You spent the last weekend scrubbing, packing, patching holes, and wiping everything down. The place looked great. Then comes the email — a $385 deduction for “additional cleaning.”

In Denver and Aurora, it’s one of the most common deposit deductions tenants face — and one of the most misunderstood. Normal wear and tear isn’t deductible by law… but cleaning? That’s where things get murky.

The Inspection You Never See Coming

Landlords and property managers aren’t looking for “lived-in clean.” They’re looking for inspection-level clean — the kind that passes flashlight tests, camera photos, and maintenance checklists.

Here are the most common “easy misses” that trigger deductions:

• Dust hiding behind vents or baseboards
• Oven and stovetop grime in corners and rings
• Smudged cabinets or oily backsplash residue
• Soap scum and water spots in bathrooms
• Crumbs and grime in fridge drawers or door seals

Each one might look small — but they add up to a “professional clean required” line item on your final statement.

A True Denver Story: $500 for Missed Details

One of our clients in Capitol Hill left her apartment looking clean — dishes done, floors vacuumed, and counters wiped. But during the final walkthrough, the landlord took a closer look. He checked inside the fridge drawers, opened the oven, and ran a hand across the stovetop. There was built-up grease on the burners and some lingering crumbs in the fridge seals.

Nothing major. But it was enough to call in a professional cleaner — and deduct $500 from her deposit for “appliance and deep cleaning.”

She told us later, “If I’d known what they were going to check, I would’ve done more. I honestly thought I was good.”

When we inspected the same unit later, our team found three other common deduction triggers. All avoidable with the right prep — and none counted as damage.

How We Protect Denver Renters from Cleaning Deductions

Trusted Choice Cleaning specializes in inspection-ready move-out cleaning — designed around the exact details landlords check for during deposit evaluations.

We don’t just clean for appearance — we clean for inspection success:

• ✔️ Inside fridge + freezer detailed
• ✔️ Oven and stovetop scrubbed
• ✔️ Baseboards, vents, fans, and window sills wiped
• ✔️ Light fixtures and switches cleaned and dust-free
• ✔️ Final inspection checklist completed before we leave

That’s how we’ve helped hundreds of tenants across Denver, Aurora, and Centennial try and avoid “surprise” cleaning deductions confidently.

Serving Tenants Across the Denver Metro Area

Our move-out cleaning teams service apartments, condos, and rental homes in:

• Denver
• Aurora
• Centennial
• Parker
• Highlands Ranch

No hidden fees, no upsells — just honest, inspection-grade cleaning that protects your deposit.

Request Your Free Quote before move-out and close your lease the right way.

Don’t Let a “Cleaning Deduction” Take What’s Yours

We help Denver tenants with inspection-level cleaning that try and help prevent unnecessary deductions and disputes.