11 End of Tenancy Cleaning Tips to Ensure You Don't Lose your Deposit

Before taking on your ‘End of Tenancy’ cleaning, you must know it’s to your advantage if it’s done thoroughly clean and meeting all the requirements as stipulated in your tenancy agreement. If this is done otherwise, winning back your tenancy deposit will be the most difficult thing there ever could be.

Ensure that any damage caused by you or incurred during your tenancy period is replaced. If this is left for your landlord to do and send you a bill, there are chances that the cost will be higher than you ever would expect. Give yourself enough time to do your end of tenancy cleaning before the deal time so as to ensure perfect cleaning and inspection of this property to your advantage.

Do the end of tenancy cleaning yourself

How you chose to do your end of tenancy cleaning is your decision to make. not the property owner’s. The property owner can’t force you to hire any particular ‘end of tenancy’ cleaning company to do the cleaning. The cheapest option is to do the end of tenancy cleaning yourself. This is a great way to save some moving-out expenses.

Before starting your cleaning, ensure to contact the Property Owner or the Letting Agent and ask for the final inspection checklist. To be sure you’ve done enough cleaning; your work should be based on your checklist and the check-in records.

If you must pass the final inspection, you have to clean the following items at minimum by taking these steps:

1. Visit the Kitchen

Remove everything from the cupboards and shelves. Remove all the crumbs and deposits, clean both inside and outside and wipe thoroughly clean with a dry cloth. Pull out all appliances and wash beneath and behind walls.

Ensure the appliances are thoroughly clean, both the washing machine and the dishwasher filter and the soap tray. Clean the refrigerator and leave the doors open to prevent mould while the switch is off from the main. Remove all fridge trays, racks and cabinets, make sure they are kept in the best-cleaned shape possible and this also should be repeated for similar appliances having same features.

2. The Hob and the Oven

If the oven is not cleaned always, it builds up thick deposits of grimes, household dust, grease and burnt food deposits. Nothing can be as worse as cleaning someone else oven while moving into a new apartment. This is the most difficult of the cleaning jobs that requires a lot of energy, time and harsh cleaning agents. As hard and tiring this may be, make sure it’s done to its perfect state. It is interesting to note that the oven is the first item usually checked during the inspection process.

Also, ensure the Hob is not left out. The racks, burners, baking trays, switches, handles and all other surfaces should be kept clean. Don’t start cleaning the oven at all if you are not ready to put in the extra effort to get it to the perfect state. It might end up being worse.

3. The Living Room

The major work to do in the living room is extensive dusting and vacuuming to perfection. Empty all the shelves and clean the cabinets, bookshelves, coffee table and all cupboards and TV set.

As the living room often features full bookshelves and extensive decorations, there are many awkward surfaces and items to clean. Therefore, as easy as it seems, it’s often very time-consuming.

4. Visit the Bathroom

Wipe everything in the bathroom incorporating the sink, bath, toilet, tiles, mirror and all other accessories. Check the plug holes and drains to ensure they are clear from blockages and allow easy water run-off.

Check all metallic surfaces like the faucets, shower and drain grates and make sure to remove mould, limescale and soap scum buildup. Check if the shower head has some of its holes plugged. If it’s sure the holes are plugged, you have to make sure is cleaned and it’s running properly.

5. The Windows

If you can’t reach the windows outside, make sure to clean them well from inside and call a window cleaner to help with cleaning the outside. For cleaning glass and windows, vinegar and alcohol remain the best two products to use.

Fix all cracked panes unless they appear otherwise in the check-in records. You must know that windows make the first impression on the property general hygiene and if you can make them as clean as possible, the property owner may not pay more attention to other spots.

6. The Walls

Check for scuffs marks on the walls. Wash them off if possible but if not, paint them over with an emulsion of the same colour. If the marks are too many, it’s very important to do this, else the property owner may take the decision to repaint the walls and charge you over for the decoration.

If the marks are too many, it’s very important to do this, else the property owner may take the decision to repaint the walls and charge you over for the decoration.

7. The Furniture

If you live with small children, pets or smoke cigarettes, you should vacuum your furniture and wash it using the dry wash solution. The stuffing must look unspoiled; no hair, bad odour or smells.

For the wooden upholstery, you need to look for scuff marks, scratches and dings. Rub the scuff marks and scratches with coffee grounds and almonds. If these marks or scratches are minor, these will mask the damage off.

8. The Curtains

Wash the curtains if they are washable following the washing instructions. If this is too much for you, a call to the dry cleaner should be the best. Just dust the curtains rods and all fabric blinds in the property. Dusts both sides of the venetian blind slates and repair or replace the blinds if they aren’t anymore presentable.

9. The Carpets or Rugs

If you need the carpets or rugs to look more like new ones, the best way to get this perfectly done is using a steam cleaner.

If this is not at your disposal, it doesn’t cost much to hire one. Vacuum all carpets and wipe hard with a wire brush to remove all the hair or dirt captured in the fibres.

10. The Staircases and Hallways

These are areas that face a lot of traffic and would need more serious cleaning. These areas draw a lot of attention.

11. The Garden and the Exterior

The garden shed may need cleaning and tidying up. Sweep up leaves and dirt from courtyard areas. Keep the flower bed in good order where applicable and mow the lawns.

Meeting these cleaning demands and using the check-in records as a guide will guarantee your safe deposit return and save you from a lot of issues that usually arises with the end of tenancy cleaning.

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