How Often Should You Deep Clean Your Atlanta Home?
Most Atlanta homeowners underestimate how often a deep clean is truly needed. Here's a practical gui...
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Moving6 min readApril 18, 2025
DG
By Danielle Godoi · Owner, DG Atlanta Cleaning ServicesHow to Get Your Full Security Deposit Back in Marietta, GA
Marietta landlords and property managers have specific expectations when you move out. Here's what they actually inspect — and how to make sure you pass with flying colors.
What's at Stake When You Move Out in Marietta
Security deposits in Marietta typically range from one to two months' rent. On a $1,500/month apartment, that's $1,500 to $3,000 on the line. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34) requires landlords to return your deposit within 30 days of move-out, along with an itemized list of any deductions. Cleaning is consistently the most common deduction.
The good news: cleaning deductions are entirely preventable.
What Marietta Landlords Actually Inspect
Property managers in Marietta — whether managing single-family homes in East Cobb or apartment complexes near the Square — follow a standard move-out inspection checklist. The areas that generate the most deductions are:
| Area | What They Look For |
|---|
| Kitchen | Oven interior, refrigerator coils and drip pan, cabinet interiors, grout |
|---|---|
| Bathrooms | Grout lines, caulk condition, toilet base, exhaust fan |
| Floors | Stains, scuffs, grout discoloration |
| Walls | Scuffs, marks, nail holes beyond normal wear |
| Baseboards | Dust buildup, scuffs |
| Windows | Tracks, sills, blinds |
The Cleaning Standard: "Broom Clean" vs. Move-Out Ready
Georgia leases often use the phrase "broom clean condition," but most Marietta landlords expect significantly more than that. A broom-clean standard means swept floors and no trash left behind. A move-out ready standard — the one that gets your full deposit back — means every surface cleaned to near-original condition.
If your lease says "professionally cleaned," you may be required to hire a licensed cleaning service and provide a receipt.
How to Prepare Room by Room
Kitchen first. The oven and refrigerator are the two items most likely to generate deductions. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall and clean the coils and drip pan. For the oven, use a heavy-duty degreaser and clean the racks separately. Bathrooms second. Grout discoloration is the most common bathroom deduction. Use a grout brush and a bleach-based cleaner on tile grout. Pay attention to the caulk around the tub — if it's moldy, it may need to be replaced. Baseboards throughout. Marietta property managers specifically check baseboards. Wipe them down with a damp cloth, paying attention to corners where dust accumulates.When to Hire a Professional
If you're working full-time, managing a move, and trying to clean an entire apartment or house to landlord standards, it's genuinely difficult to do it all yourself. A professional move-out clean typically costs $220–$420 depending on the size of the home — a fraction of what you'd lose if the deposit is withheld.
DG Atlanta Cleaning Services provides move-out cleaning throughout Marietta and the surrounding area. We know exactly what local landlords look for, and we clean to that standard every time. Get a free quote today — we'll make sure you leave that rental spotless.