End of tenancy cleaning usually takes anywhere from a few hours for an empty studio flat to a full day or more for a family house. The biggest factors are the size of the property, how dirty the oven, bathroom and kitchen are, whether the home is empty, and how many people are cleaning. Professional teams often split the work between two or more cleaners so a larger home can be finished in a single day.
What is a rough time guide by property size?
Every home is different, so treat these as rough guides for an empty, reasonably kept property cleaned by someone who knows what they are doing:
- Studio or one-bedroom flat: most of a working day for one person, less with two.
- Two-bedroom flat or small house: a full day for one person, or around half a day for a team of two or three.
- Three or more bedrooms: usually a team working for most of a day.
If you are doing it yourself for the first time, allow more. Most people underestimate how long the oven, the grout and the inside of every cupboard take, and doing it alongside packing is tiring.
Why does an end of tenancy clean take longer than a normal clean?
A weekly clean keeps on top of the surfaces you see every day. A move-out clean is meant to bring the whole property back to the condition recorded at check-in, so it covers the places that routine cleaning skips. A typical checklist includes:
- inside the oven, grill, hob and extractor hood, including filters,
- inside the fridge, freezer, washing machine drawer and dishwasher filter,
- inside and on top of all kitchen cupboards and wardrobes,
- descaling taps, shower heads, screens, tiles and the toilet,
- skirting boards, doors, door frames, handles, light switches and sockets,
- windowsills, the inside of windows and window tracks,
- radiators, and vacuuming and mopping every floor.
Each of these jobs is small on its own, but together they add up to many hours of work.
What makes it take longer?
- A heavily used oven. Baked-on grease can easily be the single longest job in the house.
- Limescale. Hard water areas, which include much of London and Essex, leave stubborn build-up on glass, taps and tiles.
- Furniture and belongings still in place. Cleaners have to work around items, and cannot clean inside drawers or under beds that are still full.
- Carpets that need cleaning. A carpet clean adds time and the carpet then needs to dry, so plan it early in the day.
- Pets, smoking or mould. These all need extra attention to remove hair, odours and marks.
- Access problems. No parking, no working lift or the electricity being switched off will slow things down.
How should you plan the clean around your move?
- Read your check-in inventory. It shows the condition the property was in when you arrived, which is the standard you are expected to return it to.
- Move out first, clean second. An empty property is quicker to clean and nothing gets missed behind boxes.
- Book the clean for the day before or the morning of your checkout, so there is no time for new dust or muddy footprints.
- Keep the power and water on. Hot water and working sockets are needed for a proper clean.
- Leave time for a final walk-through. Open the oven, check the shower screen and look inside cupboards before you hand back the keys.
Do you have to pay for a professional clean when you leave?
In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 means a landlord or letting agent cannot make you pay for a professional clean as a condition of your tenancy. What you are required to do is return the property in the same state of cleanliness as when you moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear. You can do this yourself or hire someone.
If the property is left dirtier than it was at check-in, the landlord can claim the reasonable cost of cleaning it from your deposit. Your deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme (DPS, TDS or mydeposits), and if you disagree with a deduction, you can use the scheme's free dispute resolution service. Keeping your check-in inventory, dated photos of the finished clean and any cleaning receipt will help if there is a dispute.
Is it worth booking professional end of tenancy cleaning?
If time is short, or you would rather spend moving day on the move itself, handing the clean over can save a lot of stress. Our end of tenancy cleaning service in London and Essex is carried out by our own trained cleaners, who are insured and DBS-checked, using professional products and equipment, including a limescale remover we make ourselves. If anything is missed, we will come back and re-clean it within 72 hours. Prices start from £179, and you can check yours by clicking Get a quote and entering your postcode and email.