End of tenancy cleaning: the checklist your letting agent uses

An end of tenancy clean is judged against the inventory taken when you moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear. The agent is not looking for a home that smells nice; they are looking for the same state as the check-in report, and they look in the places nobody cleans week to week.

If you have the check-in inventory, send it to the cleaner. It is the single most useful thing you can give them.

The room that fails most checkouts.

• Oven inside and out, including racks, trays and the glass door
• Hob, extractor hood and the filters
• Inside the fridge and freezer, defrosted and dry
• Inside every cupboard and drawer, emptied and wiped
• Washing machine drawer and seal, dishwasher filter
• Tiles, splashback and the tops of cupboards

Limescale is what the agent runs a finger over.

• Taps, shower head and screen descaled
• Grout and sealant cleaned, mould treated
• Toilet inside, outside and behind
• Extractor fan cover, mirror, light fittings

• Skirting boards, door frames, door tops and light switches
• Windows inside, sills and tracks
• Radiators, behind and underneath
• Carpets vacuumed edge to edge; steam cleaned if the inventory says they were
• Marks on walls (gentle; do not take the paint off)
• Blinds and curtain rails
• Inside wardrobes and built-in storage
• Bins emptied and washed

Book the clean for after the removal van has gone, not before, and leave at least half a day before the checkout. Tell the cleaner it is an end of tenancy so they price it as one; it is a different job from a regular clean. Ask whether they will return for anything the agent flags, and agree that up front. Most will, for a fee or for nothing, if asked in advance.