End of tenancy cleaning checklist: room by room, matched to the check-out inventory.

An end of tenancy cleaning checklist should follow the same rooms, in the same order, as your check-in inventory: kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, hallways and any outside space that was listed. The standard to aim for is the condition recorded at check-in, allowing for fair wear and tear, not better than new. This guide gives a room-by-room checklist for UK rentals, explains when a landlord can and cannot charge for cleaning in England, and lists the evidence that protects your deposit.

Before you start: work from the check-in inventory

The person doing the check-out will compare the property with the check-in report, room by room. Get a copy before you clean.

• Find the signed check-in inventory and any photos from moving-in day.
• Note what was already marked, worn or broken, so you do not spend hours on something recorded at the start.
• Look for how each area was described: an oven noted as "clean" sets a different bar from one noted as "used".
• Ask the agent whether they use a check-out checklist. You can use it as a guide without agreeing to buy a particular cleaning service.
• Remove your belongings and rubbish first. Cleaning around boxes takes longer and misses things.

End of tenancy cleaning checklist (UK), room by room

Kitchen

The kitchen is usually checked hardest, and built-up grease is slow to shift, so start here.

• Oven inside and out: racks, trays, glass door, seals and the grill.
• Hob, extractor hood and its filter.
• Fridge and freezer: empty, defrost the freezer in advance, wipe shelves, drawers and seals.
• Cupboards and drawers inside and out, including tops of wall units.
• Worktops, splashbacks, tiles and grout.
• Sink, taps and plughole: descale and polish.
• Washing machine drawer and door seal, dishwasher filter, microwave inside.
• Bin emptied and washed, floor mopped including edges and under the kickboards you can reach.

Bathrooms and WCs

• Bath or shower tray, screen or curtain: limescale and soap residue removed.
• Toilet inside and out, including the base and behind the seat hinges.
• Basin, taps, plugholes and overflow.
• Tiles, accessible grout and silicone.
• Mirrors, cabinets, shelves, towel rail and extractor fan cover.
• Floor, including behind the toilet and around the bath panel.

Bedrooms

• Inside wardrobes, drawers and any built-in storage.
• Skirting boards, door frames, doors and handles.
• Light switches, sockets and light fittings you can safely reach.
• Windowsills, interior glass and frames.
• Under and behind where the bed and furniture stood.
• Carpets vacuumed edge to edge, hard floors mopped.

Living room and dining area

• Dust every surface, shelf and radiator.
• Wipe skirting, doors, switches and sockets.
• Clean any furniture listed on the inventory, inside and out.
• Interior windows, sills and frames.
• Vacuum under sofas and cushions if the furniture stays.

Hallways, stairs and landings

• Banisters and handrails.
• Skirting, doors, door frames and the front door's inside face.
• Coat hooks, meter cupboard and any under-stairs storage you used.
• Floors and stairs vacuumed or mopped.

Outside, if it is on the inventory

• Balcony swept and any listed furniture wiped.
• Garden left as recorded at check-in, with rubbish removed.
• Bins emptied and your bags taken away.

Check-out day: the last hour

• Walk every room with the inventory in hand, in the same order the clerk will.
• Photograph each room from the same angles as at check-in, plus inside the oven, fridge, freezer and wardrobes.
• Take meter readings and photograph the meters.
• Return every key and get a record of when and to whom.
• If you can, be there for the inspection.

Can a landlord charge for cleaning?

This is the question most tenants are really asking. The short answer for England: a landlord cannot make you pay for a cleaning service, but they can ask to deduct a reasonable amount from your deposit if you leave the property less clean than it was at check-in, beyond fair wear and tear. This is general information for England, not legal advice.

What a landlord cannot do

Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords and agents can only charge the payments on the government's permitted list, such as rent, a refundable deposit and a refundable holding deposit (GOV.UK: Tenant Fees Act 2019 guidance for tenants). Government guidance for landlords says you cannot charge a tenant any payment that is not on that list, and that it is also a prohibited payment to require a tenant to take out a loan, pay for insurance or start a contract for a service (GOV.UK: fees you can charge as part of a tenancy). So a clause or demand that you must book and pay a professional cleaning company is not something a landlord can enforce as a fee. Shelter also says renters do not have to pay for professional cleaning, although some choose to so as to avoid disputes (Shelter England).

What a landlord can do

Your deposit is your money, but a landlord can propose deductions. Shelter says deductions must be reasonable and relate to money the landlord has lost, that you should return the property in a similar state to when you moved in, and that you do not have to improve it. A landlord cannot keep any of your deposit for fair wear and tear, meaning changes caused by normal everyday living, such as small scuffs on walls, faded curtains or worn carpets. Deposit schemes take into account who lived in the property and for how long.

How deposit protection works

Since 1 May 2026, assured periodic tenancies have replaced assured shorthold tenancies, and your landlord must still protect your deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it. At the end of the tenancy, the landlord must return the deposit within 10 days of you both agreeing how much you will get back (GOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection).

If you cannot agree on a cleaning deduction, each scheme offers a free dispute resolution service. Both you and the landlord have to agree to use it, both of you will be asked for evidence, and the decision is final. There may be a time limit for raising a dispute, so contact the scheme promptly (GOV.UK: deposit disputes and problems). For what the Renters' Rights Act 2025 did and did not change for cleaning, see our Renters' Rights Act and end of tenancy cleaning guide.

Evidence that protects your deposit

• The signed check-in inventory and check-in photos.
• Dated before-and-after photos of every room and appliance interior, with the original files kept.
• An itemised invoice if you paid for a clean.
• Your key-return record and the check-out report.
• Emails about specific areas, and a written response to any proposed deduction that asks which check-in and check-out evidence supports it and how the amount was worked out.

How long it takes and what it costs with Hausio

Hausio end of tenancy cleaning in London is £32 per hour per cleaner, with a 5-hour minimum per cleaner, so the minimum booking is £160. Condition matters more than floor area: built-up oven grease, bathroom limescale and full cupboards add time. Two cleaners shorten the time on site, but billing is by total cleaner-hours: two cleaners each book at least 5 hours, so a two-cleaner visit starts at 10 cleaner-hours, £320.

The Hausio end of tenancy checklist follows the rooms a check-out report goes through, including the oven, hob and extractor and the fridge and freezer interiors. Balconies, exterior windows, carpet extraction, upholstery and specialist stain treatment are agreed separately where needed. Hausio cleaning products are £15 per visit, or you can supply your own, and a same-day booking is +£15 where available. If your landlord or agent flags a cleaning issue within 72 hours of completion, Hausio returns free of charge to fix it. More detail on hours and pricing is in our end of tenancy cleaning cost guide.

FAQ

What should an end of tenancy cleaning checklist include?

Every room on your check-in inventory, in the same order: the kitchen including oven, hob, extractor, fridge and freezer; bathrooms including limescale, grout and fittings; bedrooms and living areas including wardrobes, skirting, switches and interior windows; hallways and stairs; and any balcony or garden that was listed.

Can a landlord charge for cleaning?

In England a landlord cannot charge you a fee for a cleaning service or require you to take out a contract for one. They can propose a reasonable deduction from your deposit if the property is less clean than at check-in, beyond fair wear and tear, and you can challenge it through the deposit scheme.

Do I have to hire a professional cleaner when I move out?

No. You need to return the property to the standard recorded at check-in, allowing for fair wear and tear. Some tenants book a professional clean to reduce the risk of a dispute, but it is a choice, not a fee the landlord can demand.

What counts as fair wear and tear?

Changes caused by normal everyday living, such as small scuffs on walls, faded curtains or furniture, and worn flooring or frayed carpets. A family leaving after several years is allowed more wear and tear than a single person leaving after a few months.

What if I disagree with a cleaning deduction?

Ask the landlord or agent which check-in and check-out evidence supports the deduction and how it was calculated. If you still cannot agree, use the free dispute resolution service of the scheme protecting your deposit; both sides must agree to use it, and its decision is final.

How much does end of tenancy cleaning cost in London?

Hausio charges £32 per hour per cleaner with a 5-hour minimum, £160. Typical totals are £180–£240 for a studio, £220–£300 for a 1-bed, £280–£380 for a 2-bed, £400–£520 for a 3-bed and £550–£620 for a 4-bed house.

For the service itself, see end of tenancy cleaning in London. To book, use the online estimator or call +44 7304 330614.