Move-out cleaning fees: do you have to pay, and what about a contract clause?

At move-out in Japan, tenants are often charged a "house cleaning fee" from their deposit. This guide explains, based on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) restoration guideline, when that charge is reasonable and when it is not.

Bottom line: usually the landlord's cost — unless there's a clause

If you kept up ordinary cleaning during your tenancy, the cost of professional cleaning to prepare the unit for the next tenant is, as a rule, the landlord's burden, not yours. Cleaning needed because routine care was neglected — caked-on grease or grime left in the kitchen, bath, or toilet — can be charged to the tenant.

When a special clause changes the answer

If the lease contains a cleaning clause stating a specific amount the tenant pays at move-out, and you agreed to it, that charge can be valid. But the clause must clear several bars: the amount and scope are written clearly in the contract, the tenant knowingly agreed, and the amount is not excessive. A vague or verbal-only clause may not hold up.

Use the checker below to estimate whether your case leans toward paying or not paying.