domestic
End of tenancy cleaning
An end of tenancy clean costs £150 to £250 for a one-bedroom flat and £280 to £450 for a three-bedroom house. Since the Tenant Fees Act 2019 a landlord in England cannot require you to pay for a professional clean, but they can still deduct the cost of returning the property to its check-in condition.
What this covers
What it costs. An end of tenancy clean costs £150 to £250 for a one-bedroom flat, £200 to £320 for a two-bedroom, £280 to £450 for a three-bedroom house and £380 to £600 for a four-bedroom. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- Inside the oven, including the door glass, shelves and trays
- Inside the fridge, freezer and every cupboard and drawer
- Limescale off taps, shower screens, tiles and the WC
- Skirtings, door frames, switches, sockets and extractor grilles
- Inside windows, frames and sills, with the floors done last
What is involved
This is not a regular clean done harder. It is done to an inventory, on an empty property, and it is judged by a check-out inspection rather than by whoever lives there. That changes what gets done: the work concentrates on the places a weekly clean never reaches, because those are the places a check-out report lists.
Two items are nearly always quoted separately and are the two landlords most often deduct for. Carpet cleaning needs an extractor and often a second visit, and exterior windows need a pole or ladder access. Check which of the two your quote includes before you compare it with another one.
Timing decides how well it goes. The clean has to happen after the furniture and belongings are out and before the check-out inspection, with the property left empty in between. A clean done around boxes is a clean that has to be done twice.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask for the guarantee and ask for it in writing. Most companies will return free of charge if the check-out flags something they missed, usually within 48 or 72 hours, and that is worth more than a small difference in price.
Ask how many cleaners will come and for how long, because that is what you are actually comparing. One person for five hours and two people for six are not the same job at two prices.
Ask what is excluded. A quote without an exclusions list is a number rather than a quote, and carpets and exterior windows are where the difference usually hides.
Common questions
Can my landlord insist on a professional clean?
Not in England or Wales. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 made a clause requiring professional cleaning at the tenant's expense a prohibited payment. The standard still applies: the property has to go back in its check-in condition, allowing for fair wear and tear.
What can a landlord actually deduct for?
The reasonable cost of work actually needed and actually done, evidenced by a check-in inventory, a check-out report and an invoice. A claim with no check-in inventory usually fails at adjudication, because nothing shows what condition the property started in.