Move-in and move-out cleaning checklist for Coimbatore flats

Before you move into a rented flat, do three things: deep-clean it while it is empty, test every tap, flush and switch, and photograph its condition on day one. When you move out, clean it to the same standard and hand it back with photos and meter readings. These steps make the first week easier and give you a clear record if there is any argument about your deposit.

This checklist is written for families renting flats in Saravanampatti and along the IT corridor. It also covers what Tamil Nadu’s tenancy law says about written agreements, deposits and repairs, in plain words.

Before you move in: clean the empty flat

An empty home is the easiest to deep-clean, so book the clean a day or two before your shifting date, after the owner’s painters or repair workers have left and before the packers arrive.

Kitchen:

• Wipe every cabinet inside and out while they are empty.
• Degrease the tiles, counter, sink and the chimney or exhaust fan.
• Look for cockroaches or droppings in the corners. Pest control is a separate job; get it done before your things go in.

Bathrooms:

• Descale tiles, taps and fittings, and clean the toilets.
• Clear the floor drains and check the exhaust fan works.

All rooms:

• Dust fans, lights and switchboards, and wipe doors and the inside of windows and grills.
• Clean inside the wardrobes and lofts.
• Mop the floors last.

Balcony and utility area:

• Clear the floor drain, wash the floor, and check the washing machine tap and outlet.

Test taps, flush and switches

Do this before you sign off on the handover, ideally on the same day as the clean.

What	How to check	What a problem looks like
Taps	Open each tap fully, then close it. Look under the sink.	Drips from the spout or base, damp cabinet floor
Flush tanks	Flush each one and listen after it refills. Add a few drops of food colour to the tank and wait 15 minutes without flushing.	Running water sound, colour seeping into the bowl
Drains	Pour a bucket of water into each floor drain and basin.	Slow draining, gurgling, bad smell
Water supply	Ask which source feeds the flat and when the sump and overhead tank were last cleaned.	Cloudy or smelly water
Switches and sockets	Try every switch, each fan speed and each socket with a phone charger.	Sparks, scorch marks, loose sockets, a fan that hums but doesn’t turn
MCB / DB box	Find it and check the switches are labelled.	MCB that trips again and again
Doors and windows	Lock and unlock each one. Check latches and mosquito mesh.	Stuck locks, torn mesh, missing keys

Look, but don’t open switchboards or the DB box yourself. A sparking switch or a tripping MCB is a job for an electrician, and a leaking pipe joint is a job for a plumber. If you want to know what these visits usually cost, see our guide to plumber and electrician charges in Coimbatore.

Photograph the condition for your deposit

Under the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017, both the owner and the tenant must keep the premises “in as good a condition as at the commencement of the tenancy, except for normal wear and tear” (section 15(1)). Your day-one photos are the record of what that starting condition was.

1. Take a slow video of each room, then photos of each wall, floor, ceiling and fitting.
2. Take close-ups of anything already damaged: stains, cracks, chipped tiles, broken handles, a loose tap.
3. Photograph the electricity meter reading and any water meter.
4. Write a short list of fittings: fans, lights, geyser, curtain rods, number of keys.
5. Send the photos and the list to the owner the same day by email or message, and ask them to reply to confirm they have it. Keep a copy with your agreement.

Send your move-in photos to the owner on day one and keep their reply. A dated record sent to them is far more useful than photos that only sit on your phone.

What to ask the owner before you sign

• A written agreement. The Act says no one shall let or take premises on rent “except by an agreement in writing” (section 4(1)), and the agreement is to be registered with the Rent Authority (section 4(3), as amended in 2018).
• The deposit, in writing. Section 11(1) says it is unlawful to charge a security deposit of more than three times the monthly rent, unless the agreement says otherwise. Section 11(2), as amended in 2018, says the deposit is refunded when the owner takes back possession of the vacant flat, after deducting anything the tenant owes.
• Receipts. A tenant is entitled to a written receipt for rent paid (section 13(2)). For rent paid by bank transfer, the 2018 amendment treats the bank acknowledgement as proof of payment.
• Who fixes what. The Act’s Second Schedule lists structural repairs, whitewashing of walls, painting of doors and windows, changing plumbing pipes and electrical wiring under the owner. It lists tap washers and taps, drain cleaning, toilet and wash basin repairs, geyser repairs, and switch and socket repairs under the tenant. Ask the owner to finish anything on their side before you move in.
• Practical things. Water timings and source, maintenance charges and what they cover, gate-pass rules for movers and workers, and parking.

This is a plain summary to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice. For a dispute, speak to a lawyer or the Rent Authority.

Move-out cleaning for your deposit

Plan the move-out clean for the day after the packers leave and before the owner’s inspection.

1. Empty every cupboard, loft and drawer, including the kitchen.
2. Deep-clean the kitchen (grease builds up on tiles and the chimney) and the bathrooms (scale on taps and tiles).
3. Dust fans and lights and wipe the switchboards and doors.
4. Fix the small repairs the Second Schedule puts on the tenant: a dripping tap, a slow drain, a running flush, a broken switch.
5. Compare the flat with your move-in photos and take a fresh set of photos.
6. Hand over all keys, note the meter readings, and ask the owner to acknowledge the handover in writing.

How Trice can help

Trice’s ID-checked 2-person crew does move-in and move-out deep cleaning at a fixed price, ₹2,499 for a 2BHK and ₹3,299 for a 3BHK, and brings its own machines and chemicals. A plumber inspection visit is ₹149 and an electrician visit is ₹149, each waived if the job is done, and parts are quoted before they are fitted. We serve Saravanampatti and nearby areas, and you pay after the job, by UPI or cash.