Before you start
Find your check-in inventory and read it room by room. Remove all your belongings and rubbish first, because you cannot clean a room properly while it is full. Gather microfibre cloths, a limescale remover, degreaser, a vacuum with attachments and a mop.
Kitchen checklist
- Oven, hob, grill pan and extractor filter degreased
- Fridge and freezer emptied, defrosted and wiped inside
- Cupboards and drawers wiped inside and out
- Worktops, splashback and tiles degreased
- Sink, taps and drainer descaled
- Washing machine drawer and door seal cleaned
- Floor vacuumed and mopped, including under appliances you can move
Bathroom checklist
- Toilet cleaned inside, outside and behind
- Bath, shower tray and screen descaled
- Tiles and grout cleaned, mould treated
- Taps, shower head and plug holes descaled
- Mirror and cabinets polished
- Extractor fan cover dusted
- Floor washed
Bedrooms and living areas
- Skirting boards, door frames and doors wiped
- Light switches and sockets wiped
- Wardrobes and drawers cleaned inside
- Windowsills and inside windows cleaned
- Radiators dusted
- Carpets vacuumed, hard floors mopped
Final checks before handing back the keys
- Walk through each room with the inventory in hand.
- Check light bulbs work and nothing is left in cupboards.
- Take dated photos of every room.
- Keep any cleaning invoice with your photos.
When to book a professional clean
If time is short, a professional clean covers the whole checklist in one visit. Our end of tenancy cleaning is From £155, and you see the full price before you book.
Typical job £270 — based on 2,199 completed jobs in the last 12 months.
See what is included in end of tenancy cleaning or read our end of tenancy cleaning prices guide.
Common mistakes that cost deposits
- Leaving belongings behind. Anything left in cupboards, lofts or sheds can be charged for removal. Empty every space before the clean.
- Missing the inside of appliances. Ovens, fridges, freezers and washing machine drawers are often checked. Defrost the freezer the day before.
- Ignoring limescale. Taps, shower screens, plugholes and toilet rims show limescale quickly. Descale them rather than just wiping.
- Forgetting high and low areas. Tops of wardrobes, door frames, skirting boards and radiators collect dust that shows up in inventory photos.
- Cleaning too early. If you clean and then keep living in the property, it will need doing again. Clean after the last box has gone.
How to use the check-in inventory
Find your check-in inventory and read it before you start. It records the condition of each room when you moved in, and it is what the agent compares against at checkout. Note anything that was already marked or worn, so you do not spend effort on damage that was there before. Take dated photos of each room once the clean is done, so you have your own record of how you left it.