The agency-approved end of tenancy cleaning checklist

A check-out clean is a specification, not a big tidy. Every crew that leaves our depot works the same sequence: top to bottom, back to front, wet work before glass, floors last. That order exists because cleaning a window before wiping the frame above it means doing the window twice.

The price for this work is set per property rather than by the hour — see our end of tenancy cleaning price guide for the bands, or book the job itself through end of tenancy cleaning.

Four things decide whether a check-out clean finishes in one visit. None of them are cleaning tasks.

• The property is completely empty — including lofts, sheds, under-stairs cupboards and the bin store
• Electricity and running hot water are still connected (do not close the account until after the clean)
• Access is confirmed: keys, fob, parking bay or permit, and lift booking in a managed block
• Anything broken is reported in advance — we clean around damage, we do not repair it

The kitchen is where deposits are won and lost, and it is the room our crews allocate the most time to on every property size.

Appliances

• Oven interior, roof, floor, racks, trays and grill degreased to bare metal
• Door glass cleaned between the panes where the door can be split safely
• Hob, burners, pan supports and control knobs — knobs lifted, not wiped around
• Extractor hood, grease filters degreased or replaced, and the wall behind the hob
• Fridge and freezer emptied, defrosted, shelves and salad drawers washed, seals cleaned, cleaned behind and underneath
• Washing machine detergent drawer, rubber door seal and pump filter
• Dishwasher filter, spray arms and seal; microwave inside, roof and turntable

Units and surfaces

• Inside every cupboard and drawer, plus runners and hinges
• Tops of wall units and the gap above them — a standard clerk reach-and-photograph point
• Cupboard doors and handles degreased, including the underside of handles
• Worktops, splashbacks and tiling descaled and buffed
• Sink, taps, plughole and waste descaled; sealant line cleaned
• Bin cleaned inside and out, or removed if it is the tenant's

Bathrooms are the slowest work in the property, which is why we quote on bedrooms and bathrooms. Limescale needs contact time; there is no fast version.

• Shower screen, tiles, taps, shower head and hose descaled — screen edges and hinges included
• Bath, basin, pedestal and overflow cleaned; sealant lines checked for surface mould
• Toilet inside, under the rim, behind the pan, cistern, seat hinges and the floor behind it
• Extractor fan cover removed and washed where it is a clip-off type
• Mirrors, cabinets inside and out, shaver sockets and light pulls
• Towel rails and radiators, including behind
• Grout cleaned where soiling is surface-level — we flag ingrained staining rather than promise it will lift

• Inside wardrobes, drawers, shelves and the tops of them
• Skirting boards, door frames, doors, handles and finger marks around the handle
• Light switches, sockets, thermostats and intercom panels
• Radiators, including behind, and visible pipework
• Inside windows, frames, sills, hinges and the runners in the track
• Curtain rails and blind slats where the blinds are the landlord's
• Picture hooks removed and marks cleaned where the tenancy required it
• Carpets vacuumed including edges and under radiators; hard floors mopped

If the property was recently renovated, plaster dust keeps resettling for weeks and needs the heavier after builders cleaning specification instead.

• Front door inside and out, letterbox, door furniture and the frame
• Stair spindles, handrail, stringers and the carpet edge at each tread
• Meter cupboards and under-stairs storage emptied and wiped
• Communal hallway outside your door left as found — we protect the route before carrying anything

External areas are not part of a standard check-out clean, but they are part of the inventory, so they are worth planning separately.

• Bins emptied and the store left clear — leftover bags are a routine deduction
• Balcony swept, glass and railings wiped where safely reachable
• Patio, decking or path cleared of leaves; jet washing quoted separately
• Shed and garage emptied — clearance, not cleaning, and best booked the day before

Across the check-outs we attend, the same ten places account for nearly every cleaning deduction that ends up disputed. If time is short, do these before anything else.

The rules on what a landlord can actually deduct are set out in our deposit deductions guide.

These are separate lines on a quote because they need different equipment or a different crew. They are decisions, not upsells — if the inventory records professionally cleaned carpets at check-in, you will be measured against that.

• Carpet and upholstery cleaning — hot-water extraction, booked by room
• External windows and conservatory roofs
• Jet washing to patios, paths and decking
• Clearance of anything left behind, on our own waste carrier licence
• Mould remediation beyond surface cleaning, and any repair work

Carpets are handled by our carpet cleaning team, and anything left behind by residential clearance.

The crew walks the property against this checklist before leaving and photographs the appliance interiors. You get those photographs, which is the evidence that matters if the check-out report disagrees.

• Report any issue within 24 hours of the check-out inspection, with the clerk's report
• We re-attend free of charge for anything inside the specification
• Keep the property empty and unoccupied until the deposit is agreed — occupation ends the guarantee
• Obstructed areas and pre-existing damage sit outside the guarantee and are flagged on the day, not afterwards