{"id":96900,"date":"2018-02-21T11:00:06","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T18:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/renewsblog\/?p=96900"},"modified":"2021-03-16T13:49:40","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T19:49:40","slug":"cleaning-rental-kitchen-tenants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/cleaning-rental-kitchen-tenants","title":{"rendered":"8 Tips for Cleaning Your Rental Kitchen Between Tenants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Landlords know better than anyone just how rough tenants can be on a property \u2013 especially when they rent it for long periods of time. And while it\u2019s possible for any room to get trashed, few undergo as much wear and tear as the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Knowing how to quickly conduct a deep clean between tenants can make a huge difference. Here are a few tips to help you make the process faster and more efficient.<\/p>\n

1. Require Tenants to Clean Before Vacating<\/h2>\n

If you want to get a head start on your cleaning, make sure the lease agreement requires tenants to clean the property<\/a> before moving out. They won\u2019t do a perfect job, but they\u2019ll usually make the property look decent. You can then go in and clean up what they\u2019ve left behind.<\/p>\n

Related:<\/strong> Cleaning Your Rental: A Checklist<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

2. Start With Repairs & Maintenance<\/h2>\n

The last thing you want is to clean the property and then make a huge mess by cutting into drywall to fix a hole in the wall. So, before cleaning, address any repairs and maintenance issues that exist.<\/p>\n

3. Choose the Right Cleaning Supplies<\/h2>\n

The right supplies make all the difference when cleaning \u2013 especially when it comes to kitchen cabinets. According to Kitchen Cabinet Kings, it\u2019s best to stay away from harsh chemicals and instead use everyday household items<\/a> like dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar. You\u2019ll also find that it\u2019s helpful to have a variety of sponges, cloths, rags, scrubbers, and Magic Erasers on hand to take care of all the nooks and crannies.<\/p>\n

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4. Be Sure to Dust<\/h2>\n

Before getting too far into the cleaning process, be sure to dust the high surfaces: The top of the refrigerator, cabinets, and trim work are known for collecting filth. If you wait until the end to do this, you\u2019ll send dust all over the countertops and floor.<\/p>\n

5. Hit the Appliances<\/h2>\n

Even if your previous tenant attempted to clean the kitchen appliances<\/a>, you\u2019ll find that they\u2019re most likely still pretty filthy. Spend some time on the refrigerator, oven, microwave, stovetop, dishwasher, and coffee maker. Your next tenant will notice and appreciate how well cared for the appliances are.<\/p>\n

Related:<\/strong>\u00a0The Landlord\u2019s Itemized List of Common Tenant Deposit Deductions<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

6. Mop the Floor<\/h2>\n

Sweeping is one thing. You\u2019ll get all the loose dirt, dust, and debris that\u2019s been tracked inside. However, sweeping doesn’t actually do much to clean the hardwood, tile, or linoleum flooring. If you were to run a wet paper towel over a floor after sweeping, it would probably come up pretty dirty. That\u2019s not something you want your tenants to discover upon moving in. So grab a mop and bucket and give the floor a true clean<\/p>\n

7. Hire a Professional<\/h2>\n

Even after getting your hands dirty and cleaning your property from top to bottom, there is probably some dirt left behind. While you may not have the money to hire a professional crew to come through and spend half a day making the rental spotless, you certainly have the cash to hire a local cleaner to come through and spend one hour vacuuming and cleaning up anything you may have left behind. At the end of the day, that\u2019s money well spent.<\/p>\n

8. Give Your Tenants What They Deserve<\/h2>\n

If you expect your tenants to keep your property clean and turn it over to you in good condition upon leaving, you need to hold up your end of the bargain and give them a clean property to start with. While it may cost you some time and money on the front end, handing over a clean property will get the relationship started on the right foot. It\u2019s as simple as that.<\/p>\n

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What are your tips for turning over a clean rental?<\/em><\/p>\n

Share them below!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Knowing how to quickly conduct a deep clean makes a huge difference. Here are a few tips to help you make the process faster and more efficient.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59534,"featured_media":96937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5183],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-landlording"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59534"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}