Move-on walkthrough: Apartment not clean (landlord, inspection, cabinets)

[LoveAlbuquerque]

I did a walk-through with the landlord and the listing agent a day before moving into the apartment.

I found the drawers / cabinets not cleaned with stains inside. The listing agent said the cleaning party she hired only cleaned the surface and did not clean any interior. Is that the norm?

I also saw that there are food stains on the metal parts on the gas stove tops. The listing agent told me there was nothing more that they could do at this point.

I have to spend time cleaning after I move. What's your advice on this? Shall I hire a cleaning lady and ask the landlord to reimburse it?

[spencgr]

You can ask, but they likely won't pay. On the walk through, you mentioned these issues; and they basically said it was your problem. If this was unacceptable to you, you should not have moved in.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by spencgr

You can ask, but they likely won't pay. On the walk through, you mentioned these issues; and they basically said it was your problem. If this was unacceptable to you, you should not have moved in.

This. Sorry you're unhappy. The move-in inspection is basically searching for damages, so that you know what you will/won't be charged for upon move-out. The cleaning stuff, while annoying, is not really a damage issue.

[deuxcents]

You're pretty much stuck at this point. The larger cleaning companies generally offer a 'move-in/move-out' type service which is pretty superficial. That is probably what the agent had done. I would hire an independent cleaning woman and tell her exactly what you want to have done. You might try Servicemaster - I got quotes within minutes. For better or worse, independent cleaning women are generally dirt cheap and well worth it. For that reason, I would tip generously.

[LoveAlbuquerque]

Originally Posted by deuxcents

You're pretty much stuck at this point. The larger cleaning companies generally offer a 'move-in/move-out' type service which is pretty superficial. That is probably what the agent had done. I would hire an independent cleaning woman and tell her exactly what you want to have done. You might try Servicemaster - I got quotes within minutes. For better or worse, independent cleaning women are generally dirt cheap and well worth it. For that reason, I would tip generously.

Thanks for the advice! I'll go with ServiceMaster and find a cheap cleaning lady.

[govmoneynvegas]

I would not move in. If they can't do something simple like making sure it's clean and presentable, how do you think they are going to act when something more serious goes wrong? I'd avoid.