Legal Definitions - Cleaning Fee

A cleaning fee is a fee that a landlord charges a tenant when they move in. This fee is nonrefundable and is used to clean the rental property after the tenant moves out, regardless of whether the tenant left the place dirty or not.

While most states do not have laws on cleaning fees, some states make it illegal to charge cleaning fees. In states where cleaning fees are allowed, they can only be charged to bring the premises to the condition it was in when the tenant moved in.

Landlords can collect a security deposit in every state and deduct from it expenses for damages caused to the rental property beyond normal wear and tear.

John rented an apartment and paid a $200 cleaning fee when he moved in. When he moved out, the landlord used the cleaning fee to hire a cleaning service to clean the apartment.

This example illustrates how a cleaning fee works. The landlord charges the tenant a fee upfront to cover the cost of cleaning the rental property after the tenant moves out.