What exactly does the Residential Tenancies Act say?
The relevant sections of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 are short enough to quote:
| Section | What it says | What it means for cleaning |
|---|---|---|
| s. 33, cleanliness | "The tenant is responsible for ordinary cleanliness of the rental unit, except to the extent that the tenancy agreement requires the landlord to clean it." | The standard is ordinary cleanliness, not spotless or professional. |
| s. 34, damage | "The tenant is responsible for the repair of undue damage to the rental unit or residential complex caused by the wilful or negligent conduct of the tenant, another occupant of the rental unit or a person permitted in the residential complex by the tenant." | Damage is a separate question from dirt. Normal wear is not undue damage. |
| s. 105, deposits | "The only security deposit that a landlord may collect is a rent deposit collected in accordance with section 106." | There is no damage deposit in Ontario to withhold for cleaning. |
The Act is the primary source; this page explains it and is not legal advice. For a dispute, the Landlord and Tenant Board is the body that decides.
So what counts as "ordinary cleanliness"?
The Act does not define it. A sensible reading, and it is our reading rather than the law's wording, is the condition a reasonable person would expect to hand over and receive: no food or garbage left, kitchen and bathroom surfaces clean, appliances wiped out, floors swept and washed, and nothing that would stop the next tenant moving straight in. It does not reasonably mean steam-cleaned carpets or scrubbed grout, unless the lease says so.
A move-out checklist that meets the standard
- Everything out: belongings, garbage, recycling, food in the fridge and cupboards
- Fridge and freezer emptied and wiped out, oven and stovetop cleaned
- Kitchen cupboards and drawers wiped inside, counters and sink cleaned
- Toilet, tub or shower, sink and mirror cleaned, bathroom floor washed
- Closets emptied and shelves wiped
- Floors swept or vacuumed and washed, including under where furniture stood
- Obvious marks wiped off walls and switch plates
- Photos of every room, dated, after cleaning and before handing back the keys
Should a tenant pay for a professional move-out clean?
Not because the law requires it. People book one because an empty unit takes longer to clean than they expect at the end of a move, because it removes an argument at the walk-through, or because they are moving on the same day and cannot do both. Landlords book the same service between tenants to set the standard the next tenancy starts from. Klein's does move-in and move-out cleaning across Hamilton and Halton.
What if the lease says professional carpet cleaning is required?
Section 33 lets the tenancy agreement shift cleaning duties to the landlord, and some leases add cleaning terms for the tenant. Whether a particular lease term is enforceable is a legal question for the Landlord and Tenant Board or a lawyer, not for a cleaning company. If you are going to have the carpets done anyway, see how often carpets should be cleaned.