Do You Have To Professionally Clean At End Of Tenancy
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- 14-09-2022
Do you have to professionally clean at end of tenancy? Find out what standard of cleaning you need to achieve following a rental tenancy.
Professional Clean VS DIY
DIY cleaning job
Obviously, cleaning the property, you are renting yourself is a much cheaper option. This means that you will have a big chunk of money available that you can use for the new property move. The downside to this option is that it can be majorly time-consuming.
Giving the property the thorough and intensive clean that it requires to get it back to the standard of when you originally moved in will take many hours. The moving process is stressful enough on its own. Do you have the time to put in all the extra cleaning work as well?
Professional cleaning
When you choose a professional cleaning service, you are choosing the stress-free option. Hiring a person or a team to take care of all your cleaning work allows you to concentrate on the rest of all the moving day essentials.
You are much less likely to have money deducted from your deposit for the property's cleanliness if the property has been cleaned professionally. If you have chosen a team of experts to clean the space, they should ensure that your property is spotless.
Unfortunately, though, there are some downsides to this option. Professional cleaners can be wildly expensive, depending on which company you work with.
Unless a few household members are willing to chip in for the cost, then the price may be too high for one person to fund, especially if your funds are on the low side after paying a deposit for another property and all the other costs that come along with moving home.
Making sure that you choose the right cleaner can also be quite difficult. Just like with any service, there is always going to be a risk that you can hire a company that gives a service that is less than satisfactory.
Make sure that you are checking the inventory for the accommodation alongside the work that is being carried out so you can ensure that they match up correctly.
How to clean the property yourself
If you decide to clean the property yourself, then you will need to plan each stage of the process. Below is a step-by-step guide in order to help with the deep clean:
You should aim to have started the cleaning process at least two weeks before you are planning to move to your new home. We would recommend you start so far in advance so you can fully check your tenancy agreement to ensure you are aware of any cleanliness-related clauses, as well as study the inventory for when you first moved in.
After this, you should put together a list of everything you need to do and plan out the entirety of the cleaning process, so you know which areas of the home are critical to be cleaned.
An example of this would be a spare room. You could either get this room cleaned first and then plan not to use the room again until you move out, or plan to move items from the rest of the house into the spare room so the carpets can be cleaned everywhere else. The cleaning process itself will take different amounts of time, depending on the size of the property.
Other factors such as the property's condition and whether it is unfurnished or furnished will also affect the time taken to clean. If you are cleaning the property solo, then it will take much longer than if a few people are working altogether.
The inventory is the perfect guide for when you are starting your deep clean. Keep it with you while you are cleaning from room to room and check off each detail mentioned in the listing.
If you took pictures of the property when you moved in, then this means you have a great visual guide to how each element of the apartment looked when you first moved in. The aim of the end-of-tenancy cleaning process is to make sure the property gets back to this state, so make you are paying attention to all the small details.
Even the cleanest people who have kept their home completely spotless all the way through their tenancy will still need to vacuum the entirety of the space and ensure that they sanitise the bathroom and kitchen.
In order to do this, you will need to use effective cleaning products to make sure that the job is being done properly. This means using products such as disinfectant, window cleaning fluid, scourers, cloths, a high-quality mop, and a highly effective vacuum.
Areas of the home that are used regularly will have the highest buildup of dirt and grime. The kitchen and the bathroom should be left until the end of the cleaning process because you will be using these rooms right up until you move out of the home.
These are also areas that will require very intense cleaning, so you will need to allow yourself time to focus on these rooms. Cleaning sinks, hobs, inside the oven, and toilets, will take a lot of energy, so make sure you have the time and the tools necessary.
Major parts of the cleaning process, such as mopping, wiping, and vacuuming, will take up a lot of your attention while doing a deep clean, but you should not forget the smaller details as well. Dust gets absolutely everywhere within your home and can cause all kinds of issues when it's time to clean your home and move out. Every surface in your home gathers dust. Wardrobes, shelves, dinner tables, and more. Make sure you clean every surface possible.
You must also wash your home's doors, windows, and frames. This is another small detail that can easily be forgotten in all the madness surrounding moving home. Below is a short list of some other small details that you shouldn't forget:
Clean inside wardrobes and drawers
Wipe down sockets and light switches
Ensure there are no stains on carpets and other upholstery
Wipe down appliances
Clean your bins both inside and outside
If your tenancy inventory covers the outdoor sections of your property, make sure that you take some time to clean this area of the home up as well. Tidy up the garden by removing any animal hutches, getting rid of any belongings that might be stashed in a garage or shed, and packing away any children's toys, climbing frames, or trampolines.
In cases where the property has a lawn, then cut the grass and remove any unsightly weeds. However, be sure not to damage any existing plant life. Patio or decking needs to be washed too.
It is important that you give yourself time to do a final check of the property. Go through the property inventory one more time and ensure that every box has been ticked.
If possible, you should get a friend to look over the property and the inventory so you can see if there is something you have missed.
How much does an end-of-tenancy cleaning cost?
The cost of an end-of-tenancy cleaning service will depend on the size of the property and how deep into the cleaning the team needs to go. Even if a property has been very well maintained and left in quite a clean condition, some landlords will still pay for a deep clean of the space before new tenants are welcomed. The cost of these cleans can be claimed back by the landlord by taking money from the deposit, but this decision is down to each individual landlord.
A rough estimate as to how much an end-of-tenancy cleaning service is below:
For a three-bedroom home with a single bathroom, between £150 to £250 for a regular clean
Various companies will charge around £20 per room if you are looking for steam carpet cleaning
Oven cleaning can cost up to £50 for a full service
End-of-tenancy inspection & deposit claims
The end of tenancy inspection is the most crucial part of the process for both the landlord and the tenant. Some landlords will use their own independent inventory clerk to go through a pre and post-tenancy inspection.
This is done to remove any bias or allegations of unfairness so they can scam money out of tenants' money.
If the property has been left in a completely unacceptable state, then the landlord will claim through the deposit protection scheme that holds onto the deposit.
Landlords will commonly assess each case on its own merits, depending on the various levels of cleaning that are required to get the property ready for the next tenants.
Are you looking for end of tenancy cleaning services in Caernarfon, Anglesey and Gwynedd? For more information on how to keep your office spaces cleaned or to hire a professional service, be sure to contact our team.