At the end of your tenancy, you are expected to do a reasonably thorough clean of your rental unit. The Residential Tenancy Branch’s Policy Guideline #1 provides a good overview. Let’s take a look at some of the things you are expected to clean:

• the inside and outside of appliances in your unit, such as the stove, fridge and dishwasher
• floors and wall vents
• the insides of all your windows and doors
• the outside of any sliding glass doors or balcony windows
• blinds and window coverings
• walls and baseboards
• any fireplace you used, as well as its screen, vent or fan
• if your tenancy was at least one year, or you smoked or had pets, the carpets should be steam cleaned or shampooed

If you do not leave your rental unit in a reasonably clean state, your landlord could get an order from the Residential Tenancy Branch allowing them to keep some or all of your security deposit.