There is nothing quite as stressful as going through end-of-tenancy cleaning. Luckily, we are here with the ultimate guide of tips and tricks to help make your move easier!
When it comes to going about your end-of-tenancy cleaning, make sure you refer back to your tenancy agreement to find out the exact condition you should leave your tenancy in when moving out.
Generally speaking, you will need to clean almost everything, but your tenancy agreement will be most helpful in providing exact details about how to go about preparing the space for the new tenant – and ensuring you keep your deposit!
Normally, you should repair any damages incurred during your tenancy before you move out. The space should also look as it did when you moved in, minus some “fair wear and tear” wiggle room.
You can try to fix everything yourself, find an affordable and reliable professional cleaning company, or make arrangements with your landlord to have them send someone over to help.
If you fail to do so, your landlord will be responsible for fixing or replacing the damages they find and will then deduct the amount it cost to repair the damage from your deposit. In some cases, they may even send you a bill after you move out.
Sadly, you could end up spending even more money than it would cost for you to fix or repair any damages yourself.
As a rule of thumb, you should always leave a place better than you found it. Excel on your end of tenancy cleaning and you will ensure that you get your deposit back and leave on good terms with the landlord.
How they view your efforts will all depend on how well you do in the final inspection of your tenancy. To increase your chances of passing with a perfect score and getting your deposit back, you should check for any signs of damage in your residence and aim to get your end of tenancy cleaning done early.
If you do not want to do it yourself, you could always use a professional end of tenancy cleaning service. However, if you want to go it alone, we have created this guide to help you tackle the cleaning yourself.
Before you begin, try cross-referencing your check-in record and your inspection checklist to see what you need to replace, repair, or clean in greater detail. Then, follow the guide below to ensure your end of tenancy cleaning goes off without a hitch.
The best way to start your end of tenancy cleaning in your kitchen is with your worktops, shelves, and cupboards. Start by removing everything including your dishes, cookware, and appliances. With a damp cloth, wipe off all the shelves and worktops and wipe out all the cupboards to make sure you remove any possible stains or crumbs.
Be sure to wipe all your small appliances as well and clean behind and underneath them too. Next, you should focus on the major appliances in your kitchen. Although we regularly use our fridge, oven, washing machine, and dishwasher, how often do we clean them?
The cleanliness of these appliances could make or break your chance of getting your deposit back so be sure to clean them properly before you move out. To clean your fridge, you need to remove everything inside, including any shelves, racks, or trays. Wipe the fridge out with a damp cloth to remove any stains or stickiness.
Wash and, if needed, soak the shelves, racks, and trays that you removed from inside the fridge. Make sure you dry them off well before putting them back inside. Before you leave the property, be sure to turn the fridge off and leave the doors open to prevent mould.
Cleaning your oven is the hardest and probably the most crucial part of conducting an end of tenancy cleaning as it is usually the first place landlord’s look when inspecting the property after you move out. If you want your deposit back, it is probably best that you hire a professional cleaning service to handle your oven cleaning for you.
It may not save you as much money, but it is worth saving your time and energy. To clean the washing machine and dishwasher, run empty loads with vinegar or baking soda and hot water to remove any gross build-up you may have left behind.
Similar to how you started in the kitchen, remove everything from the cupboards, shelves, cabinets, TV stand, or coffee table inyour living room. Then dust every surface carefully and if needed, use a damp cloth to remove any stains, before polishing every surface until it shines like new.
Then thoroughly sweep and vacuum the floors of your living room. If you have carpet in your living room and notice any stains after you vacuum, you can try treating them with carpet cleaner or try renting an industrial vacuum cleaner. If the carpet stains are too far gone, you can also hire professional carpet cleaning companies that have the equipment and experience to get rid of stubborn stains.
Remove everything sitting in your shower as well as on any worktops, shelves, cabinets, and cupboards in your bathroom. Sanitise and wipe everything off to remove any possible dust, dirt, or stains, including your surfaces, shelves, cabinets, cupboards, mirrors, toilet, sink, shower, and floor.
Check to make sure that water flows easily from your sink taps and shower heads, and that it runs clear. If any of the drains in your bathroom seem to be draining slowly, be sure to use a drain cleaner tor emove any possible clogs. You should also check for mould and limescale on the drain grates, taps, shower head, or any other metallic surface in yourbathroom.
If you see any signs of mould or limescale, spray the proper cleaning solution on the area and let it sit for a while before wiping it away. If you have limescale and the cleaning solution does not work, you can try using fresh lemon juice and vinegar to tackle the issue.
There are a few other key areas that you may not consider important when conducting your end of tenancy cleaning, but they could make all the difference in whether you pass inspection and get your deposit back or not.
For example, soft surfaces such as furniture should be just as clean as the hard surfaces in your residence.
Upholstery cleaning can be challenging but to remove any odours, stains, or hair on your furniture, try to vacuum and wash it with a dry wash solution. Curtains should also be thoroughly cleaned. Make sure to dust the curtain rods and wash the curtains, either in your washing machine or at the dry cleaners if that is what is indicated on its labels. If your residence has blinds, you should carefully dust or wipe off both sides of the slats.
You can also try using a fabric roller if you like, just be sure to clean the blinds in the residence properly. You should also make sure that you replace or repair any broken blinds before you move out, so you do not get charged for them later. While you are at it, the inside and outside of all the windows should also be cleaned. Be sure to wipe off any dust on the windowsill and frame and clean the windows without leaving any streaks behind.
Some windows may be unreachable, in which case you may have to contact a professional window cleaner for their help. Normally, inside of windows is the tenant’s responsibility whereas outside of windows is the responsibility of the landlord.
One area you may also forget about cleaning is the walls. When you are checking the property for damage, you should look for skirting boards and scuff marks on the wall and try to wash them off. If you nailed anything into the wall, you should use plaster to fill in the holes you made.
Both of these steps will make it easier to put a fresh new coat of paint on the wall. Whether you will be responsible for repainting or that is something that your landlord will arrange after you moveout will depend on your tenancy agreement, so be sure to consult it before going forward with the process.
Of course, your walls are not the only areas that may be overlooked. Some of the main areas in your house that get the most foot traffic are the hallways and staircases. Before you move out, be sure to sweep and vacuum them thoroughly.
If you need an even more detailed checklist to follow, we have created an end of tenancy cleaning checklist for this very purpose – contact us for details. This is similar to what a tenancy cleaning company will follow so tackle each item one-by-one and you will be well on your way to a happy landlord and the return of your deposit.
As you can probably tell, tenancy cleaning is a lot of work. Regular cleaning and upkeep during your rental will make the final clean that much easier.
But even tenants who take cleanliness seriously will find that a deep clean is necessary to return the rental to tip-top condition.
If you aren’t up for the task, want to guarantee a happy landlord and the return of your deposit, or just want to focus on your move rather than the hassle associated with a big clean – you should give us a call.
At Tidy Green Clean we provide end-of-tenancy cleaning services– helping landlords and tenants end their arrangements on good terms and in good moods! Carpeting cleaning, deep cleaning, steam cleaning, upholstery cleaning – you name it, we have the cleaning team and the cleaning equipment to make the rental space look new again.
Whether using tenancy cleaners or this ultimate guide and our checklist, we hope that you leave your landlord impressed, get that deposit back, and enjoy a successful move to your next residence.
