The Standard Is "Reasonably Clean", Not Spotless
Most tenants worry about the wrong thing at move-out. The law in Saskatchewan does not ask for a showroom. Section 51 of The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 says that when you leave a rental unit you must:
- leave it reasonably clean and undamaged, except for reasonable wear and tear, and
- give the landlord all the keys and any other way of getting in that you have.
Section 49 adds that a tenant is not required to repair reasonable wear and tear. So the question at move-out is never "is it perfect?". It is "is it reasonably clean, and is anything damaged beyond normal use?" Cleaning is the part of that you control completely, and it is where most deposit arguments start.
The Deposit Rules in One Place
| Rule | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| The deposit can be no more than one month's rent. If you paid more, you can deduct the overpayment from rent or otherwise recover it. | Act, s. 25 |
| A landlord can only require half up front, with the rest due within two months of you moving in. | Government of Saskatchewan |
| A lease cannot say the landlord automatically keeps part of the deposit, for cleaning or anything else. | Act, s. 26 |
| You can't use the deposit as your last month's rent unless the landlord agrees in writing. | Act, s. 27 |
| The landlord holds the deposit in trust for you, in a trust account or an authorized investment, not as their own money. | Act, ss. 28–29 |
| Within 7 business days of knowing you have moved out, the landlord must return the deposit, or return what they aren't keeping and give you notice of what they intend to keep. | Act, s. 32 |
| If you don't leave a forwarding address, the landlord isn't required to send you that notice. | Act, s. 32(2) |
| You can dispute a claim within 60 days of the tenancy ending, through the Office of Residential Tenancies online portal. The filing fee is $50. | Government of Saskatchewan |
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. The Office of Residential Tenancies decides disputes on their own facts. Read the government's security deposit page or call the ORT at 1-888-215-2222 if your situation is unusual.
Wear and Tear, or Cleaning?
The Act doesn't list examples, so this is practical guidance rather than law. It is the line most landlords and tenants draw.
Usually reasonable wear and tear (not your job to fix)
- Paint faded by sunlight, or light scuffs where furniture sat
- Carpet worn flat along the walking paths
- Grout or caulking that has aged or discoloured over years
- Small marks on floors from ordinary use
Usually cleaning a landlord can reasonably charge for
- Baked-on grease in the oven and on the range hood filter
- Food, spills or mould left in the fridge or freezer
- Soap scum and hair in the tub, shower and drains
- Dust thick on baseboards, blinds and window sills
- Garbage, belongings or bottles left behind (here's where to take it in Saskatoon)
The difference is age versus neglect. Wear and tear happens to any unit that is lived in. A dirty oven happens because nobody cleaned it.
The Move-Out Clean, Room by Room
These are the spots landlords check first, in roughly the order they walk through.
Kitchen
- Oven inside, racks and glass door; range top and drip pans (oven guide)
- Range hood and its filter, the most-missed item on any move-out
- Fridge and freezer emptied, wiped, left with the door propped if the landlord asks (fridge guide)
- Inside every cupboard and drawer; crumbs in the corners
- Sink, faucet and the backsplash behind the taps
- Dishwasher filter and door seal
Bathrooms
- Tub, shower walls and door track: soap scum, not just a rinse
- Toilet, including under the rim and around the base
- Mirror, vanity, inside the drawers
- Exhaust fan cover, which collects a surprising amount of dust
- Drains cleared of hair
Every room
- Baseboards, window sills and window tracks
- Light switches, door handles and marks around them
- Closets: shelves wiped, floor vacuumed
- Blinds dusted
- Floors vacuumed and mopped last; carpet spots treated (stain guide)
- Nothing left behind: no hangers, no bags, no cleaning supplies
Moving Out in a Saskatoon Winter
Most Saskatoon leases turn over at the end of a month, and a lot of them do it between November and April. Winter adds one problem: the sand and de-icer tracked in all season. The entry carpet can look clean and then bloom white salt a few days later, right when the landlord does the walk-through. Treat the entry as its own job, not a quick vacuum. Our prairie winter cleaning tips explain why vacuuming alone doesn't lift it.
Month-end is also when cleaners are busiest. If you want help, book early rather than on the last day.
Protect Yourself on the Way Out
- Photograph every room after cleaning, including the inside of the oven, fridge and cupboards. Your phone stamps the date.
- Ask for a walk-through with the landlord before you hand over the keys, and note anything they raise.
- Return every key and keep a record that you did (a text is enough). Section 51 requires it.
- Give a forwarding address in writing. Email counts. Without it, the landlord doesn't have to send you notice of a claim.
- Keep receipts if you paid for cleaning or carpet cleaning.
- Count 7 business days. If nothing has arrived, ask. If you disagree with a claim, you have 60 days to apply to the ORT.
Doing It Yourself, or Hiring It Out
A tidy one-bedroom that has been kept up is very doable yourself in an afternoon, using the list above. It makes sense to hire help when the move and the clean land on the same day, when the oven and bathroom have been neglected, or when there is a real deposit at stake and you'd rather not argue about it. That is what our move-out cleaning is built for, and our cost guide lists typical prices by home size. Landlords and realtors preparing a unit between tenants can use the same list; see cleaning for realtors.