Cleaning is the most common reason for a deposit deduction at the end of a tenancy. The standard is a known one: the check-out clerk works through the same list the check-in was done on, room by room, and photographs anything that falls short. This is that list, in the order a clerk usually walks the property.
Kitchen
This is where deposits are lost. The oven is the single most-queried item in a check-out report.
- Oven interior, door glass (both sides), racks, trays and the drawer underneath
- Hob, including under the rings on a gas hob, and the extractor hood and filter
- Fridge and freezer inside, defrosted, seals wiped, and switched off with the door propped open if the property will be empty
- Microwave inside and out, dishwasher filter, washing machine drawer and seal
- Cupboards and drawers emptied and wiped inside and out, tops of wall units dusted
- Sink, taps and drainer descaled, splashback tiles and grout, bin cleaned
Bathrooms
- Limescale removed from taps, shower head, shower screen and around the base of the toilet
- Grout scrubbed, sealant checked for mould, tiles wiped down
- Toilet inside and out including the hinges and behind the pedestal
- Extractor fan cover, mirror, light fittings, window and sill
- Bath and shower tray, plughole and overflow
Bedrooms and living rooms
- Carpets vacuumed and, in most tenancies, professionally cleaned where the check-in report says they were
- Skirting boards, door frames, doors and door handles
- Light switches, sockets, light fittings and lampshades
- Inside windows, sills, frames and blinds
- Inside wardrobes and built-in cupboards, tops of wardrobes
- Radiators front and back, behind furniture that has been moved out
Hallways and stairs
- Stairs carpet, usually the most worn in the property
- Banisters, spindles, skirtings and the strip of wall along the stairs
- Front door inside, letterbox, entry phone
Outside
- Balconies swept, bins emptied and cleaned, any windows reachable from the ground
Preparing the property
The emptier the property, the more thorough the clean. Move everything out first, take your rubbish, and switch off and defrost the freezer the day before. Leave keys and the agent’s details if you will not be there. Tell the cleaning firm the check-out date and time so the clean is scheduled to finish before it.
The carpet question
Whether carpets have to be professionally cleaned depends on the tenancy agreement and the check-in report. If they were professionally cleaned at check-in, they will be expected to be at check-out. Spark Clean Professional cleans the carpets on the same visit as the rest of the property with an industrial extraction machine, and they are dry before the keys go back.
