If you are renting, DO NOT replace anything. It is the owner's responsibility and it is their appliance, not yours. Talk to your new landlord BEFORE you move in, see if they will replace it or have it cleaned. Personally, I would be wary moving into a dirty apartment, it gives you an idea of how your landlord cares for their property, and how they will (or won't) take care of future problems.

Make sure you take pictures before you move in also to prove what dirt, stains, paint chips, any flaws in the whole apartment so you have proof when you move out that you were not responsible for the damage.

If you are talking about an electric stove and the pans underneath are a mess, you can get a new set for less than $10. Cover them with foil to keep them clean.

Toilet cleaning is easy. Buy a powder cleanser (Comet or generic version) and a strong toilet brush. Clean it every other day or so, especially under the rim where you can't see, gunk does collect there. By doing a light cleaning every couple days your bathroom will never be dirty. A Swiffer Wet Jet is perfect for bathrooms, you toss the cleaning pad so you have a sanitary floor. Keep a rag handy and wipe off the counter daily, while you are brushing your teeth. Easy.

Kitchens are the same, declutter the counters every day and wipe them down. Swiffer the floor once a week or so, and sweep or vacuum before you do it. Don't leave dirty dishes in the sink. Buy a handheld dishsoap wand and use it. Once a month go through the fridge and toss expired food. Wipe one shelf a week and rotate, you will always have a clean fridge.

You will get in a good habit if you set your mind to it, and it becomes second nature.

Michelle gave great advise. Make sure you take "before" photos of amy bad areas so that when you move out, you can prove you did nothing bad to the apartment. By the way, a one-timer professional cleaning by a pro is not that expensive. Insist your landlord really clean the place up BEFORE you move in. Keep on a cleaning routine. You'll be glad you did.

Zelda lives in Greece, so maybe things work differently over there regarding apartments and the responsibilty of landlords.

OOps, I didn't realize she was not in the U.S. I speak from my own personal experience-I lived in several apartments in the 1970's, so my info might also be out of date.

Hello, I'm sorry for the delay, I was on a trip. Thanks everyone for the advice. Yes, I live in Greece and the house I'm talking about is in Corfu. I'm thinking about hiring someone to help me clean it before moving in. Also I'll use electric steamer to do the hard work. The landlord is an old man who doesn't seem to care much... It is definitely his responsability but I can't press him to do anything, he insists that everything is clean and bright. :) So I'll do what I can and keep the house because it's calm and sunny.

I would be happy to come to Corfu and clean your house before you move in. It might take a month or two or three, however. I understand the beaches are lovely in Corfu. LOL!