What is End of Tenancy Cleaning?

Ever wondered what end of tenancy cleaning is? Well, you’re in the right place. End of tenancy cleaning helps with the stresses of moving out of a rented property and can be a really valuable tool when used by tenants.

This cleaning service can also be used by landlords, of course. If you’ve ever been hit with a hefty cleaning bill after moving out of a rented property, this was likely due to the landlord hiring an end of tenancy cleaning team to come in and clean the property after you handed back the keys.

But what is involved in an end of tenancy clean? What on earth is an end of tenancy cleaning checklist? And just who can do an end of tenancy clean? We have answers to all these cleaning questions and more below.

What is end of tenancy cleaning?

An end of tenancy clean is a total clean of a rented property. It can either be done by the tenant or the landlord. It is designed to ensure the property is ready for the next tenants to move in straight away. This means an end of tenancy clean is much more involved than your typical cleaning session.

An end of tenancy clean usually involves a team of cleaners. They will clean the entire property from top to bottom and get into every area of the property, including commonly missed places. So, wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, behind the toilets, skirting boards, built-in shelves, and everything else is cleaned and ready for the new tenants.

There are many additional cleaning services that you can add to an end of tenancy clean to ensure your rented property looks perfect when you hand your keys back. These include carpet shampooing services, upholstery cleaning services and external window cleaning services, for example.

When you book in for an end of tenancy clean, it is important you understand which cleaning services are offered in the basic version of the end of tenancy clean from your chosen cleaning company and which additional cleaning services they provide. Adding these additions to your end of tenancy clean ensures you get the clean you need.

What is an end of tenancy cleaning checklist?

When you hand your keys back to your landlord, they will go through the property with an extremely fine tooth comb to ensure everything is in order. Your landlord will look for any damage that wasn’t present before and also for any areas that haven’t been cleaned properly.

Many landlords and estate agents use a cleaning checklist to help determine the condition of the property. They go from room to room, ticking off each area as they go and noting any areas of concern. They will then relay this information back to the tenant and inform them of any additional cleaning work that is needed.

Well, the best end of tenancy cleaning companies also use these cleaning checklists. Once the cleaners have completed the job, a supervisor will use the checklist to check every area of the property. If the supervisor notices anything the cleaners have missed, the cleaners go back in and put it right.

We’d always recommend using a cleaning company that uses a checklist. It makes a huge difference to the quality of cleaning you receive and ensures that your landlord won’t find anything at all.

Who can do end of tenancy cleaning?

Anyone can do an end of tenancy clean. In fact, the cleaning checklists that we mentioned above are widely available online if you’d like to take a look. So, you could do your end of tenancy clean yourself. You could hire any cleaning equipment you need and get to work.

However, end of tenancy cleans are really hard work. They are one of the most detailed cleaning sessions you will ever do. Plus, if you’re moving, you are probably already stressed enough without adding a highly detailed cleaning day to your to-do list.

A lot of cleaning companies do provide an end of tenancy cleaning service of some kind, but you want to find one that has plenty of experience. Look for cleaning companies that use the checklist, can provide all the additional services you require, and a cleaning company that offers a guarantee for the cleaning work. This ensures that if your landlord isn’t happy with the result, the cleaning company will come in and put it right.

Should I hire a professional for end of tenancy cleaning?

I can say from experience that hiring a professional cleaning team to do your end of tenancy clean is worth while. My partner and I tried to do our end of tenancy clean when we moved out. We managed about an hour of cleaning and barely made a dent in what was required. Cleaning to these really high standards is really stressful for mere mortals like us. So, if you can, always hire a professional end of tenancy cleaning company to do the work for you.