Cleaning as a task gets put on the back burner when the tenant is already stressed out with packing boxes, sorting out utilities, and coordinating the movers and shutting down the apartment, and that’s when move out cleaning Malaysia comes into the picture. That’s typically a wrong answer. Malaysia does not have a Residential Tenancy Act currently in effect, and the condition of the handover is generally as per what’s stated in the tenancy agreement; so cleanliness disputes are one of the most common reasons for withholding part of the security deposit from the tenant.
Why Move-Out Cleaning Directly Protects Your Deposit.Why Move-Out Cleaning Directly Protects Your Deposit.
In Malaysia, the condition of the property must be returned in the condition that it was provided in, minus fair wear and tear, stated in most tenancy agreements. The difficulty with “similar condition” is that it is subjective, and if there is no clear legal precedent regarding what is meant by it, it can often become a matter of whose case is the more convincing one. If the Landlord attempts to deduct the cleaning costs from the tenant’s deposit, they have a much better chance of being able to prove the unit was professionally cleaned and provide a set of photos of the cleaning day, if they have them. A relatively low initial price that can save you a substantial amount on your deposit.
The typical items a Landlord might look at are:
Landlords will be looking for certain things during a handover inspection, and knowing what these are will help you focus your cleaning on the most important areas:
Kitchen — Interior surfaces of cabinets (particularly for grease accumulation), exhaust hood, oven (if available) and stove
The bathroom will have tiles, grout, toilet bowl and any mould or limescale.
Scuffs, stains or dirt in the floors or grout lines.
Staining or any nail hole or mark that is out of reasonable wear is a problem with walls.
Air-cond units — filters and general cleanliness, as dirty air-cond units are something that landlords can easily pick up on when an owner leaves them dirty.
Windows and grilles — dust and grime buildup, especially in units which have been occupied over a number of years.
The experienced landlords look out for these areas, since they are the areas which are most frequently overlooked by tenants during their stress-filled move-out.
Room-by-Room Handover Checklist
Kitchen: Thoroughly degrease the stove and hood, wipe down all inside and outside cabinet surfaces, clean the sink and counters and if the oven and fridge were furnished, check the interior surfaces.
Bathrooms: Scrub tiles and grout, descale showerheads and taps, clean the toilet bowl properly (not just a quick flush and wipe) and get rid of any mould that has accumulated in corners or ceiling areas.
Bedrooms and living areas: Wipe down all surfaces, clean inside built-in wardrobes, vacuum and mop floors and check skirting boards which collect dust and are not noticed for months.
Wash glass panes and wipe down window tracks and grilles, make sure door handles and locks are in good, working condition.
For air-cond units: Even a simple cleaning of the filters and visible parts will make a difference, and it will assure the landlord that the unit has been properly maintained during the lease term.
From the beginning, just as it says, starting fresh in a “clean” unit: Move-In Cleaning.
One may think that a unit is clean because the last tenant left “clean,” but this is definitely not the same. Even in a unit that appears to be in good condition, there are things that the previous occupant might have missed by not performing a thorough move-in cleaning before moving in: dust inside cabinets, grime in bathroom corners, or a kitchen that has been wiped down but not thoroughly degreased. It also has a psychological effect when you’re moving into a fresh home, to start in a truly clean space.
Condo vs Landed Property: What Changes?
Condos and apartments generally mean less space, but may have common building factors and potentially more rigorous management imposed standards of handover, especially regarding air-condition servicing and damage to the management’s fittings.
Landed property typically comes with more square footage to be cleaned, not to mention any other extra spaces such as porches, gardens, and even often a store room that are not present in a conventional condo unit, which will take longer and need a wider range of cleaning.
The bottom line is that you still need to document the situation as fully as possible, whatever the situation is, and don’t leave cleaning until the day before you move when you’re just trying to get the house ready for the final paper.
Cost of Professional Handover Cleaning
The move-in or move-out cleaning services in Malaysia typically range from RM150 to RM500, depending on the size of the property, its condition, and the extent of the cleaning needed. This is a small price to come up with compared to the amount of deposit that is usually involved, particularly in Klang Valley where it can be in thousands of ringgit. If you think cleaning costs might be deducted from your deposit by your landlord (which third parties charge much more), it is generally quicker and cheaper to clean yourself instead.
Properly documenting the Handover
No matter who is responsible for cleaning the unit, always take a photo or short video walkthrough of the unit on the day of handover, including each room and any areas of concern. If you ever have any issues with deductions in your deposit, this is your proof. This, together with having a written handover checklist signed or acknowledged by tenant and landlord, will help future proof against any misunderstandings.
Reducing stress in moving
Cleaning is easy to put off until it becomes a priority with the high turnover of houses in the Klang Valley, and the general chaos of moving house. Bamboo Cleaning Services offers all the necessary cleaning services for tenants when they move in and landlords when they move out from all units in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka, offering a documented and thorough clean and giving landlords peace of mind that units are being returned properly cleaned. If you are moving out or moving in, it is important to get it right at first or it will cause needless conflict in the future, and cost more money.
