How much is an end of tenancy clean?

When you’re coming to the end of a tenancy there can seem like an endless list of things to organise. From returning your keys to boxing everything up, your to-do list can fill up really quickly. One thing you certainly don’t want to miss off your list is organising your end of tenancy clean.

No matter how careful you were with your rental there are bound to be things that need a spruce up. To make sure you get as much of your deposit back as possible you’ll want the place to be in the same condition as when you moved in - and that often means getting the professionals in. If you’re thinking about end of tenancy cleaning prices and how much it’s all going to cost, you’re in the right place - we’re breaking it all down in this blog!

Why do you need an end of tenancy clean?

So here’s a common question: you’ve got a mop and a vacuum cleaner, can you just give the place a clean yourself? While you absolutely can try to get your home as spotless as possible yourself, if you miss anything you run the risk of losing some of your deposit.

Remember, the general guide before you return a property is it needs to be in the same condition as when you moved in. So that grease stain that’s not budging from your carpet? That needs to go - and you simply might not have all the equipment to do it. So at the end of the day, it’s probably a good shout to get a professional to do the job.

Doing some of the end of tenancy cleaning yourself is a good way to try and cut the cost from your professional cleaner down, though. If all the normal places you clean are pristine, it’ll take them less time to go through the whole place and you’ll likely get a smaller bill.

What’s included in an end of tenancy clean?

An end of tenancy clean is a lot more thorough than your average spring cleaning. It needs to get the place ready for someone else to live in and meet your landlord’s standards. So have a think, have you cleaned your carpets since your moved in? What about the extract fan in the kitchen? These are the kinds of things your end of tenancy cleaners might cover.

On top of all the usual things that might come to mind when you’re cleaning your house, here are some of the things your end of tenancy cleaning might include:

Defrosting and cleaning your fridge and freezer
Your oven, hob, and extract fan
Your cabinets, cupboards, and drawers
Your walls and windows, including checking for and removing damp and mould
Your bathrooms, including descaling and cleaning the grout

Sometimes for things that require more time or specialist pieces of equipment you might have to pay your cleaner an additional fee. This is for things like furniture upholstery, curtains, or carpets. Because of this, it’s a good idea to check with your landlord and in your inventory exactly what is expected from the clean before you make any agreements with your end of tenancy cleaner.

How much does an end of tenancy clean cost?

So now for the big question: what are the end of tenancy cleaning costs you can expect? As with lots of these topics, it’s hard to give you an answer that’s going to work for everyone. Your price is going to depend on factors like where you live, how big your home is, how clean it is already, and whether you go for an independent cleaner or a larger cleaning service.

So, as you might expect, end of tenancy cleaning London prices are going to be more expensive than the end of tenancy cleaning prices in the midlands or further north. And, if you’ve got more bedrooms and bathrooms in your place, it’ll take your cleaner longer to get through, so you’ll see higher prices too.

That means even if you’re living in a one-bed flat with a separate bathroom, you’ll probably be paying more than someone living in a studio. The average price in the UK for a studio is around £100, whereas it’s closer to £150 for a one-bed.

A few final tips…

When you’re looking for a cleaner for your end of tenancy cleaning you might find that your landlord or letting agent has a recommended one, and they could even be offering to organise it for you after you move out.

While that can be a pretty convenient option, there are still some pros and cons. You’re more likely to get more of your deposit back if the clean has your landlord’s seal of approval, but on the other hand, they may not be the cheapest option out there. It’s always a good idea to shop around for end of tenancy cleaners if you can, and ask them to give you a quote based on your rental property.

For more of our tips on end of tenancy cleanings, check out: ‘End of tenancy cleaning tips: a checklist to a spotless house’.

Are you also thinking about all the repairs you need to do before moving out? Why not read ’UK tenants’ rights on repairs - things you should know while renting’ for some top tips!

For some more handy tips to help you around your house, we’ve got great blogs on ‘What is a stopcock and how to find it’, ‘How to take a smart meter reading’, and ‘How to Bleed Your Radiator: 7 Simple Steps’!

Urban Jungle is not a financial advisor and information in this article should not be taken as advice or recommendation.