End of tenancy cleaning in London
Cleaned against the standard your inventory clerk actually checks — which is not the same as cleaned to a normal domestic standard, and is where most deposits get chipped away.
End of tenancy cleaning is a comprehensive clean of an empty property to the standard required by letting agents and inventory clerks, covering inside all appliances, cupboards, windows and fittings. Earnest Care prices it as a fixed sum by property size, from £000, and re-cleans free if the agent raises a cleaning issue within 72 hours.
Why deposits get reduced for cleaning
Cleaning is consistently one of the most common reasons for deposit deductions in the UK, and it is very largely avoidable. The reason is not that tenants are dirty — it is that a check-out inspection measures the property against the check-in inventory, not against whether it looks clean.
An inventory clerk opens the oven. They pull out the fridge. They look at the top of the kitchen cupboards, inside the washing machine drawer, at the window tracks and behind the toilet. Almost nobody cleans those things when moving out, because almost nobody thinks of them at the end of a stressful week.
What is included
| Area | What gets done |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Inside the oven, grill, racks and door glass; inside and behind the fridge and freezer, defrosted; washing machine drum, seal and detergent drawer; dishwasher filter; extractor and filter; inside every cupboard and drawer; tops of units; splashbacks degreased; sink and taps descaled. |
| Bathrooms | Full descale of shower, screen, tiles, taps and shower head; grout scrubbed; toilet including behind and the cistern; extractor fan; mirrors and cabinets inside and out. |
| Throughout | Inside all wardrobes, cupboards and drawers; skirting boards; door frames and tops of doors; light switches and sockets; radiators; light fittings; picture rails; cobwebs. |
| Windows | Interior glass, frames, sills and tracks - the tracks are checked far more often than people expect. |
| Floors | Vacuumed including edges and under where furniture stood; hard floors mopped; carpets vacuumed thoroughly. |
Carpet shampooing and exterior window cleaning are quoted separately. Check your tenancy agreement — some require professional carpet cleaning with a receipt, and if yours does, no amount of vacuuming will satisfy it.
Getting your deposit back: what actually helps
Find your check-in inventory before you do anything
It is the document you will be measured against. If the oven was marked as having 'light soiling' at check-in, you do not have to return it spotless - but you do need the evidence.
Book the clean for after removals, not before
The property must be empty. Cleaning around boxes guarantees missed areas, and those are exactly the ones that get photographed.
Photograph everything afterwards, with a timestamp
Every room, inside the oven, inside the fridge, the window tracks. This is your evidence if the deposit is disputed, and it settles most arguments immediately.
Keep the invoice
A professional cleaning invoice is what an adjudicator wants to see. Agents take a documented professional clean considerably more seriously than a tenant saying they cleaned thoroughly.
Report any issue to us within 72 hours
If the agent raises a cleaning point, tell us straight away and we return and put it right, free. That is the whole reason the guarantee exists.
Timing and booking
End-of-tenancy slots concentrate heavily at the end of the month and around the last weekend, because that is when tenancies end. Book as early as you can — ideally as soon as you have given notice. We keep a small amount of capacity for short-notice jobs, but at month end it goes quickly.
A typical two-bedroom flat takes five to seven hours. Allow the whole day rather than scheduling your check-out inspection two hours after we start.
Other cleaning services
Regular home cleaning
Weekly or fortnightly cleaning from the same cleaner, who learns how you like your home kept.
Learn moreDeep cleaning
The once-or-twice-a-year reset - inside the oven, behind the appliances, every skirting board.
Learn moreOffice & commercial
Offices, clinics, salons and small commercial premises, cleaned out of hours.
Learn moreHome help alongside care
Cleaning for older and disabled clients, delivered by DBS-checked staff who understand care.
Learn moreOne-off & after builders
Post-renovation, pre-move-in, before a party or after one. Booked for a single job.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
How much does end of tenancy cleaning cost in London?
Do I have to get the property professionally cleaned when I move out?
Will end of tenancy cleaning guarantee my deposit back?
Does the property need to be empty?
How long does end of tenancy cleaning take?
Let's talk about what your family needs
A short, no-pressure conversation is usually all it takes to work out the right kind of support. We will be honest with you if we are not the right fit.