Do landlords have to clean between tenants?

We found no express rule in Alberta's Act that a landlord clean between tenants, but the unit must meet the minimum housing standards from the start of the tenancy, and the landlord must keep common areas, fixtures and any furnishings it supplies clean and sanitary. The tenant must keep the unit reasonably clean and hand it back no worse than at move-in, allowing for normal wear and tear.

A tenant is responsible for ordinary cleaning and for cleaning up after unusual use. Even so, a landlord can deduct cleaning from the deposit only if the tenant agreed to it, in the lease or on the move-out inspection report; otherwise it can claim the cost through the RTDRS or the Alberta Court of Justice.

The Act says the tenant keeps reasonable cleanliness during the tenancy and, at move-out, leaves the unit reasonably clean and undamaged except for reasonable wear and tear. The RTB's Policy Guideline 1 (guidance, not the Act) adds that the landlord is expected to provide clean carpets and clean windows in a reasonable state of repair at the start of a tenancy.

The RTB's repairs page (guidance) lists steam cleaning carpets if the tenancy lasted a year or more, patching nail holes and cleaning marks on walls as move-out tasks. It lists faded paint, minor scuff marks and worn carpet as wear and tear, and says a landlord cannot keep a damage deposit for wear and tear. Policy Guideline 40's useful lives, such as 6 years for interior paint and 12 for carpet, can reduce what a tenant pays for damage to older items.

The Act requires the landlord to keep the unit's appearance suitable for occupancy, having regard to the length of the tenancy, and requires tenants to keep ordinary cleanliness. The Residential Tenancies Branch's deposit-claim guidelines (guidance, not the Act) add that a tenant is entitled to move into a clean rental unit and must leave it ordinarily clean when they move.

The same Branch guidance says a tenant has to shampoo or steam clean a carpet only if they stained it, and as a rule should not fill nail holes: pictures hung reasonably are not considered damage. The Branch may award up to $20.00 an hour for cleaning, and for damage it awards the loss of value, not the price of a new item.

We found no separate rule in Saskatchewan's Act that a landlord clean between tenants; the closest is the duty to keep the property fit for habitation, use and enjoyment. Tenants must keep reasonable cleanliness and leave the unit reasonably clean and undamaged, except for reasonable wear and tear.

The province's Requesting Repairs page says a landlord cannot automatically charge for cleaning in a tenancy agreement. It can claim cleaning costs against the deposit within 7 business days after the tenancy ends, or by a monetary application to the Office of Residential Tenancies.

We found no rule in Ontario that a landlord clean the inside of a unit between tenants beyond the general duty to keep it fit for habitation, but common areas must be kept clean and free of hazards. The tenant is responsible for ordinary cleanliness, unless the lease makes the landlord responsible for cleaning.

Tenants are not responsible for normal wear and tear, such as a carpet worn out after years of everyday use. When something wears out, the landlord must repair it, but does not have to supply a new or better model. The rent deposit cannot be used for cleaning.

New Brunswick's Act is the only one we reviewed that says it directly: the landlord must deliver the unit in a good state of cleanliness and repair and fit for habitation, and keep common areas clean and safe. The province describes this as the tenant's right to a unit that is safe, clean and fit to live in.

The tenant is responsible for ordinary cleanliness of the unit and anything the landlord supplies, but not for reasonable wear and tear. A landlord can claim cleaning costs against the deposit through a residential tenancies officer, within 7 days after the tenancy ends.

We found no specific rule in Nova Scotia's Act on cleaning between tenants beyond the landlord's duty to keep the unit in a good state of repair and fit for habitation. The tenant keeps the interior ordinarily clean, and the province's renting guide says to keep the unit and all the appliances clean.

Wear and tear, the usual deterioration from living in a unit relative to the length of the lease, cannot be claimed against the deposit. A landlord claims cleaning costs against the deposit with the tenant's written consent or on Form R within 10 days after the lease ends, or on Form J.

We found no express duty in PEI's Act for a landlord to clean a unit before a new tenant moves in. In buildings with three or more units, the owner must provide janitor service for the common areas, and tenants are responsible for cleanliness inside their own unit.

The tenant keeps the unit ordinarily clean unless the tenancy agreement says the landlord will clean it, and on moving out must leave it reasonably clean and undamaged, except for reasonable wear and tear. The landlord's condition inspection report (Form 5), mandatory for tenancies from April 8, 2023, records the unit's state at the start.

We found no duty in Newfoundland and Labrador's Act to clean a unit before a new tenant moves in; the landlord's statutory condition covers repair and fitness. In the municipalities covered by the Occupancy and Maintenance Regulations, the enforcement authority can order an owner to clean and paint for a satisfactory appearance. The tenant must keep the unit clean.

The province's policy defines normal wear and tear as the deterioration expected over time through ordinary use, even when the tenant cleans and maintains the unit regularly, and says a landlord is expected, at its own cost, to repaint the walls and replace flooring periodically. Damage claims are reduced for the item's age.