Move-Out Cleaning in Spain: How to Recover Your Full Deposit

Spanish rental law allows landlords to deduct cleaning costs from your deposit (fianza) if the property is not returned in the same condition you received it — minor wear and tear excluded. In practice, that's the single most common reason tenants on the Costa Blanca lose €150–€600 of their deposit. The good news: the inspection criteria are predictable, and a properly executed move-out clean almost always returns more than it costs. This is exactly what landlords look for, and what you (or your cleaning company) need to deliver.

How the Spanish deposit return actually works

Under the Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU), the landlord has 30 days from the handover to return the deposit. They can withhold amounts for:

• Damage beyond ordinary wear (broken tiles, deep stains, holes in walls). • Cleaning required to return the property to handover condition. • Unpaid bills or supplies left in the tenant's name.

The inspection happens at the acta de entrega — the handover walkthrough. If you skip the walkthrough or refuse to be present, you've effectively given the landlord unilateral authority to estimate deductions. Always be there, always photograph everything, and always have the property professionally clean before this moment.

The 10 areas Spanish landlords inspect first