Cleaning does not decide your deposit

Who decides

Your landlord decides what, if anything, comes out of your security deposit, under your lease and Wisconsin's rules for rental housing (Chapter ATCP 134). A clean is one input. It is not the only one.

What a clean can't change

• Damage beyond normal wear, like holes in walls, burns and stains that won't lift
• Unpaid rent or utilities
• Items missing from the unit
• Anything your lease says is charged separately

What a clean does change

• Whether dirt on the landlord's checklist is left for them to charge for
• Whether you spend your last night scrubbing an oven

What to do to protect yourself

• Read the move-out section of your lease
• Take dated photos of every room after the clean
• Ask your landlord for a walk-through, and ask for the move-out form
• Give your forwarding address in writing
• Keep our ticked sheet and photos with your lease

How long your landlord has

In Wisconsin a landlord generally has 21 days after you move out or your tenancy ends, whichever comes first, to return the deposit or send an itemized list of what was taken. This is general information, not legal advice. If you disagree with a deduction, read the state's rules or ask a tenant rights group.

Our promise, in plain words

We clean every line on the sheet. If your landlord's written list names a line on our sheet that we didn't do, tell us within three days and we come back for that line at no charge. The full terms are on the policies page.