End of tenancy cleaning in London, for tenants moving out

Moving out of a rented home in London means doing several things in the same few days: the van, the meter readings, handing back keys, and the clean. This page is for tenants. It covers how to fit the clean into your last week, what the person doing the check-out will compare the property against, and what the law says about who does the cleaning. If you're a landlord, our landlord cleaning page is the one you want.

For the detail on deposit deductions, fair wear and tear and how a dispute is decided, read our guide to end of tenancy cleaning in Uxbridge. We haven't repeated it here.

What the check-out compares against

The person doing the check-out compares the property with how it was when you moved in. The Deposit Protection Service's guidance on fair deposit claims prefers a tenancy clause that asks you to "clean to the same standard as the property was in at the start of the tenancy", with the landlord providing evidence of that standard.

In practice that evidence is the check-in inventory and whatever photographs came with it. So before you book anything, find your copy. Read what it says about the oven, the bathroom and the carpets, and look at the photos of the kitchen cupboards and the shower. If the report describes the property as professionally cleaned at the start, that's the standard you're being held to. If it records an oven that was already marked, you aren't expected to hand back a better one.

Send us the relevant lines when you ask for a quote. Knowing what the check-in said helps us plan the time on the rooms that count.

Planning the move-out week

Work backwards from the check-out appointment. If you're on an assured periodic tenancy in England, government guidance on the Renters' Rights Act says you can end it by giving two months' notice in writing, so you'll know your last day well ahead. That's the time to book.

A workable order looks like this:

1. Arrange the check-out appointment with your agent or landlord, and ask what time they need the keys.
2. Book the removal van for a day or two before that.
3. Book the clean for after the van has gone, leaving a gap before the check-out if you can.
4. Walk round once the clean is done, take your own dated photos of each room from the angles used in the check-in report, and read the meters.
5. Hand back every key, including fobs and the spare you forgot you had.

We work from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, so an early start before a lunchtime handover, or a Sunday clean before a Monday check-out, is possible when a team is free. Booking as soon as you have your dates gives you the best chance of the slot you want.

Once you and your landlord agree how much of the deposit comes back, the landlord has 10 days to return it. That clock starts at agreement, which is another reason to have your photos and the check-in report ready for the conversation.

Why the property has to be empty

An end of tenancy clean goes inside things: kitchen cupboards, wardrobes, drawers, the fridge. None of that can be done while your belongings are still in them. The same goes for the floor under a bed or the wall behind a sofa you own. If those areas aren't reached, they're still on the check-out list.

So the clean works best on the day after the van rather than the same morning. If your furniture can't go until the last minute, tell us when you book and we'll talk through what can be done around it. Anything that belongs to the landlord and stays in the property is fine; just list it in your quote request.

You can pack your own cleaning products with everything else. The team arrives with professional-grade products and equipment. If you have a sensitivity, or you'd like particular products used or avoided, let us know in advance.

You don't have to book a professional clean

Government guidance on the Tenant Fees Act 2019 says your landlord is not allowed to make you start a contract for a service as part of your tenancy. The Deposit Protection Service is more direct about cleaning: landlords can't insist a tenant hires professional cleaners, because the tenant may be perfectly able to reach the standard themselves.

Booking a clean is a choice about your time in a week that's already full. If you do the work yourself, use the check-in report as your list and photograph the result.

If you'd rather hand it over, our cleaners are trained, DBS checked and insured, and every property gets its own checklist, so the cupboards, the oven and the skirting are on paper before anyone starts.

Chloe Higgs booked an end of tenancy clean with us:

“Booked an end of tenancy clean and couldn’t be happier. The property looked brand new and I got my full deposit back. Excellent work!”

What to send when you ask for a quote

Use the form at /contact and include the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, your postcode, the date the van leaves and the check-out date. Say whether anything will still be in the property, and whether you'd like carpet and rug cleaning added. We'll come back with a written price for the job. Get a free quote.