What Atlanta landlords actually check at move-out

Georgia security deposit law (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-30) requires landlords to return deposits within 30 days of lease termination or provide an itemized list of deductions. The items on that deduction list are almost always predictable. After handling move-out cleans across hundreds of Atlanta apartments and homes — in Buckhead, Midtown, Sandy Springs, Decatur, and East Atlanta — we know exactly which surfaces and spaces generate deductions, and which ones tenants miss when they try to clean themselves.

Here's the practical checklist, organized by where deductions actually come from.

The kitchen: highest deduction probability

The kitchen generates more deposit deductions than any other room, and it's not close. The reason: cooking leaves behind grease, odor, and staining that tenants normalize over time and stop seeing. Landlords and property managers walk in cold and notice immediately.

Inside the oven. This is the single highest-risk item. Baked-on grease inside an oven is obvious to anyone who looks, and looking is one of the first things an inspector does. Oven cleaning requires a dwell-time degreaser (Easy-Off or equivalent), 30 – 45 minutes of contact time, a heavy scrubber for the bottom, and careful work around the heating element. Don't use abrasive steel wool on the oven interior — it scratches the enamel coating and creates a surface that traps future grease.

Oven drawer. The broiler drawer or storage drawer below the oven is almost always filthy and almost always missed. Pull it out completely, wipe the interior of the drawer and the cavity it slides into.

Range hood and filter. The range hood filter is a grease trap. Remove it and soak in hot water with dish soap for 20 minutes. Wipe the exterior and interior of the hood housing, including the inside where the filter sits.

Refrigerator. Inside refrigerator: every shelf, every drawer, every door bin. Remove each component, wash in the sink with dish soap, dry, replace. The coil cover panel at the bottom front of the refrigerator is typically dusty and gets missed. If there's a water dispenser or ice maker, wipe the exterior and clean the drip tray.

Cabinet interiors. All kitchen cabinets and drawers need to be completely empty, wiped interior and exterior. Check corners for food debris, paper liner residue, and previous tenant staining. Cabinet doors: wipe the interior face, the exterior face, and the top edge (accumulates grease film).

Under-sink cabinet. Check for evidence of any past leaks (staining, soft spots on the cabinet floor), clean thoroughly, and note any pre-existing damage so it's not charged to you.

Bathrooms: the grout and caulk problem

Bathroom deductions typically come from grout, caulk, and the areas behind and under fixtures that get missed in normal cleaning.

Grout. Dark or discolored grout is the top bathroom issue. If grout has been staining for months, it won't come clean with a general bathroom cleaner. You need a bleach-based or hydrogen peroxide-based grout cleaner, a stiff grout brush, and at least 15 minutes of dwell time per application. Heavy staining may require two applications.

Caulk lines. The caulk bead around the tub, shower base, and sink is where mold grows. If your caulk has black spots that don't clean out, the cleanest solution is to recaulk: score the old caulk with a utility knife, pull it out, clean the substrate, and apply a new bead of mildew-resistant silicone caulk. A tube costs $5 and takes 30 minutes. Landlords consistently dock $50 – $150 for bathroom recaulking when it's left dirty.

Toilet. Under the toilet rim, where the jet holes are, is where mineral deposits and staining collect and where inspectors commonly check. A toilet brush doesn't reach there effectively. Use a grout brush or old toothbrush with a toilet bowl cleaner.

Behind the toilet. The floor behind and around the toilet base collects dust, hair, and debris that standard mopping doesn't reach. Get on your hands and knees. Wipe the base of the toilet, the floor behind it, and the water supply line.

The surfaces that commonly get missed

These are the items that appear on itemized deduction lists most often because tenants don't think to address them:

• Window tracks and sills — dirt, bug debris, and mildew in the track channels. Use a stiff brush and vacuum before wiping.
• Blinds — each slat, both sides. Dust accumulation on blinds is immediately visible to an inspector.
• Baseboards — entire perimeter of every room, including behind doors. Dusty baseboards read as "tenant didn't clean" even if floors are spotless.
• Light switches and outlet covers — fingerprint and grime accumulation. Remove covers, wash, replace. The surfaces around switches also get missed.
• Closet interiors — ceiling of the closet, all shelves (top and underside), and the floor including corners. Closets collect dust and the occasional insect. Inspect with a flashlight.
• Interior of washer/dryer (if included) — dryer lint trap housing, washing machine drum interior, and the rubber door gasket on front-load washers (notorious for mold accumulation).
• Sliding door tracks — patio or balcony sliding door tracks collect tremendous amounts of debris. Vacuum the channel, then wipe with a damp cloth.
• Ceiling fans and light fixtures — top of fan blades, the globe or shade interior, the motor housing. Dust here drops during inspections.

What cleaning cannot fix

Cleaning addresses surface contamination. Some things that get charged back to tenants cannot be resolved with cleaning and require a different approach before move-out:

Carpet staining. If there are significant carpet stains, arrange for professional carpet cleaning before the move-out inspection. Retain the receipt. In Georgia, landlords must distinguish between normal wear-and-tear (not chargeable) and actual damage. Professional cleaning documentation helps establish that you made good-faith efforts.

Wall scuffs and marks. Minor scuffs are normal wear. Larger marks, crayon or marker on walls, nail holes in excess of normal picture hanging: these require touch-up paint using the same color as the walls. Contact the property manager for the paint color before attempting this yourself — a mismatched patch is often worse than the original mark.

Odor. Pet odors and smoke odors require treatment beyond cleaning: ozone treatment, enzyme-based odor neutralizers on carpet and upholstery, and ventilation. A standard cleaning doesn't address embedded odor. If odor is a concern, factor in a dedicated odor remediation step.

Why professional move-out cleaning pays off

Our Standard move-out clean covers everything on this list. The flat-rate pricing is typically less than the deduction amount landlords charge for professional cleaning when a unit isn't left clean — Atlanta property management companies commonly charge $200 – $400 for professional cleaning deducted from deposits. A $129 – $199 move-out clean is money that comes back to you in the form of your deposit.