For most tenants in Johor Bahru, the largest single deduction from a security deposit is not damage. It is cleaning. Landlords and agents inspect a vacated unit against the condition it was handed over in, and a unit that is structurally fine but left dirty still loses part of the deposit to "cleaning costs."
This checklist covers what is actually inspected at handover. Work through it room by room, or use it to brief a cleaning team. The goal is simple: hand back the unit in a state where the agent has nothing to deduct for.
Before You Start
Clear the unit completely first. Cleaning around boxes and furniture leaves marks that show up the moment the unit is empty for inspection. Take dated photos once the unit is clean and empty. Those photos are your record if a deposit dispute follows. Check your tenancy agreement for any specific handover cleaning clause, since some agreements name particular items such as professional curtain or aircond servicing.
Kitchen
The kitchen draws the most scrutiny because grease is hard to hide. Degrease the hood, filter and the wall tiles behind the stove. Clean the stovetop and, if there is a built-in oven, the inside of it. Wipe down all cabinet faces inside and out, and clear the build-up on top of high cabinets. Clean the sink and descale the tap. Defrost and wipe the refrigerator if it stays with the unit. Clear the drain trap.
Bathrooms
Remove mould from grout and silicone seals. Descale the shower glass, taps and showerhead. Clean the toilet thoroughly, including the base and the fittings behind it. Scrub floor and wall tiles. Clear the floor drain and check it runs freely. Polish mirrors and any chrome. In this climate bathroom grout is usually the first thing an inspector points to, so spend time here.
Our move-out clean works to a handover checklist like this one. The job is not complete until you have walked through and confirmed you are satisfied.
Living Areas and Bedrooms
Dust and wipe all surfaces, including skirting boards, window sills, door frames and the tops of doors. Clean windows inside, and the inside of the tracks where dust collects. Wipe down built-in wardrobes inside and out. Clean light switches, power points and aircond unit faces. Remove any wall marks where furniture stood. Vacuum and mop all floors last, working toward the door.
Air-conditioning and curtains
Many Johor Bahru tenancy agreements expect the air-conditioning to be serviced at move-out and curtains to be laundered. Check yours. If servicing is required, arrange it before the inspection rather than leaving it as an open item the agent can deduct against.
Final Walkthrough
Walk the empty unit as if you were the inspector. Open every cabinet and wardrobe. Look at the unit in daylight, where film on glass and tile shows clearly. Check the corners of ceilings for cobwebs and mould. Confirm every drain runs. Then take your dated photos.
A move-out clean is one of the most common bookings we handle, and tenants book it for a reason: the cost of the clean is almost always smaller than the deposit deduction it prevents. Max Cleaning Services Johor Bahru handles move-out cleans across the Johor Bahru area, and you can read a real example on our Mount Austin deposit-recovery case study where a full deposit was returned after a proper handover clean.
