End of Tenancy Cleaning: Tips to Ensure You Get Your Deposit Back

So, you’re leaving your rental property? Congratulations! Whether you’re moving to a new city, buying your first home, or simply moving to a new tenancy agreement doesn’t matter. This is a highly exciting moment in your life. However, there are a number of loose ends that need to be tied up before you leave, and end of tenancy cleaning is at the top of the agenda.

If the property isn’t vacated in a suitable condition, the landlord will be in their right to withhold your deposit. This guide on effective cleaning tips can ensure that 100% of the deposit funds are returned to your account.

Tips & Tricks: What is the easiest way to clean an oven?

How do you clean an end of tenancy?

As a good tenant, you’ve employed good cleaning tips and routines to maintain a pleasant living environment throughout your tenancy. Still, you must accept that cleaning for the purpose of living standards differs from end of tenancy cleaning. In short: end of tenancy cleaning is far stricter.

Therefore, only a comprehensive end of tenancy cleaning strategy will suffice. Use the following checklist created by experts at our cleaning company in Brighton and Hove to ensure a full return of your deposit.

Kitchen Cleaning

The kitchen is usually the busiest room in the home, which makes it the obvious starting point. It is exposed to an array of chemicals, germs, and bacteria while food crumbs and moisture can cause problems too. The following steps should be taken;

• Clean all countertops and cupboard doors, including glass panels.
• Scrub the sink clean, removing limescale, and polish taps, plugs, etc.
• Use a drain unblocker if the sink drains away slower than expected.
• Clean the interior and exterior of the microwave, as well as appliance exteriors.
• Wipe down any radiators.
• Remove any food waste, including crumbs from inside food cupboards.
• Dust above the door frame and on any ledges.

Bathroom Cleaning

Bathrooms are exposed to dirt, moisture, and potential mould on a daily basis. Worse still, it’s the room where problems will be instantly noticeable, especially by a landlord. Therefore, completing the following tasks is essential for getting your deposit back;

• Remove hard water stains from all tiles, sinks, furnishings, and more.
• Deep clean the toilet with bleach – and bidet if you have one.
• Wipe all watermarks, streaks, and stains from your shower screen or curtain.
• Use a drain unblocker to ensure all basins drain off correctly.
• Wipe and polish all glass and mirrored cabinet faces.
• Clean basins and polish taps.
• Clean the extractor fan, including the blades if they are reachable.

Bedroom Cleaning

Bedrooms are another priority, not least because you spend more time in this space than any other. An accumulation of dust and general dirt is likely to be the biggest danger. However, there are several end of tenancy cleaning tips to remember;

• Wipe dust from the top of doors and door frames.
• After clearing wardrobes and drawers, be sure to remove all dirt.
• Dust off all light fittings and lampshades.
• Vacuum the mattress and ensure bed frames are cleaned/polished.
• Clean cobwebs from the corners of the room.
• Pull the bed away from the wall to clean behind this space.
• Dust the front of all wardrobes and furniture pieces.

Windows

The windows are a key feature in every room, and your landlord will notice major dirt accumulation before even entering the property. To avoid deductions, be sure to complete these steps or use a professional company;

• Clean the glass with the right window cleaning materials to avoid streaks.
• Wipe down the frames and windowsills.
• Inspect the glass for fingerprints.

This process should be completed on all windows in every room.

Walls

The walls can easily accumulate dirt and moisture during your time spent in the property. Therefore, your end of tenancy cleaning strategy must focus on making the walls stand out for the right reasons. To do this, you must;

• Wipe any tiled walls in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Wash water-resistant painted walls lightly.
• Dust wallpaper and remove grubby marks by hand where possible.

When the walls are clean and clear, it sets the right tone for your landlord.

Fridge

When the furnished property included a fridge, it is vital that you clean this too. Not least because any grime and food particles could quickly lead to bacteria growth between the time you leave and the time that a new tenant arrives. Do the following;

• Clean the exterior and move it out to clean the floors around it.
• Remove all trays, shelves, and internal containers to scrub them.
• Clean the rubber seal and polish the handles.

You should also check whether the landlord wants it turned on or off when you leave.

Skirting Boards

Any professional cleaning company in Brighton and Hove will confirm that skirting boards are often overlooked. When you give them the attention they deserve, it shows the landlord that you have paid attention to detail. As such, you must learn to;

• Dust the lip of the skirting boards in every room.
• Remove or carefully scratch off any food or dirt.
• Consider touching up any scuffs with a little paint.

Completing this simple work can go a long way to gaining a full deposit return.

Doors

Doors will set the atmosphere before the landlord has even stepped into the room. So, it makes sense to give them a deep clean as a part of your end of tenancy cleaning ritual. As well as dusting above the tops, you must;

• Polish the door handles.
• Wipe down the wood, PVC, or main door material.
• Clean any glass panels or features.

When combined with dusting underneath, you won’t go far wrong.

Hob and Oven

While the kitchen has already been mentioned, the hob and oven deserve special attention. Nobody wants a dirty cooking surface, and it’s probably one of the first items your landlord will inspect before releasing the funds. Be sure to;

• Scrub the inside, using a specialised oven cleaning kit.
• Scrub the gas knobs and rings or wipe the electrical hob surface.
• Wipe the exterior, being sure to leave any metal or glass free from streaks.

This is an area where professional cleaning companies thrive.

Curtain & Blinds

The curtains and blinds can attract dirt in any part of the home. Moreover, it’s an item that you are unlikely to pay too much attention to during your tenancy agreement. Professional cleaners do the following things, and you should too;

• Dust the individual slats of non-roller blinds.
• Vacuum the curtains with a handheld vac.
• Clean the rails, ringlets, and other features.

This step will also ensure that the cleaning of all windows and windowsills will stand out.

Carpet Cleaning

Landlords will almost certainly inspect the condition of the carpets, not least because they can be very expensive to restore or replace. When completing this procedure, you must be sure to give the entire carpet some TLC. You can do this by;

• Thoroughly cleaning the edges of the room and underneath furniture.
• Using a steam cleaning vacuum if you have access to one.
• Removing stubborn stains where possible.

Tiles and hardwood floors can be mopped while stains can be gently rubbed away.

End of tenancy cleaning is vital to get back your deposit

Understanding how to complete a thorough deep clean of your property is one thing, but you’ll probably also ask “why” it needs to happen – especially if you have been a respectful tenant throughout the term of agreement.

The short answer is quite simply that you want your full deposit back. However, for a deeper understanding, you must put yourself in the shoes of your landlord. Whether they are preparing the property for a new tenant or for a homebuyer, they need it to satisfy their client expectations. Ultimately, they have trusted you to return their asset in the way you found it, and cleanliness is a key aspect.

If the property isn’t clean, the landlord will need to spend time and money on the restoration process, which they will naturally want to charge you for. After all, even if they were an excellent landlord during your tenancy agreement, their success is determined solely by the financial outcomes.

There is a long list of additional reasons why end of tenancy cleaning should be high on the agenda, including but not limited to;

• If the landlord has to clean the property, they will be more likely to look for damage and faults that could result in even greater deductions.
• The cleanliness of the property may encourage the landlord to sign off the release of your deposit funds a little sooner.
• When you are relying on a reference from your landlord to secure your next rental property, this issue could result in a negative comment.

Aside from anything else, the ability to draw a line under this tenancy agreement will allow you to start the next chapter with a clear mind (and the extra money from gaining a full deposit return).

Consider Hiring a Professional Cleaning Company

The need to complete a comprehensive end of tenancy cleaning routine is evident, but there is a lot of work involved. Hiring a professional cleaning company in Brighton and Hove can serve a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to;

• Know that you will receive a specialised cleaning service that secures the return of your full deposit.
• Actually save money by avoiding the need to buy all of the cleaning products needed for the job.
• Allow yourself the time to focus on more important matters, such as contacting moving companies.

If you do decide to work with professional cleaners, the key is to find a local service that’s quick, affordable, efficient, and understanding of your situation as a departing tenant. High Class Cleaning is the answer for all clients in Brighton and Hove, as well as the surrounding areas.

Get in touch to learn more or arrange a consultation today.

Telephone: 01273 23 33 29
Mobile: 07411 98 98 58

info@high-classcleaning.co.uk