2015-11-30

The end-of-tenancy cleaning projects can be a particularly tricky endeavour for tenants. Landlords and estate agencies usually put in place strict policies regarding end-of-tenancy cleaning, which tenants need to follow diligently. Most property owners and letting agencies these days expect the property to be cleaned to a highly professional standard. Failure to do so may often result in tenants being financially penalised, as landlords or estate agencies may ask to be compensated for re-cleaning or any additional cleaning work that needs to be completed.

In these circumstances, tenants may be held responsible not only for any extra cleaning charges, but also for all administrative fees, which must be paid to the letting agent for their time.

Therefore, before you begin your end-of-tenancy cleaning project, it is worth thinking about the following:

• The size of the property – will you be able to tackle all areas by yourself?
• Difficult to reach places – do you have the right equipment to reach every nook and cranny?
• Cookers, ovens, and extractor fans – do you have the right cleaning products to tackle stains, burnt marks, and grease?
• Sinks, bathrooms, toilets – do you know how best to remove stains, lime scale, and water marks without damaging the enamel and stainless steel?
• Carpets – will you be able to remove stains effectively without causing damage to carpets?
• Windows – will you be able to safely reach all windows without specialist equipment?

Once you have analysed the above, you can then make a decision about how best to tackle your end-of-tenancy cleaning project. If you decide to do it yourself, it might be a good idea to do a tour around the property and make a comprehensive list of all items and surfaces that will require cleaning. By doing so, you will run a lesser risk of missing any items or surfaces, which might then be picked up by your letting agent or landlord during their property inventory check.

The next step will be to ensure that you have all the necessary cleaning equipment and materials, which are fit for purpose. This stage is indeed crucial, because if you fail to prepare adequately, you may later find yourself scrubbing stubborn limescale from the taps or shower heads, or burnt on grease from the oven to no avail. Such practice will not only be frustrating and tiresome, but potentially abrasive and damaging to the surfaces, which may in turn translate into financial losses.

If you are confident that you have all the cleaning products required and are willing to tackle all cleaning yourself without the help from a professional cleaning agency, then it is important that you plan your work efficiently to ensure you can meet not only the standards but also the deadlines set by your landlord or letting agent. Often, the scale of the project can however appear daunting, in which case, it is best to resort to arranging help from a professional cleaning company, which specialises in end-of-tenancy cleaning. This could potentially save you not only a lot of time, but also considerable amount of money.

back to Latest News