end of tenancy cleaning

An end of tenancy clean covers anything that gets the property back to near-new, so that the next tenant can move in. This includes: thorough fridge, freezer and oven cleaning, scrubbing of all surfaces, sanitising all floors, cleaning all windows, doors and furniture, carpet and garage cleaning, thorough cleaning of all bathroom facilities, and cleaning any other necessary parts of the property.

It is not required by law to hire a professional cleaning service, so to avoid paying you may get yourself or someone you know to do it. However, in order to guarantee your deposit back, paying for a professional cleaning company is your best bet. When cleaning it yourself, you might miss hard to spot areas, and landlords will put every nook and cranny of the property’s cleanliness under scrutiny. A professional cleaning service will know how to ensure every spot is sparkling.

If you’re not sure how clean your house should be upon leaving, it may be a good idea to ask for references from your landlord. Many landlords take photos of the property prior to occupancy to document the state of the property and monitor any possible damage. You may ask for these, or if you’re beginning tenancy, it may be useful to take your own photos. Standards of cleanliness vary between landlords, so if you’re not sure, always ask.

Unclean apartments after moving out accounts for most cases of landlords withholding their tenants’ deposits. This also includes leaving behind certain belongings. In the case of your landlord withholding your deposit due to an unclean apartment, they are required to provide an itemised bill of all damage and cleaning costs to prove that they are justified in keeping the deposit. This is usually disputable – over half of all landlord-tenant disputes are about the cleanliness of the apartment, and whether or not the landlord is justified in keeping the deposit.

When doing an end of tenancy clean yourself, you may find yourself cleaning for days, while coordinating it with packing and moving out. When doing the cleaning yourself, you may not know the most efficient methods of getting the job done, resulting in a longer clean time with less than impressive results. When hiring a professional cleaning service, this time is reduced to a few hours, or up to one day, depending on the size and prior cleanliness of the property, since professional cleaners know the most efficient way to deep clean an apartment, and come with equipment to help get the job done.

If you haven’t had your home cleaned before leaving, and it would cost the landlord a substantial amount of money to have it cleaned, then the landlord may be justified in keeping your deposit. The landlord should provide an itemised bill of everything that needs cleaning and how much it will cost, in order to prove that they are justified in keeping the deposit. However, the landlord cannot keep the deposit over normal wear and tear. If you feel your deposit has been unfairly withheld from you, please contact the Deposit Protection Scheme.