What should be clean when you hand back a rented apartment?
Your lease decides this, so read the clause on the condition of the apartment at handover before you book anything. Leases often ask for the apartment to be returned as clean as it was received, and some name specific items: curtains washed, aircon cleaned, the oven and fridge cleaned out.
Write those items down and pass them on when you ask for a quote, so that the clean covers what your landlord will check. This guide makes no statement about deposits or tenancy law. If the lease is unclear, ask your landlord or agent to confirm in writing what they expect.
Move-out cleaning checklist, room by room
Clean after your belongings are out, and work from the ceiling down in every room so that dust does not fall on surfaces already cleaned. The table is the scope of an UpClean deep clean, arranged by room so that you can check it at the walk-through, the short check of the work at the end of the visit.
| Room | What to clean |
|---|---|
| Living room | Ceiling corners, fan and light fittings within safe reach. Shelves, TV unit, tables and chairs. Door handles, switches and sockets. Floor vacuumed and mopped, including under the sofa where it can be reached. |
| Kitchen | Grease on the hob and the splashback behind it. Fronts of the wall and base cabinets, fridge, oven and range hood. Sink, tap and floor. The insides of cabinets and appliances when they are in the quote. |
| Bedrooms | Headboards, wardrobe fronts, desks and window sills dusted. Under the bed vacuumed where it can be reached. Floor mopped. |
| Bathrooms | Limescale on the taps, shower head and glass screen. Toilet, basin and mirror. Grout on the floor and walls scrubbed. Surfaces wiped dry to limit water marks. |
| Balcony | Railings, sills, frames and sliding-door tracks. Floor swept and mopped. Leaves and debris cleared from the corners and the drain channel. |
| Windows and glass doors | Both sides of the glass wherever a specialist can work safely from inside or from the balcony floor. |
| Empty cupboards, wardrobes, drawers and fridge | Wiped inside once you have emptied them. Ask for this in the quote. |
Deep clean or hourly cleaning: which does a handover need?
A handover needs a deep clean unless the unit is very small and has been kept clean. A deep clean reaches what an hourly visit does not: door tracks, grout, limescale and built-up kitchen grease. An empty apartment makes that easier, because every corner, cabinet base and door track can be reached.
| Service | When it fits a move-out |
|---|---|
| Deep cleaning | A lived-in apartment being handed back. It covers the checklist above, from ceiling to floor. |
| Hourly cleaning (Up Home) | A single room or a very small unit that has been kept clean. It covers vacuuming, mopping, dusting, the hob and sink, the bathrooms and the rubbish. 130,000 VND per hour, minimum 3 hours, so 390,000 VND. |
| Post-construction cleaning | An apartment that was repainted or repaired before handover and has cement dust, paint spots or sealant. 22,500 VND per m², minimum 1,350,000 VND. |
What does a move-out clean not cover?
A clean removes dirt; it does not repair. These are the limits to know before the handover.
- Physical damage, such as holes in walls, scratched floors and broken fittings, is outside the scope of cleaning. UpClean does not repair or repaint.
- Stains, burn marks and peeling finishes are photographed before work starts. Where cleaning cannot remove them, the specialist says so.
- Sofa, mattress, carpet, curtain and aircon cleaning are separate services at their own listed prices.
- Outside glass that cannot be reached safely from inside is not included.
- Smoke, cooking and pet smells are treated by cleaning the things that hold them (curtains, sofa, mattress, aircon, the wall around the hob) and then deodorising. A smell that has soaked deep into foam or wood may only be reduced. This work is quoted after a survey.
How far ahead should you book a move-out clean?
Book as soon as you know the handover date, and schedule the clean for after your belongings are out and before the handover meeting. At least a day's notice is ideal; a same-day visit is possible when a slot is free. Changing the date is free with at least 24 hours' notice.
A 2–3 bedroom apartment is usually finished in one day. Mattresses and sofas are cleaned on site and need time to dry, and the number of visits and the expected time are written in the quote. If you can, leave two days between the clean and the handover: an item within the agreed scope is redone free of charge when you tell us within 48 hours of receiving the Up Report.
- Read the lease and list what it requires.
- Send the floor area, that list and a few photos, and receive an all-inclusive price in writing.
- Move your belongings out and empty the cupboards and the fridge.
- Have the apartment cleaned while it is empty.
- Keep the Up Report and send it to your landlord before the handover.
How much does move-out cleaning cost in Ho Chi Minh City?
These are UpClean's published prices. A deep clean is 15,000 VND per m² of floor for an apartment, and not less than 900,000 VND per visit. Add-ons are needed only where your lease asks for them, and each is a separate line that you can leave out.
There is no bundle discount. The totals below are sums of listed prices, with 10% off each aircon unit from the 3rd in the same visit. Aircon units are taken as wall-mounted, 1–1.5 HP (250,000 VND each), and sofas as fabric. The price for your apartment is confirmed after photos or a survey.
| Apartment and scope | Price |
|---|---|
| One bedroom, 50 m²: deep clean only | 900,000 VND. 50 m² × 15,000 VND comes to 750,000 VND, so the minimum applies. |
| Two bedrooms, 70 m²: deep clean only | 1,050,000 VND (70 m² × 15,000 VND). |
| Three bedrooms, 100 m²: deep clean only | 1,500,000 VND (100 m² × 15,000 VND). |
| One bedroom, 50 m², with 2 aircon units, 1 queen mattress and a 2-seat sofa | Deep clean 900,000 VND + aircon 500,000 VND + mattress 450,000 VND + sofa 390,000 VND = 2,240,000 VND. |
| Two bedrooms, 70 m², with 3 aircon units, 1 king and 1 queen mattress and a 3-seat sofa | Deep clean 1,050,000 VND + aircon 725,000 VND + mattresses 1,000,000 VND + sofa 390,000 VND = 3,165,000 VND. |
| Curtains, if the lease names them | 40,000 VND per m², minimum 400,000 VND per visit. Taking them down and re-hanging them is 100,000 VND per visit. |
How do you arrange a move-out clean after you have left Vietnam?
Everything can be arranged from abroad: the quote, the key, the walk-through and the payment.
- Quote
- By WhatsApp, in English, from the floor area and photos or a video of the apartment.
- Key
- Left with building management, reception or someone you authorise, as agreed in writing beforehand. Only the assigned Up specialist handles it, the times of collection and return are recorded, and keys are never copied. For a smart lock, issue a temporary code and change it afterwards.
- Building access
- Many apartment buildings ask residents to register outside staff with building management. We send the specialist's name and photo in advance so that you or your contact can do that.
- Walk-through
- By video call, so that you see each room with the specialist before they leave. They do not admit anyone else or sign for documents without your written instruction.
- Payment
- By bank transfer, after you have reviewed the Up Report. Transfer only to the account shown on your booking confirmation or UpClean invoice.
Can the Up Report serve as a record of the apartment's condition?
It is a record of the cleaning and of what was visible at the time. It is not a handover document. The Up Report is sent by WhatsApp or Zalo after every visit, in English if you prefer, and contains before-and-after photos, the checklist completed, the specialist's name, the start and finish times, and technical notes such as marks that could not be fully removed.
That makes it useful to send to a landlord or agent who was not present. It does not replace the handover record you sign with the landlord. UpClean does not prepare inventories and takes no part in settling the deposit between the two sides, and no cleaning company can promise that a deposit will be returned.
- About the Up Report
- What it contains, how it is delivered and how the photos are handled.
What UpClean does for a move-out, and how to book
UpClean deep cleans the apartment once it is empty, adds aircon, mattress, sofa or curtain cleaning where your lease asks for it, and sends the Up Report. It does not repair, repaint, prepare inventories or deal with your landlord on your behalf. Tenants and landlords can both book.
Message or call 0968 726 135 (phone, WhatsApp, Zalo) between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on any day of the week, with the floor area, the handover date and the items your lease names. The booking is confirmed in writing, with the price and the name and photo of your specialist.
- Instant quote
- Enter the floor area to see an estimate for the deep clean.
- Book a visit
- Send the request online; we confirm the scope, the price and the time in writing.
- Changing the date
- The notice periods in the Cancellation and Refund Policy.
- If something was missed
- The free re-clean in the Warranty Policy.
Frequently asked questions
Will a move-out clean get my deposit back?+
No cleaning company can promise that. What is returned is settled between you and your landlord under your lease. A deep clean gives you a clean apartment to hand over, and the Up Report gives you before-and-after photos of the work with the start and finish times.
Can a tenant book end-of-lease cleaning, or does the landlord have to?+
Either can. Tenants book a deep clean before the handover; landlords book the same work between one tenant and the next.
Do you clean inside the oven, the fridge and the kitchen cabinets?+
The standard scope covers the outside of cabinets and appliances. The insides are done when they are empty and included in the quote, so mention them when you ask for a price.
My lease says the aircon and curtains must be cleaned. What does that add?+
A wall-mounted aircon unit of 1–1.5 HP is 250,000 VND, and three in one visit come to 725,000 VND after the volume discount, with a free gas-pressure check and a 90-day warranty. Curtains are 40,000 VND per m², with a minimum of 400,000 VND per visit.
What if the landlord points out something that was missed?+
Reply to the Up Report with a photo within 48 hours of receiving it. An item within the agreed scope is redone free of charge.
Can the clean be done at the weekend?+
Yes. Visits run from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM every day, weekends included.
