Article reviewed by Henry Paterson, Senior Operations Executive at Housekeep, the UK’s leading home cleaning service.
There’s so much to think about when it comes to the end of your tenancy. Using a professional end of tenancy cleaning service can really help to take some of the stress out of moving house. If you book professionals, you can be confident that you’ll get your deposit back in full once you’ve moved out – meaning you’ve got one less thing to worry about.
Why do I need an end of tenancy clean?
At the end of a rental lease, you’ll need to clean the property and return it to the state it was when you moved in – good-as-new for the next tenants.
Moving house is hard enough work as it is. No matter how good a cleaner you are, you’re unlikely to have the equipment, technique or time to complete an end of tenancy clean yourself.
End of tenancy cleaning is a specialist service, so it does cost a little more than regular cleaning. The exact cost will depend on the size of your home, and whether or not you need any extra services, like carpet or upholstery cleaning.
To give you an idea of what you might expect to pay for cleaning services, we’ve drawn up a table of approximate prices for end of tenancy cleaning.
How much can I expect end of tenancy cleaning to cost?
This is a rough guide to end of tenancy cleaning costs. The exact cost will depend on a number of factors, including the size & location of your home, and whether or not you require extra tasks like carpet cleaning.
Cleaning Services | Details | Average price |
---|---|---|
Regular cleaning | - Weekly cleaning & tidying of your home. This can include washing up, vacuuming, mopping, dusting and laundry. | £15 per hour |
Deep cleaning | - Thorough cleaning of your home, including removing deep dirt and limescale - Focus on kitchen and bathrooms - Can include cleaning of white goods (fridge/freezer) & oven, but these may need to be booked as extra tasks - Price depends on the size of your home, where you’re based & whether you need any extra services | £150 - £500 |
End of tenancy cleaning | - Cleaning your home after you’ve packed up and moved out - Designed to make your home as good as new - Includes hard to reach areas, like inside cupboards - Includes fridge/freezer cleaning & oven cleaning - Price depends on the size of your home, where you’re based & whether you need any extra services | £150 - £500 |
Carpet cleaning | - Price depends on the number and size of the rooms that need carpet cleaning | £45 - £200 |
Find the Best Solution For a Cheaper Moving in the UK
Some house removal firms also offer end of tenancy cleaning services, so you might be able to organise for your home to be cleaned by the same company who packs your belongings. Alternatively, you can book in with an end of tenancy cleaning service who are specialists in delivering these cleans.
You can shop around and compare prices to be sure that you’re getting the best deal: fill in our form to receive up to 6 completely free, no-obligation quotes from trusted removal firms that offer end of tenancy cleaning services.
How is end of tenancy cleaning different to other cleaning services?
When it comes to booking a cleaning service, there are a number of different options that you can choose from.
Some cleaning services are designed to help with day-to-day housework, like washing up and dusting sides, while others are booked for heavy duty cleaning that requires specialist products & equipment.
Here are a few examples of some of the different cleaning services that are available.
1- Regular cleaning
If you find yourself falling behind with the chores – or you just fancy freeing up some extra time – then this is the service for you. Getting someone in every week or two will really take the stress of housework away. And most importantly, it gets you hours of valuable time back every week. Result!
When booking regular cleaning it’s really up to you which cleaning tasks you’d like done. Most cleaners are able to iron, dust, wash up, do the laundry, mop, vacuum and tidy. But don’t expect a regular cleaner to help with heavy duty cleaning tasks – if you need mould removal, carpet cleaning, furniture moving or anything like that, you’ll need to book a specialist.
You should regularly communicate with your cleaner – it’s important that you let them know how you like things done, and which tasks or rooms are most important to you.
2 -Deep cleaning
Deep cleaning is much more thorough and time-consuming than regular cleaning. This kind of cleaning should be booked a few times a year, rather than every week or two. Your kitchen and bathrooms are the rooms that will accumulate the most dirt, grease, and dust, so deep cleaning usually focuses on removing ingrained dirt and limescale from these rooms.
Depending on which cleaning service you book with, their deep cleaning may also include the cleaning of white goods & appliances. Even if they’re not included as standard, you can usually request these as extra services.
There’s no one-size-fits-all definition of deep cleaning – so always check what’s included as standard to make sure the areas you care most about will get cleaned. If they’re not included, you can always ask if they can be booked as extra services and added to your quote.
3- End of tenancy cleaning
End of tenancy cleaning is designed to clean your home from top to bottom, before you move out. This service covers hard-to-reach areas, like on top of cabinets, beneath furniture and inside cupboards. End of tenancy cleaning is usually completed against an agency approved checklist, and the cleaners should ‘guarantee’ the service – meaning they’ll re-clean if you don’t pass your inspection.
Your property needs to be emptied before you can have an end of tenancy clean, so make sure you’ve packed and loaded all of your items onto the removal van before the cleaners arrive. You’ll also need to make sure that any repair or replacement work has happened before the cleaning starts.
Be sure to get your deposit back!
Professional cleaners will clean the empty property to make sure it is ready for the new tenant. It will also ensure that you get your entire deposit back. Since you need the property to be spotless and almost like brand new, end of tenancy cleaning is similar to a deep clean. They’ll go through most of the tasks included in deep cleaning.
Why is end of tenancy cleaning so important?
A tenant is responsible for leaving the property in a clean and hygienic condition when they check out. And cleanliness will be a big focus of your inspection when you move out. Here are a few of the things your inspectors will be looking for:
● No rubbish, food waste or debris
● No pet hairs on carpets, upholstery etc.
● No stains, dirt, fingermarks or dust
● No limescale
● No mould or mildew
Why should you hire a professional end of tenancy service?
End of tenancy cleaning is one of the most common deposit disputes between landlords and tenants. So organising a professional end of tenancy clean is one of the easiest ways to make sure you get your deposit back in full.
In theory, you can complete an end of tenancy clean yourself. But even if you’ve regularly kept on top of the housework, you’re unlikely to have the skill, equipment or patience to complete a perfect clean. Plus you don’t have the experience that professionals could bring.
Although it might be tempting to pass on the extra cost of an end of tenancy clean, remember that your landlord will only deduct the money from your deposit to cover the cost if the job’s not complete.
With so many other chores to think about when you’re moving house, you could do yourself a massive favour by ensuring that end of tenancy cleaning is taken care of by the professionals.
Who should use end of tenancy cleaners?
While employing cleaners at the end of a lease makes perfect sense for time-pressed tenants, professional cleaners are also super helpful for landlords.
After all, not all tenants leave the house as they found it. And when a landlord needs their property cleaned at short notice, they call in the professionals. Of course, the cost of these end of tenancy cleaners won’t be covered by the landlord – instead it gets deducted from the deposit of the previous tenant.
Engaging a trusted professional end of tenancy cleaning service reduces stress and worry for landlords. And it means they won’t have to buy or hire specialist equipment to ensure the property’s clean for the next tenants.
What does end of tenancy cleaning include?
While you might be accustomed to doing your regular domestic cleaning, an end of tenancy clean is far more demanding, and isn’t something that most people can complete themselves. For peace of mind, it’s well worth hiring the services of expert end of tenancy cleaners.
Here are some of the specialist cleaning tasks included in end of tenancy cleaning:
Removing all limescale from taps, sinks, showers and baths
It’s easy to miss limescale on shower tiles, in toilets or in any number of other places – especially if you’re not too sure where to look. Plus, limescale can really build up over time and become pretty stubborn. Professional cleaners will bring specialist limescale remover that will have your taps, sinks, and shower screens sparkling again.
Cleaning the inside of the windows
This is something that’s often forgotten about, but all windows need to be dusted and completely streak-free. And you’ll need to make sure that your window sills get thoroughly cleaned too. Professional cleaners will bring the products and knowledge to ensure this job gets done properly.
Cleaning the kitchen cupboards
This isn’t just a quick spray and wipe job – to get your deposit back you’ll need the cupboards to have had a really thorough deep clean. You’ll also need the top and bottom of the cupboards to be cleaned, as this is where grease and grime from your cooking accumulates. Professional end of tenancy cleaners will give a thorough clean of these hard-to-reach areas, so you don’t have to.
Dusting all blinds and curtains
All curtains and blinds must be completely clean and dust-free, as a lot of dust and dirt can build up on blinds and curtains. End of tenancy cleaners will make sure that all curtains & blinds are completely dusted ahead of your check-out inspection.
Cleaning appliances & white goods
Ensuring that carpets & upholstery are clean and stain-free requires the use of specialist equipment that you probably don’t have lying around. Expert end of tenancy cleaners have everything required for the job, so you won’t lose your rental deposit because of dirt and stains on your flooring or furniture. You may need to book this as an extra task though – so do make sure that you let the cleaning company know when you make the booking.
Cleaning carpets & upholstery
Ensuring that carpets are clean and stain-free requires the use of specialist equipment that you would probably need to hire: your expert end of tenancy cleaners have everything required so you won’t face losing your rental deposit because of dirt and stains on your flooring.
Can a removal company help you with your end of tenancy cleaning?
As well as packing, transporting and unpacking your belongings, some removal firms can also provide you with a cost-effective, efficient end of tenancy clean. This means that your house removal can go as smoothly as possible, with your deposit returned in full.
Some removal firms offer end of tenancy cleaning that covers areas such as:
● Carpet cleaning
● Oven cleaning
● Deep cleaning of kitchen cupboards and bathrooms
● Cleaning of interior windows
● Upholstery cleaning
If you opt to go with a removal firm rather than a cleaning company, just make sure that the clean is guaranteed and that the cleaners will use an agency-approved checklist – just like a specialist cleaning company would.
Compare moving quotes
If you’re preparing to move house and are looking for end of tenancy cleaners, We can help you to compare prices from removal firms offering this service. To receive up to 6 no-obligation quotes that are completely free of charge and to find the deal that meets your requirements, just complete the online enquiry form. Comparing quotes can help you to save up to 40% on the total costs.
Alternatively, you can look at booking end of tenancy cleaning from a cleaning service like Housekeep, the UK’s leading home cleaning service.