The end of tenancy cleaning checklist
This is the end of tenancy cleaning checklist our own cleaners work to. It is the same list we check their photos against, so if you're doing the clean yourself, it is a fair picture of what a check-out clerk will look for.
Open the printable version to tick off as you go.
Before you start
Find your check-in inventory. It is the benchmark for the whole clean: the property needs to be as clean as it was when you moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear. If the oven was spotless in the check-in photos, it needs to be spotless now.
Clear everything out first. Rubbish, food in the fridge, the things at the back of the cupboard under the sink. It is much harder to clean around belongings, and anything left behind can be charged for.
Work top to bottom and finish with the floors. Start the oven first, because oven cleaners need time to work.
Kitchen
The kitchen is where most cleaning deductions come from, and the oven is the single most common item.
- Oven inside and out, including racks, trays and door glass
- Hob and extractor hood, including the filters
- All cupboards and drawers, inside and out
- Worktops, splashback and wall tiles
- Sink, taps and plughole, descaled
- Fridge and freezer: defrost, clean inside, leave the doors ajar
- Washing machine drawer and door seal
- Dishwasher filter
- Bins, inside and out
- Floor, including under any appliances that pull out
Bathrooms
Limescale is the thing clerks notice. A bathroom can look clean from the doorway and still fail on the taps and shower screen.
- Limescale off taps, tiles, shower screen and fittings
- Grout scrubbed
- Bath and shower tray
- Toilet, including behind and around the base
- Extractor fan cover
- Mirror and cabinet, inside and out
- Floor and skirting
Every room
- Skirting boards, doors, door frames and handles
- Light switches and sockets
- Radiators, including behind where you can reach
- Window frames, sills and the inside of the glass
- Light fittings and shades
- Inside wardrobes and cupboards
- Cobwebs, especially in corners and above curtain rails
- Hard floors vacuumed and mopped
- Carpets vacuumed edge to edge
Hall, stairs and landing
- Banisters and spindles
- Stair edges and treads
- Skirting and doors
What isn't your job
Fair wear and tear is not a cleaning issue. Faded paint, carpet worn where people walk, and small marks from normal living are the landlord's cost, not yours. Damage is different from dirt, and a cleaning deduction should only cover cleaning.
The outside of upstairs windows, mould treatment and rubbish removal aren't part of a standard clean either. If mould has built up, report it to your landlord in writing; it is often a ventilation or damp problem rather than a cleaning one.
If you'd rather not do it yourself
A two-bed takes two of our cleaners about three and a half hours. We charge a fixed price you can see before you book, from £130 for a studio, and every clean comes with a photo report and a written 48-hour re-clean guarantee.