-out, cleaning is the piece you fully control.
The room-by-room move-out cleaning checklist
Rita's move-out clean covers the empty home top to bottom: cabinets, the refrigerator and the oven inside and outside, the kitchen and bathrooms top to bottom, doors and baseboards, blinds and light fixtures, ceiling fans and cobwebs, and the floors, carpets and stairs.
Work top to bottom and dry to wet: dust the high spots first, then wipe surfaces, and do floors last. Clean an empty home, after the last box is out, so you can reach inside cabinets and along every baseboard.
Kitchen
- Cabinets and drawers, inside and out, including the corners where crumbs collect
- Refrigerator inside and out: shelves, drawers, door seals and the top of the unit
- Oven inside and out, plus the racks, stovetop and knobs
- Microwave inside and out
- Range hood and its filter, degreased
- Countertops, backsplash and sink, with the faucet polished
- Dishwasher door, edges and seal
- Light switches, cabinet pulls and handles
Bathrooms
- Toilet inside and out, including the base and behind it
- Shower and tub: soap scum, grout lines, glass doors and tracks
- Sink, vanity top, and the inside of vanity drawers and cabinets
- Mirror, faucets and showerhead, including mineral spots
- Exhaust fan cover and light fixtures
- Floor, including the edges behind the toilet
Bedrooms and living areas
- Ceiling fans and light fixtures
- Blinds, window sills and window tracks
- Closets: shelves, rods and the floor
- Doors, door frames and handles
- Light switches and outlet covers
- Cobwebs in corners and high spots
Floors, trim and the whole home
- Baseboards in every room
- Carpets and stairs vacuumed, edges included
- Hard floors swept and mopped
- Air vent covers wiped
- Marks on walls spot-cleaned, testing a hidden area first because some paints scuff
- Garage, attic and storage closets emptied and swept if you used them
Laundry and outdoor areas
- Washer and dryer exteriors and the lint trap, if the machines stay with the home
- Laundry shelves and the floor around the machines
- Balcony or patio swept and cleared, if your lease covers outdoor areas
- Trash and recycling bins emptied
“She cleaned my apartment after I moved out and it was perfect. She cleaned my house before I moved in and made it ready for a home.”
Elizabeth W., Google review
Hard-water spots: the Round Rock detail people miss
The City of Round Rock reports an average water hardness of 221 mg/L, about 12.9 grains per gallon (City of Round Rock). On the U.S. Geological Survey scale, anything above 180 mg/L counts as very hard. Austin Water's 2025 report shows an average of 93 ppm, or 5.4 grains per gallon, which is moderately hard (Austin Water). Homes served by other suppliers, such as the many municipal utility districts in Williamson County, can differ.
Hard water leaves a white mineral film wherever water dries: shower glass, faucet bases, showerheads, sink drains and the dishwasher door. A routine wipe doesn't lift it. It needs a descaling cleaner that is safe for the surface and time to work, and film that has built up on glass for years may only lighten rather than disappear. Start on it early, not the night before the walkthrough. If you rent in Round Rock, our page on house cleaning in Round Rock has more on the city's neighborhoods and water.
Your move-out timeline, from notice to keys
- Read the lease. Look for the notice period, the move-out cleaning terms, and any carpet or outdoor-area rules.
- Give written notice the way the lease asks for it.
- Find your move-in report or photos if you have them. They show what was already worn when you arrived.
- Book the move-out clean for after your belongings are gone and before the walkthrough. Leave a buffer in case the move runs long.
- Empty the home completely, including the refrigerator, cabinets, closets and garage.
- Clean, or have it cleaned, then take dated photos and a short video of every room.
- Return keys, garage remotes and access cards the way the lease says.
- Give a written forwarding address and keep a copy (§92.107).
- Note the date you handed the home back. The 30-day window in §92.103 counts from when you surrender the premises.
Booking a move-out clean? Three things that help
- Empty it first. We can't clean inside a fridge, cabinet or closet that still has things in it.
- Keep the water and power on until the clean is done.
- Send access details ahead of time: gate code, lockbox, parking. And tell us about any surface that needs special care, like natural stone.
What a professional move-out clean covers, and what stays on your list
Rita Cleaning Services' move-in and move-out cleaning is built for an empty property. It combines the regular and deep cleaning checklists, then adds the inside of cabinets and the major kitchen appliances.
Covered by Rita's move-out clean
- The regular cleaning checklist in every room
- Deep-clean details: baseboards, doors, blinds, light fixtures, ceiling fans and cobwebs
- Cabinets inside and outside
- Refrigerator and oven inside and outside
- Kitchen and bathrooms top to bottom
- Floors vacuumed and mopped, including carpets and stairs
Still on your list
- Repairs, patching nail holes and touch-up paint
- Trash, boxes and anything left behind
- Professional carpet cleaning, if your lease asks for a receipt
- Utilities, keys, remotes and your forwarding address
- Photos and the walkthrough itself
If the home is still furnished and just needs a reset, deep cleaning is usually the better fit. Rita serves Round Rock, Austin, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Leander, Hutto and Brushy Creek, with service in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Move-Out FAQ
Questions renters ask before handing back the keys.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Texas?
30 days after you surrender the property. By then the landlord has to refund the deposit, or send the balance with a written, itemized list of deductions (Texas Property Code §92.103 and §92.104). The landlord doesn't have to send anything until you give a written forwarding address (§92.107).
Can my landlord charge me for normal wear and tear?
No. Section 92.104(b) says a landlord may not keep any part of the deposit to cover normal wear and tear. Dirt and buildup left behind, or damage from carelessness or accidents, is different and can be deducted when the lease makes you responsible.
Do I have to give my landlord a forwarding address?
Yes, in writing, if you want your refund on time. Without it the landlord isn't obligated to refund or itemize, though you don't lose the deposit just for leaving it out (§92.107).
Can I use my security deposit as my last month's rent?
No. Texas law says a tenant may not withhold any part of the last month's rent on the grounds that the deposit covers it, and a tenant who does is presumed to have acted in bad faith (§92.108).
Should I clean before or after I move my things out?
After. An empty home lets you, or a cleaning team, reach cabinet interiors, closets, baseboards and the floor where furniture stood. Plan the clean between moving day and the walkthrough.
How do I get a quote for a move-out clean?
Choose move-in/move-out cleaning in the online quote form and enter the property details, or text (484) 861-7626 or call (737) 359-7877, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 9pm. Rita reviews the details and follows up with a personalized quote.
Want the cleaning off your move-out list?
Send the empty-property details and your preferred day and time, and Rita will follow up with a personalized move-out cleaning quote.