Tenant left belongings
A move-out where the tenant took the good furniture and left the rest. The usual mix: mattresses, broken furniture, bagged trash, a full fridge and a garage nobody opened.
Residential cleanouts in Austin
House cleanouts and trash-outs for vacant Austin homes
Insured · Written cleaning scope · One point of contact · 5.0 stars from 12 Google reviews · Austin, TX
The tenant left. Their couch, mattress and forty bags of trash did not. Or a family member passed, a sale closed on a house still full, an investor bought a property sight unseen. We clear what you are authorized to remove, haul it off, and clean the house so it is ready for the next step.
What is a residential trash-out?
A residential trash-out is the removal of furniture, belongings, bagged trash and debris left in a vacant home, followed by haul-off and a clean of the emptied rooms. Bailey & Bear works only from the owner or manager’s written instructions on what goes and what stays, photographs the home before anything is touched, and quotes removal and cleaning together so the house ends the day empty and clean, not just empty.
When Austin owners call for a cleanout
After an eviction
Once possession has legally returned to the landlord, the property often needs clearing on a tight timeline before it can be repaired and re-let.
Estate and inherited homes
Decades of contents, often after family has taken what they want. This is slower, sorted work, and it usually ends with a heavy-duty clean.
Foreclosures and investor buys
A home bought as-is that arrives with contents, trash and a kitchen nobody has cleaned in months.
Authorization comes first, every time
We do not decide what is abandoned. The person who controls the property does, in writing, before the crew lifts anything. That protects you, the former occupant and us.
- Who can authorize: the owner, the property manager acting for the owner, an executor or administrator for an estate, or the purchaser after closing.
- What we need: a short written instruction (a text or email is fine) saying the property address, that you have the right to authorize removal, and what stays.
- Keep list: items to set aside — documents, photos, keys, valuables, anything the lease or the family wants preserved. We stage them in one room and photograph them.
- Before photos: every room photographed before removal starts, and again when the house is clear.
Evictions in Texas run through the courts, and when a writ of possession is executed the officer supervises how the tenant’s personal property is removed from the unit (Texas Property Code §24.0061). Belongings left after an ordinary move-out are governed by your lease. We are a cleaning company, not a legal advisor: if you are unsure whether you can remove something yet, settle it with your attorney or manager first and book us for the day after.
How a cleanout runs
| Step | What happens | Why it is in this order |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Photos and walkthrough | Every room photographed; keep items, hazards and anything we cannot take identified | A wiped or emptied room destroys the evidence of its condition |
| 2. Sort | Keep, donate where practical, recycle, dispose | Separated loads are cheaper to dispose of than mixed ones |
| 3. Remove and load | Furniture, bags, appliances and debris carried out and loaded | Access, stairs and carry distance set the crew size |
| 4. Haul-off | Taken to an appropriate facility; disposal fees passed through at cost | One refused item can turn back a whole load, so problem items are pulled first |
| 5. Broom-clean | Floors swept, loose debris and residue picked up | You can now see the real condition of the home |
| 6. Clean | A move-out clean or a heavy-duty clean, depending on what the empty house shows | Quoted in the same scope so there is no second scheduling gap |
What we cannot put in a general load
Landfills and transfer stations screen what arrives, and a single problem item can get a full truck refused. These are pulled out on the walkthrough and routed separately or left for the right specialist:
- Liquids: part-full paint, solvents, fuel, cooking oil.
- Household and garden chemicals, pool chemicals, pesticides.
- Batteries, including lithium cells in tools and electronics.
- Appliances containing refrigerant: fridges, freezers, window AC units.
- Tires, mattresses and fluorescent tubes, which are handled separately and often surcharged.
- Firearms, ammunition, medications and sharps — we stop, set aside and tell you.
The detailed disposal rules, and why a haul-off is priced by weight and destination rather than hours, are on our trash haul-off page.
What to send for a cleanout quote
- Address or ZIP and whether there are stairs, a long driveway or an HOA with truck rules.
- Photos or a short video of every room, the garage and the yard.
- Rough volume if you can estimate it: “half a garage,” “a full bedroom set and 30 bags.”
- Any large or awkward items: piano, safe, hot tub, gym equipment, appliances.
- Who is authorizing removal and what stays.
- The date the house has to be empty and the date it has to be clean.
With that, most cleanouts can be scoped without a site visit. Larger estates get a walkthrough first.
Related vacant-home services
Vacant-home cleaning
Move-out cleaning Austin · Heavy-duty house cleaning · Emergency & deadline cleaning · Move-out cleaning checklist
Related Austin cleaning
Make-ready & apartment turnovers · Trash haul-off & disposal rules · Post-construction cleaning · Property management cleaning
Reviews
Read what Austin clients say on our reviews page, then send photos of the property for a written scope.
About Bailey & Bear Cleaning
Owner-operated in Austin, Texas. The owner oversees the written cleaning scope, access plan, schedule and final quality check for every vacant-home job. The price is agreed in writing before work starts, and anything found on site that falls outside the scope is raised before it is touched. Certificates of insurance available on request. Call or text 512-689-8346; the line is open 24/7, and crew availability is confirmed before booking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a trash-out and junk removal?
Junk removal takes away named items. A trash-out empties a property of everything that is not staying, and ours ends with a clean of the emptied home. That is why a trash-out is scoped around the whole house rather than an item list.
Can you remove a former tenant’s belongings?
Only with written authorization from the owner or manager, and only when they have the legal right to remove them. We do not decide what is abandoned. Belongings left after an eviction are handled under the court process, and items left after an ordinary move-out are governed by the lease. If you are unsure, confirm with your attorney before booking.
Do you clean the house after the cleanout?
Yes. That is the point of booking one company. Once the home is empty we either do a standard move-out clean or a heavy-duty clean, depending on what the empty rooms show, quoted in the same scope.
How is a house cleanout priced?
By the volume and weight of what leaves, the disposal fees at the receiving facility, the labor to sort and carry it, and access such as stairs and carry distance. The cleaning that follows is priced on the condition of the empty home. You get one written quote covering both.
What happens to items worth keeping?
Anything on your keep list, plus documents, photos, keys, valuables and anything that looks personal or important, is set aside in one room and photographed. We do not sell or keep contents.
Can you handle an estate cleanout?
Yes. Estate homes are slower, sorted work, and the family usually takes what it wants first. We work from the executor or administrator’s instructions and finish with a clean so the house is ready to list.
Will you take a refrigerator full of spoiled food?
Yes. The food is bagged and removed and the fridge is cleaned or, if it is being thrown away, routed for refrigerant recovery rather than put in a general load.
What will you not handle in a cleanout?
Hazardous chemicals, fuel, medications, firearms and ammunition, and sharps are set aside and you are told. Biohazard cleanup such as blood, bodily fluids or an unattended death is a specialist remediation trade, and we refer it rather than do it.
Send the address, photos and deadline
Tell us what the property looks like now and when it has to be ready. Photos let us scope the job before anyone drives out. Prefer to text? Send photos to 512.689.8346.