You should clean, don’t get me wrong. If you’re kitchen is pitiful with dishes, go clean it and do it now. It’s just sanitary.
However, moving complicates cleaning a bit. If you’re moving out in two days and your rug is besmirched with years of shoes and the showerhead is crusted in rust, you’ll have to decide whether to hire a cleaning service.
When deciding whether to clean your old place, compare the costs of you doing it to your landlord doing it.
Two things to remember:
- Your landlord’s cleaners will cost more than your own.
- If you hire your own cleaners, you landlord will still probably have someone take a look at the place.
To accurately calculate your options, talk to your landlord. See how much their basic cleaning costs. Also, see how much they expect a full clean to cost. Then get some quotes of your own.
Weigh your options against your deposit. If hiring a cleaning service would cost near to or more than your deposit, then it doesn’t make sense to hire one. If, however, your deposit is a few hundred dollars more than a cleaning service, hiring a service can save you money in the end.