When you move out of a rented home, your landlord or letting agent checks the property against the inventory taken at the start of your tenancy. Cleaning is the most common reason for deposit deductions — but it’s also the easiest to get right with a proper plan.
What agents actually check
Check-out clerks work room by room against the original inventory. The areas that catch tenants out most often are the oven, extractor, bathroom limescale, inside kitchen cupboards, and skirting boards.
- Oven, hob and extractor — degreased inside and out
- Bathrooms — descaled taps, tiles and shower screens
- Inside all cupboards and drawers, wiped clean
- Skirting boards, door frames and light switches
- Floors vacuumed and mopped, including edges and corners
- Interior windows, sills and any marks on walls
Give yourself enough time
A proper end-of-tenancy clean on a two-bed flat takes several hours of focused work — more if the oven hasn’t been touched in a while. Do it after your furniture is out, so nothing gets missed.
When to book a professional
If you’re short on time, or you want the reassurance of an inventory-standard finish, a professional end-of-tenancy clean pays for itself in protected deposit. A good local company will clean to the exact check-out standard agents use — and come back if anything’s missed.