Three Essential Points to Remember With End of Tenancy Cleaning
Although cleaning the property at the end of a tenancy is simple in theory, there is more to it in practice!
Not only do you have to carefully ensure that the quality of the cleaning meets the landlord’s expectations and obligations under any leases or inventory, but you also need to know where this responsibility ends.
After all, some things may need to be included but others excluded, which can easily be missed and cause problems afterwards.
Therefore, here are three main issues to consider for a satisfactory end-of-tenancy clean.
1. The Right Areas Are Left Empty
These include storage cupboards and shelves, particularly in kitchen utility areas, to ensure any rubbish is removed and that any hidden grime and dust is cleaned. You may also need to ensure that certain items are kept, such as cutlery and kitchenware.
There are also other hidden areas, such as cupboards under stairs, a basement or cellar, or even a loft area within a roof if access has been allowed.
The other critical areas to ensure are correctly addressed are any electronic goods in the kitchen, namely the fridge and freezers. Not only will these need to be removed of any old food and items and then thoroughly cleaned, but they also need to be turned off and defrosted beforehand.
This is important before the end-of-tenancy clean happens to ensure they’re ready for a final spruce-up without having to wade through areas of frost.
2. Hidden and Forgotten Areas.
These typically include the exterior of the property, such as balconies, garages, and garden or yard areas. Although they won’t need the same level of cleanliness as inside the house or flat, they will still need a basic clean and spruce up.
However, some areas may not do so, and therefore, explicitly agreeing with the landlord or letting agent is key to this.
Additionally, there may be other overlooked areas, such as the actual walls in each room.
Usually, these should allow for some fair wear and tear, as well as usual scuff marks. However, in other cases, they may require a more detailed wipe and dust, particularly over areas such as dado rails and picture rails.
3. Carrying Out the Extra Cleaning on Specific Areas
So, the third thing to consider with an end-of-tenancy clean is that it only goes so far before needing to bring in a more thorough, specialised clean of specific areas.
There are three, in particular, to be aware of.
Firstly, window cleaning. A proper window cleaner may be required, particularly for higher-level windows that require ladders and cleaning from the outside, using a pole.
Secondly, an oven typically gets full of dirt and grime that sticks inside and needs a specific form of cleaning to get it spick and span. This will include any grills, trays, and other items.
Thirdly, carpets may require a specialised carpet clean with a professional carpet cleaning machine. Often, this is one of the last jobs to do when everything else is clear, and it helps give the final lift to the floor covering.
3 Ways to Go the Extra Mile With End-of-Tenancy Cleaning
Going through the above three points will help ensure that any end-of-tenancy clean is done accurately to the satisfaction of both the landlord and the tenant at the property.
It means carefully looking at hidden areas in cupboards and ensuring electrical goods are properly defrosted and cleaned. Secondly, those extra hidden areas are often outside the property to be aware of.
And thirdly, know when you need to go into a much more detailed cleaning, for example, window cleaning, oven cleaning, and carpet cleaning.
