An end of tenancy cleaning checklist should take you room by room through everything the check-out clerk will compare against the inventory: the oven, bathroom limescale, carpets, walls, skirting boards and windows. Return the property in the condition it was in when you moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear, and you give yourself the best chance of getting your full deposit back. This is the list we work through on move-out cleans in Cambridge and Cambourne.
End of tenancy cleaning checklist: what do agents check?
Most check-outs are done against the inventory and photos taken when you moved in. The clerk is looking for differences, not a show home. The usual sticking points are:
- Grease inside the oven, on the hob and on the extractor filter
- Limescale on taps, shower screens and around plugholes
- Marks on walls, light switches and door frames
- Dust on skirting boards, tops of doors and inside wardrobes
- Stained or gritty carpets
- Dirty window glass, sills and tracks
Read your own check-in report before you start. If it says “oven professionally cleaned”, that is the standard you will be held to at check-out.
Kitchen and oven
The kitchen is where most deductions come from. Soak the oven racks and trays, then do the oven cavity, the door glass, the hob, the splashback and the extractor hood, including the metal grease filter, which is the item people forget most. Empty and wipe every cupboard and drawer inside and out. Defrost the freezer the day before so it has time to dry, and leave the fridge door propped open once it is clean. Finish with the sink, taps and floor, including along the kickboards.
Bathroom limescale and mould
Water round here is hard, so limescale builds up quickly on taps, shower heads and glass. A descaler needs time to work: apply it, leave it, then scrub, rather than wiping it straight off. Check the base of the taps, the edges of the shower tray and under the rim of the toilet. By October condensation is starting again, so look at the silicone and window reveals for black mould and deal with it a few days before check-out, not on the morning itself.
Carpets, walls, skirting and windows
Vacuuming alone rarely shifts the grey traffic lanes in a hallway or the marks in front of the sofa. Hot water extraction lifts ground-in dirt, but carpets need several hours to dry, so have it done at least a day before you hand back the keys. On walls, test a damp cloth on a hidden spot first: scrubbing matt emulsion too hard leaves a shiny patch that looks worse than the mark you started with. Wipe skirting boards, door frames, radiators and light switches. Clean the windows inside, plus the sills and frame tracks. If the outside glass is in poor shape, our window cleaning in Cambridge can be booked for the same week.
When should you book the clean?
The clean should be the last job once the property is empty. Furniture hides dust and marks, and carrying boxes out afterwards brings dirt straight back in. A sensible order is:
- Move out all belongings and rubbish.
- Have the clean done.
- Take your own dated photos, room by room.
- Hand back the keys.
Leave a day of slack before the check-out so anything missed can be put right. If the deposit is disputed, clear photos that match the inventory are worth the ten minutes they take.
Frequently asked questions
Does an end of tenancy clean guarantee my deposit back?
No clean can promise that, because deductions can also be made for damage or missing items. What a thorough clean does is remove the most common reason for deductions.
How long does an end of tenancy clean take?
It depends on the size and condition of the property, so we confirm timings when we quote.
Should I clean the carpets myself?
You can hire a machine, but over-wetting is a common mistake. If the check-in report says the carpets were professionally cleaned, it is worth matching that.
How CamClean can help
We carry out end of tenancy cleaning across Cambridge, Cambourne and the surrounding villages, working to your inventory rather than a generic list. Our staff are vetted and insured, and we use eco-friendly products where possible. Call us on 01954 783308 or ask for a free quote.
