Most move-out advice is about mopping and oven grease. In a furnished unit, the landlord also looks at what you sat and slept on. A sofa armrest gone a shade darker. A ring on the mattress once the sheets come off. Both are on the inventory list you signed on day one, next to the curtains and any rug.
Upward does one part of an end of tenancy clean. We deep-clean soft furnishings in homes: sofas, mattresses, rugs, carpets and curtains. We don't clean floors, kitchens, bathrooms or windows, so pair us with a general move-out cleaner and ask what their package covers.
What do landlords and agents check in a furnished unit?
The tenancy agreement templates linked from the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) website include a property condition report with a move-in column and a move-out column. Two of its lines are about soft furnishings: curtains and drapes (stains, holes, tears) and furniture (scratches, burns, worn upholstery).[1] The template's end of tenancy checklist also expects a thoroughly cleaned unit, furniture included, in much the same condition as at the start, fair wear and tear excepted.
So walk through the unit with your move-in photos and look at four things.
Sofa and armchairs
Check the armrests and the front edge of each seat, then the spot where heads rest. Fabric is cleaned by room-temperature water extraction with a clear-water rinse. Leather is hand cleaned and conditioned, never extracted.
Mattresses
Strip the bed and look at the bare surface in daylight. Extraction lifts a lot, but a mark that has sat for a year may only lighten. Our mattress stain guide covers what to try on a newer mark first.
Curtains
Look along the hem and the edge nearest the window. We steam clean curtains in place while they hang, at S$18 per piece.
Rugs and carpets
Walk the usual path from door to sofa and look for a darker lane. Same extraction method as a fabric sofa, priced by size.
Cleaning deals with dirt, not wear. A sun-faded cushion or a torn seam is something to raise with your landlord, and cracked leather needs a leather restorer because we don't repair, recolour or reupholster.
What does your tenancy agreement say about curtains and upholstery?
Read your own agreement before you book anything, because no two are the same. CEA describes the templates as a guide that isn't compulsory, and both sides can add clauses of their own.[1]
Both templates carry a curtain clause: 20.2 in the private property version and 19.2 in the HDB flat version.[2] On moving out, the tenant agrees to have all curtains "professionally dry cleaned" at the tenant's expense and to give the landlord a receipt. Sofas, mattresses and carpets aren't named, so they come under the general wording about a thoroughly cleaned unit.
Steam cleaning isn't dry cleaning. We steam clean curtains where they hang and don't take them down, launder them or dry clean them. If your agreement says dry cleaned, ask your landlord or agent in writing whether in-place steam cleaning will do, with our itemised booking confirmation and payment receipt as proof. If not, use a curtain dry cleaner that collects and rehangs. Our curtain washing guide shows which fabrics need which method.
Look at the deposit clause too. In the template, the landlord must give written notice and 14 days to put a problem right before deducting from the deposit.[1] Your own wording may differ.
What is in your unit? Build your handover checklist
Tick what the landlord provided and pick the size. Prices and working minutes are the ones our booking page uses, plus 30 minutes for set-up and pack-up.
- Tick the items in your unit to see the order.
More than 9 curtain pieces? Add the rest on the booking page.
What does it cost for a typical furnished unit?
Three common set-ups from our full price list. One technician cleans the items one after another, so the time grows with each piece.
Furnished 1-bedroom
- 2-seater fabric sofaS$90
- Queen mattressS$100
- 4 curtain piecesS$72
3-room HDB or 2-bedroom condo
- 3-seater fabric sofaS$105
- Queen mattressS$100
- Single mattressS$80
- 6 curtain piecesS$108
3-bedroom with a rug
- L-shaped fabric sofaS$120
- King mattressS$110
- 2 single mattressesS$160
- 8 curtain piecesS$144
- Rug, 1m × 1.5mS$90
A list that runs past about 5 hours on site, like the 3-bedroom one, usually needs a Saturday or Sunday slot. Book those 5–7 days ahead.
Renting just a room? A single mattress plus two curtain pieces is S$116. For sofas, mattresses, rugs and carpets, the price includes the clear-water rinse and the closing hospital-grade sanitising pass. A leather sofa is hand cleaned and conditioned instead, at S$140 for a 2-seater and S$160 for a 3-seater.
When should you book before handover?
Work backwards from the day you return the keys.
- 2 to 3 weeks before: read the paperworkPull out the agreement and the inventory list, then find your move-in photos. If curtains are mentioned, ask the landlord which cleaning method is acceptable.
- 7 to 10 days before: book both cleanersOur weekend slots usually need 5–7 days' notice and weekday slots 2–3 days. Give the general cleaner the later date.
- 2 to 3 days before: soft furnishingsWe bring the machines. We need a power point and a water source, plus a clear path to each item, so keep the utilities on. The template checklist asks tenants not to close those accounts before handover anyway.[1]
- After we leave: let everything dryAircon or fan on. Fabric sofas and mattresses need 5–7 hours, curtains 2–4 hours. Singapore's air averages about 82% relative humidity,[3] so a shut, switched-off unit dries slowly.
- The day before: general cleanFloors go last, after our equipment has been wheeled in and out.
- Handover dayBring the receipts, the booking confirmation and your photos. Count the keys.
If the date moves, a prepaid online booking can be shifted to another open slot from your account page at no charge. Once moved, it can't be refunded if you cancel later. Our guide to what happens during a visit covers what to clear beforehand.
Why does a receipt help at handover?
A handover is a comparison of records. The landlord holds the inventory list. You bring proof of what was done before you left. The template agreement already asks for two kinds of receipt, one for curtain cleaning and one for aircon servicing.[1]
Online bookings with us are paid upfront by card or PayNow. Two emails follow: the payment receipt, and a booking confirmation that lists the visit date, the address and each item. Keep both, with dated photos of each item taken after the clean. If a deposit disagreement goes further, the Small Claims Tribunals hear disputes over residential tenancy agreements of up to 2 years.[4]
None of this guarantees the full deposit back. The emails show what was booked, what was paid and the date of the visit, and your photos show the result.
What does Upward not do at a move-out?
- General move-out cleaning. Floors, kitchen, bathrooms, windows, cabinet interiors. Book a general cleaning company.
- Curtain take-down, laundering or dry cleaning. That's a job for a curtain laundry or dry cleaner.
- Mould. We don't treat it. The template makes mould and odour problems the tenant's job to fix through qualified professionals,[1] so call a mould remediation specialist early.
- Bed bugs and other pests. That's pest control work.
- Leather repair, recolouring or reupholstery. See a leather restorer or upholsterer.
- Offices and shops. We clean in homes only.
- Council for Estate Agencies: Renting or renting out a private residential property, which links to the Tenancy Agreement Template for Private Residential Property (PDF, version 1.3): clauses 2.2, 4.4, 4.6 and 20.2, Annexures A and C.
- Council for Estate Agencies: Renting an HDB flat or bedroom, which links to the Tenancy Agreement Template for HDB Flats (PDF, version 1.3): clause 19.2.
- Meteorological Service Singapore: Climate of Singapore.
- Singapore Courts: File a small claim.
