End of tenancy cleaning checklist

The aim is to hand the property back as you found it, apart from fair wear and tear. Your check-in inventory and its photos are the benchmark, so find them first. If the agent gives you a check-out checklist, clean to that.

Fair wear and tear is the normal ageing that comes from reasonable use, such as a carpet that has faded along a walkway. A stain, a burn or a build-up of grease is not wear and tear.

• Oven inside, including the door glass, racks and trays. This is usually the longest job.
• Hob, rings and the area around them.
• Extractor hood and its filter.
• Fridge and freezer: emptied, defrosted, with shelves, drawers and door seals cleaned.
• Microwave inside and out, and the dishwasher filter and washing machine drawer if you have them.
• Cupboards and drawers inside and out.
• Worktops, splashback, sink and taps, with limescale removed.
• Floor, including the edges and under any appliance that moves.

• Limescale off taps, shower head, screen and tiles.
• Grout and silicone seals scrubbed.
• Toilet bowl, seat, hinges, cistern and the base and back of the pan.
• Bath or shower tray, with the plughole cleared of hair.
• Basin, cabinet inside and out, mirror and chrome.
• Extractor fan cover, floor and skirting boards.

• Skirting boards, doors, frames, handles, light switches and sockets wiped.
• Light fittings dusted and cobwebs removed from ceiling corners.
• Inside windows, frames and sills.
• Inside wardrobes, cupboards, drawers and shelves.
• Radiators and pipes.
• Marks on walls wiped where the paint allows.
• Hard floors vacuumed and mopped. Stairs, banisters and hallway included.
• Carpets vacuumed, then cleaned with hot water extraction.

Easy to forget: oven racks, the extractor filter, fridge door seals, the washing machine drawer, behind the toilet, window tracks and the tops of doors. Balconies, patios and gardens are often on the agent’s list, so check before you book.

Carpets come last, so nobody walks on them wet. Most are dry in 2 to 4 hours. Pet accidents are the common problem; read how to remove pet urine from carpet before you try a home remedy. Our carpet cleaning page explains how a clean works.

These are our times for a team of two and our starting prices. Heavy grease, limescale, smoking or pet damage add time.

• Studio flat: about 2 to 3 hours, from £150
• 1-bed flat: about 3 to 4 hours, from £180
• 2-bed house: about 5 to 6 hours, from £240
• 3-bed house: about 7 to 8 hours, from £300

See end of tenancy cleaning cost for what changes the cost.

In England, GOV.UK says a landlord or agent must protect your deposit in an approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it. The three schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (GOV.UK, tenancy deposit protection, checked 23 October 2026).

The deposit cannot be more than 5 weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or 6 weeks’ rent where it is £50,000 to £100,000 (GOV.UK, fees you can charge as part of a tenancy, last updated 7 July 2026, checked 23 October 2026).

At the end, the landlord must return the deposit within 10 days of you both agreeing the amount. If you disagree, the scheme offers free dispute resolution, but both sides must agree to use it, and its decision is final (GOV.UK, disputes and problems, checked 23 October 2026).

Take dated photos of every room on the day you leave, keep the cleaner’s invoice, and ask for any deduction in writing with evidence.

In England, no. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans any payment that is not on its list of permitted payments, and cleaning is not on the current list on GOV.UK (fees you can charge as part of a tenancy, last updated 7 July 2026, checked 23 October 2026).

The government’s earlier Tenant Fees Act 2019 guidance for tenants (September 2020 edition) set out what that means for cleaning. GOV.UK withdrew it on 8 May 2026 and replaced it with guidance updated for the Renters’ Rights Act (GOV.UK publication page, checked 23 October 2026). The earlier guidance said:

• A landlord or agent cannot require you to pay for a professional clean when you check out.
• They can ask for the property to be cleaned to a professional standard, and you must return it in the condition you found it, apart from fair wear and tear.
• They cannot require you to use a particular cleaning company.
• If the property is not left fit, they can claim the cost of returning it to its original condition from your deposit. You can ask them to justify it with evidence, such as an inventory, receipts or invoices.

So hiring a professional is your choice, but it is often the simplest way to show the property is back to the standard on the inventory. This is general information for England, not legal advice.

We clean to your inventory or the agent’s checklist, invoice the agent or landlord directly if you wish, and send photos when we finish. See end of tenancy cleaning for what is included, and end of tenancy cleaning in Manchester for local areas. Book a day or two before check-out, so there is time for the agent’s inspection and any re-clean.