The Cleaning Deposit Your Landlord Kept Is an Offence Carrying a $100,000 Fine
Ontario allows two deposits. Neither of them is for cleaning.
In short
In Ontario a landlord may collect exactly two things: a rent deposit, which can be used only as the last month’s rent, and a refundable key deposit. That is the list. There is no damage deposit, no pet deposit and no cleaning deposit.
Charging one is not a grey area. Under the Residential Tenancies Act it is an offence to charge a tenant additional fees such as a damage deposit, and a separate offence to charge additional rent after the tenancy has ended and the tenant has moved out. Conviction carries a fine of up to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation.
So why do people still hire move-out cleaners? Because a clean unit and dated photographs are the cheapest evidence there is — and because doing it yourself on the last day, with a truck outside, is not free either. Hiring them is a practical decision, not a legal obligation.
What move-out cleaning costs in the GTA
Market quotes, autumn 2026 — prices published by businesses that sell the work. The spread between two quotes is almost always the scope, not the quality.
| Property | Typical price | Usually extra |
|---|---|---|
| Studio or one-bedroom apartment | $250–400 | Inside oven, inside fridge, interior windows |
| Two-bedroom apartment | $350–550 | Balcony, blinds, wall washing |
| Three-bedroom house | $450–750 | Basement, garage, appliance pull-out |
| Four-bedroom or larger house | $650–1,000+ | Carpet cleaning, post-renovation dust |
| Carpet steam cleaning | $40–80 per room | Often a separate trade — see carpet cleaning prices |
| Same-day or next-day booking | Add 20–50% | The last week of the month is the busiest week |
Our general cleaning price guide covers regular and deep cleaning; move-out is its own category because it is done to an empty unit and priced by scope rather than by hour.
What a landlord may and may not do
| The situation | What the Act says |
|---|---|
| A deposit for cleaning or damage | An offence to charge. Only a rent deposit and a refundable key deposit are permitted. |
| Using the last month’s rent deposit for cleaning | Not permitted — that deposit can only be applied to the final rental period. |
| An invoice after you move out | It is an offence to charge additional rent after the tenancy has ended and the tenant has moved out. |
| A lease clause requiring professional cleaning | A clause cannot create a deposit the Act does not allow. It also does not turn cleaning into rent. |
| Genuine damage beyond normal wear | The landlord applies to the Landlord and Tenant Board and proves it there. Not by keeping money. |
If you paid something you should not have, you can apply to the Board to get it back, and the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit is the provincial office that handles offence complaints. Our hub on what has changed for tenants and landlords tracks the rules as they move.
Normal wear and tear, and where the line sits
Normal wear and tear is the ordinary deterioration that comes from a person living somewhere: paint that has faded, carpet worn along the hallway, small marks where furniture stood, a tap washer at the end of its life. That is the landlord’s cost of doing business and it cannot be charged to you.
Damage is different in kind, not degree: a hole in a wall, a broken door, a burn in a countertop, a pet-destroyed floor. A landlord who believes damage occurred has a route — an application to the Board, with evidence, where you get to answer.
Which is exactly why photographs matter more than receipts. A dated set of photos of an empty, clean unit answers the question before it is asked.
What to do on the last day
Red flags
What to do next
Before you pay anyone anything: check what you were actually charged at move-in. If there is a line that is not last month’s rent or a refundable key deposit, that is money you can ask for back. Then book the clean for the day after the truck leaves, not the same day.
Compare cleaning services in Ontario on Ontario24 and contact businesses directly. Ontario24 is a classified directory — we help you find and compare, and we do not vet anyone. Also useful: what movers cost and renting without Canadian credit history.
Before you call anyone, it helps to know what this job should cost and what the next one will. What things cost in Ontario in 2026 puts 75 service prices in one table.
Frequently asked questions
Market quotes generally run $250 to $450 for a one-bedroom apartment and $450 to $900 for a house, with appliance interiors, inside windows and wall washing often priced as extras. Get the scope in writing: the difference between a $250 and a $500 quote is usually what is on the list, not how well it is done.
In Ontario there is no damage deposit or cleaning deposit to keep. A landlord may collect a rent deposit, used only as the last month’s rent, and a refundable key deposit. Charging any other deposit is an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act.
It is an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act for a landlord to charge additional rent after the tenancy has ended and the tenant has moved out. A landlord who believes a tenant caused damage beyond normal wear has to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board, not simply invoice.
Not as a legal obligation — a lease clause requiring a professional cleaning receipt does not create one of the deposits the Act permits. Many tenants still hire cleaners because it is faster than doing it themselves on the last day, and because photographs of a clean unit are the best evidence if a dispute follows.
The ordinary deterioration that comes from living in a place: faded paint, carpet worn along a hallway, small marks from furniture. That is the landlord’s cost of doing business. Damage is different — a hole in a wall, a broken door, a burned countertop — and it is the landlord who must prove it at the Board.
Conviction for an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act carries a fine of up to $100,000 for an individual and up to $500,000 for a corporation. The Rental Housing Enforcement Unit is the provincial office that handles these complaints.
Every room wide, then close-ups of anything that was already imperfect when you arrived, the inside of the oven and fridge, the floors, and the meter readings. Date-stamped photographs taken after the unit is empty are worth more than any receipt in a disagreement about condition.
Sources and how current this is
Checked 18 September 2026. That it is an offence to charge a tenant additional fees such as a damage deposit, that it is an offence to charge additional rent after the tenancy has ended and the tenant has moved out, and the penalties of up to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation come from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing page on rental housing offences, last updated 2 July 2026. General tenant rights are set out at Renting in Ontario: your rights; disputes are decided by the Landlord and Tenant Board. This page explains the rules, not your situation — it is not legal advice, and a tenancy exempt from the Residential Tenancies Act may work differently. Cleaning prices are market quotes published by GTA businesses that sell the work, not an independent survey. Ontario24 is a classified directory and does not clean, mediate tenancies or vet the businesses listed.