What Should I Do Before I Move Out of My Rented Accommodation?

Once the tenancy contract ends you should ensure that you have given the property a thorough deep clean before you hand over the keys back to the landlord. Most tenants pay a deposit if which is returned to the occupant once the tenancy ends, provided that the home is kept in reasonable condition and cleanliness pays a huge part of it. Apart from general wear and tear (which cannot be fixed by cleaning and is not the tenants responsibility), everything else should be cleaned to an acceptable appearance so that landlords cannot withhold your deposit to pay for cleaning services.

How can I be sure I have done a good enough job?

If in doubt you should always ask the landlord because it’s impossible to know their expectations as one landlord will differ to the next, some will be more lenient than others and vice versa. You could refer to the tenancy agreement to see if you have complied with what is asked of you and that way you have something to confer back to, should any problems arise. Remember that is only your responsibility to take care of damages which occurred as fault of your own and to make sure that the home is nice and clean when you leave, do not be roped into doing more than you should do.

Do tenancy agreements and requirements differ?

Although many tenancy agreements are pretty much the same, there will be some variation with regards to the requirements because not all rental accommodation is the same. For instance a fully furnished or part furnished property may ask for carpets and upholstery cleaning, if needed whereas non furnished properties cannot ask for that.

Private rentals tend to be more specific with requirements whereas councils and housing associations may be more lenient.

Deep Cleaning can be such a chore though, where do I begin?

Well depending on how clean you generally are in day to day life will depend on how big a task this will be for you now. If for instance you clean all the time and stay on top of household duties it shouldn’t be a difficult job for you to manage at the end of the tenancy whereas if you have failed to keep the property looking its best, it may take a huge job to get the property looking as it did when you first moved in.

If you feel that it is going to be quite a big job and that you don’t have much time on your hands to do what is required then it may benefit you to hire in cleaning agents to give the home a deep thorough clean instead. It’s better to arrange for them to come once all of your possessions are removed from the home so that they can do a better job without things getting in the way.

Depending on the type of home you have does make a difference too because new builds tend to look great due to being new whereas older buildings can start to look shoddy if never cleaned at all.


Follow this simple guide to help you if you are going to attempt an end of tenancy deep clean:

•    Pay more attention to kitchens and bathrooms these rooms tend to get the most grubbiest, with build of grease, grime, residue and lime scale but a good clean can make them sparkle again.

•    Clean out the oven if its part of the rental as all landlords will check the oven and make judgment from it.

•    Soapy water and a sponge goes a long way, ensure you wipe of skirting boards and door frames to get rid of unsightly marks and finger prints.

•    Steam clean carpets and upholstery for fast effective cleaning that dries out in no time.