Cleaning services
Books and taxes for move-in and move-out cleaning companies.
Landlord invoices, tenant-paid jobs, a same-day rush fee here and there, and a crew that has to hit a tight window between tenants. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
June came in at $8,400. Lease turnover season is running hard, and the rush fees from those same-day jobs padded the month.
- Parkview Apartments invoiceProperty manager contracts
- Tenant Zelle paymentTenant-paid jobs
- Crew payrollCrew wages
- Grainger supply orderCleaning supplies
- U-Haul cargo van leaseVehicles and fuel
Why your books are different
Move-out cleaning books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and payroll. Your business runs on property manager contracts, tenant-paid one-offs, and a schedule set by lease dates, not by you. When the books do not know that, you cannot see which relationships are worth protecting.
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1
Property manager invoices lag behind the work
A big apartment complex might pay on a monthly cycle for a dozen unit turns, so the June work does not show up in the bank account until July. On paper, June looks slow even though the crew never stopped.
What we doNotes which jobs are waiting on a property manager's invoice cycle so a payment lag does not get mistaken for a slow month. -
2
Rush fees get lost in the regular job total
A same-day or next-day turn between tenants often carries a rush fee on top of the base price. Mixed into one deposit, you cannot tell how much of your income depends on those tight-turnaround premiums.
What we doKeeps the base job and the rush fee visible in the notes so you can see how much rush work is really worth. -
3
A crew paid per unit looks like flat wages
Crews paid a flat rate per unit instead of by the hour can make a slow week look identical to a packed one in the payroll line, hiding whether the pace is actually sustainable.
What we doKeeps wage payments tied to the jobs they were for so you can see labor against turns completed, not just a lump payroll number. -
4
Carpet and floor cleaning add-ons blur the job price
A move-out often bundles in carpet cleaning or floor stripping from a subcontractor. Paid as one lump sum to the client, it is hard to see what the add-on actually cost you to deliver.
What we doSplits subcontracted add-ons like carpet cleaning into their own cost line so the real margin on a bundled job is visible. -
5
A bulk supply order distorts a slow month
A large restock of degreaser, glass cleaner, and trash bags timed for the summer turnover rush can make a normal month look like it barely broke even.
What we doKeeps supplies in one steady line and flags when a stock-up, not a slow season, is the reason a month looks thin.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a move-in and move-out cleaning company.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Property manager contractsStanding agreements with apartment complexes and landlords billed on their cycle.
- Tenant-paid jobsOne-off move-out cleans paid directly by a renter before handing back keys.
- Rush and same-day feesThe premium charged when a unit has to turn same-day or next-day.
- Add-on servicesCarpet cleaning, wall touch-ups, or floor stripping bundled into a turn.
Money out
- Crew wagesHourly or per-unit pay for the crew, kept apart from any subcontractor work.
- Cleaning suppliesDegreaser, glass cleaner, trash bags, and heavy-duty scrub pads.
- Vehicles and fuelFuel, repairs, and lease or loan payments for the crew vans.
- Subcontracted add-onsCarpet cleaners or floor crews brought in for bundled jobs.
- Insurance and bondingLiability coverage and the bonding property managers often require by contract.
- Scheduling softwareJobber or Housecall Pro used to route jobs against tight lease dates.
- Marketing to property managersReferral fees or ads aimed at landlords and leasing offices, not homeowners.
What we watch for you
- Contract share
How much of the month comes from standing property manager agreements versus one-off tenant jobs. It shows how steady next month already is.
- Labor share
Crew wages against money in. In a per-unit trade, this tells you when your per-unit price needs to move.
- Rush job share
How much of your income depends on same-day premiums. Worth knowing before a slow lease season hits.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things move-out cleaning owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
No. I noted that job as waiting on their invoice cycle, so May still shows the real work you did even though the cash lands later.
I keep his cut as a separate cost, not part of your labor, so you can see what the bundle actually made you.
If you pay him $2,000 or more this year, yes, he needs a 1099-NEC by January 31. I am already keeping that running total.
The tax side
The tax side of a move-out cleaning business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and who gets a 1099. Property manager payment lags and subcontracted add-ons are where owners lose track.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Contractor 1099sAny subcontractor, like a carpet cleaner brought in for a bundled job, who you pay $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the running total.
- Vehicle mileage or expensesCrew vans running between apartment complexes can deduct business mileage at 72.5 cents a mile from January through June 2026 and 76 cents a mile from July through December 2026, or actual vehicle costs instead.
- Employee or contractorA crew member paid per unit but working your schedule with your supplies is usually an employee. Gus flags it if a pay pattern starts looking like that.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions move-in and move-out cleaning companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Degreaser and heavy-duty cleaners
- Trash bags and disposal fees
- Vehicle fuel and lease payments
- Liability and bonding insurance
- Subcontracted add-on services
- Scheduling software fees
- Uniforms and gloves
- Marketing to property managers
- Phone for scheduling rush jobs
- Vacuum bags and mop heads
- Storage for supplies and equipment
- Background check fees for crew
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A move-out cleaning year, kept every month.
Leases turn over on their own calendar. Your taxes come on a different one. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, contractor 1099s are ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether the summer lease turnover rush changed the number.
- October
Before the year closes
Before turnover slows for the year, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and moves worth making before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for move-in and move-out cleaning companies. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions move-out cleaning owners ask first.
A property manager pays me monthly for a batch of turns. How does Gus handle that?
He tracks which jobs are waiting on that invoice cycle, so a big batch of work does not look invisible in the month it actually happened, and the payment shows up correctly when it lands.
Do I need separate books for tenant-paid jobs and landlord contracts?
You do not have to do anything differently. Gus keeps them in separate categories on his end so you can see how each side of the business is doing.
I charge a rush fee for same-day turns. Does that need special handling?
No special handling from you. Gus notes the rush premium separately from the base job price so you can see how much that fast-turn work is really worth.
I subcontract carpet cleaning on some jobs. Does that change my taxes?
It mostly changes who might need a 1099 from you. If you pay a subcontractor $2,000 or more this year, Gus is already tracking it toward that January deadline.
My income swings a lot month to month with lease season. Is that a problem for taxes?
No, but it is exactly why the set-aside matters more here than in a steady business. Gus tracks it every month so a big turnover season does not turn into a surprise tax bill.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever