End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist: Room by Room

Clean room by room, top to bottom, and spend most time on the oven, bathroom, fridge, windows and floors. Then compare each room with the report before you hand back the keys.

Status, checked 29 October 2026: the Tenant Fees Act 2019 still applies to tenancies in England · since 1 May 2026, most private assured shorthold tenancies have become assured periodic tenancies (Renters' Rights Act 2025) · deposits are still protected by the DPS, mydeposits or TDS.

This guide is for homes rented in England, including Manchester. It is general information, not legal advice. Your tenancy agreement and check-in report set the exact standard for your home.

Work through the home in the order below. Start high (light fittings, tops of cupboards) and finish with the floors, so dust does not fall on clean surfaces.

Want an end of tenancy cleaning checklist PDF? Print this page, or save it as a PDF from your browser, and tick items off as you go.

What You Need

• Vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool
• Microfibre cloths, sponges and a non-scratch scourer
• Bucket and rubber gloves
• Kitchen degreaser, oven cleaner and limescale remover (follow each label)
• Glass cleaner
• Step stool for high spots
• Bin bags

Before You Start

• Find your check-in report (also called the inventory) and read it room by room
• Note anything the report says was "professionally cleaned"
• Take out every item that belongs to you, including things in the loft, shed or under the stairs
• Take your own dated photos of each room once it is finished

Kitchen

• Oven: inside, racks, trays, grill pan and the door glass
• Hob, extractor hood and its filter
• Fridge and freezer: empty, defrost the freezer, wipe shelves and seals, leave the doors open if switched off
• Inside and outside every cupboard and drawer
• Worktops, splashback tiles and grout
• Sink, taps and plughole (remove limescale with a product made for it, following its label)
• Washing machine drawer and door seal, dishwasher filter, microwave inside and out
• Bin emptied and washed
• Floor, including under and behind appliances you can move safely

Bathroom

• Bath, shower tray, basin and toilet (including under the rim and the base)
• Shower screen, curtain and head: remove limescale and soap marks
• Tiles and grout
• Taps, mirrors and cabinets
• Extractor fan cover
• Floor and behind the toilet

Bedrooms and Living Room

• Light fittings and lampshades
• Tops of wardrobes, inside wardrobes and drawers
• Skirting boards, door frames, switches and sockets
• Radiators and the gaps behind them
• Window sills, frames and the inside of the glass; blinds and curtain rails
• Marks on walls (test any cleaner on a hidden patch first)
• Every carpet vacuumed edge to edge, including under furniture you move

Hallway, Stairs and Landing

• Front door, letterbox and door handles
• Banister and spindles
• Stair carpet, including the risers and the edges of each step
• Meter cupboard and under-stairs cupboard
• Hall and landing carpets vacuumed, with any spots treated

Carpets in Every Room

• Vacuum slowly, in two directions, to lift trodden-in grit
• Spot-treat marks, testing on a hidden area first
• Check for smells, especially where pets lived or someone smoked indoors
• If the check-in report says the carpets were professionally cleaned, plan to bring them back to that standard

Our guide to common carpet stains covers home methods for marks like tea, wine and mud.

Outside Areas (If Your Tenancy Includes Them)

Check your tenancy agreement for what you are responsible for outside. Then:

• Sweep the balcony or patio and clear any pots or furniture that are yours
• Leave the garden in the state the agreement asks for
• Empty the bins and leave the bin store clear
• Clear your things from any garage or shed

Handover Day

• Bins emptied and rubbish taken away
• Final meter readings and photos
• Keys returned the way your landlord or agent asked
• Walk round with the check-in report one last time

The legal position in England (checked 29 October 2026):

• The law: a landlord must not require a tenant to sign a contract with a third party for a service. This is section 1(3) of the Tenant Fees Act 2019, for homes in England.
• What DPS says: landlords cannot insist tenants hire professional cleaners. Tenants may be able to reach the standard themselves.
• The standard still applies: TDS says a professional standard at check-in must be matched. That means the result a hired cleaning service would give.
• Deductions are still possible: TDS says landlords can claim cleaning costs from the deposit in some cases.

In short, the landlord can set the standard, but you choose how to reach it. You can clean the carpets yourself, hire a machine, or book a cleaner.

So can a landlord charge for carpet cleaning? Through a deposit deduction, yes, if the carpets are left less clean than at check-in. What the landlord cannot do is require you to hire a cleaning firm.

What changed in 2026? GOV.UK's Renters' Rights Act overview for tenants says most existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. It also says you can end an assured periodic tenancy by giving 2 months' notice. That notice period is useful for planning when to clean.

Smells, Pets and Smoke

Smells are one of the things a clerk writes down rather than photographs. If pets lived in the home, our pet odour removal service treats carpets from £30 per room.

If someone smoked indoors, read whether carpet cleaning can remove cigarette smoke smell before you book anything.

Leave Time for the Carpets to Dry

Book the carpet clean before your final walk-round, not on handover morning. Drying time depends on the carpet, how dirty it is, airflow and weather. Our guide to carpet drying times explains what speeds it up.

• An oven left greasy: clean the racks, trays and door glass, not just the inside walls
• Limescale in the bathroom: it builds up on screens, taps and shower heads without you noticing
• A fridge or freezer left full or iced up: empty it and defrost it
• Dusty high and low spots: tops of wardrobes, skirting boards, light fittings and radiators
• Carpet stains and smells: treat them early, because some marks need more than one go
• Items left behind: a forgotten box in the loft still has to be cleared

Damage is different from dirt. DPS gives examples such as nail varnish spills or iron burns caused by negligence, which could leave a tenant liable for repair. Light marks on a carpet, on the other hand, might have to be seen as unavoidable.

For marks that will not shift, our stain removal service starts from £15 per stain. Most common stains can be removed. Some may be permanent; we give honest advice before we start.

If You Disagree With a Deduction

Your deposit should be protected by one of the approved schemes: the Deposit Protection Service, mydeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. GOV.UK's guide to deposit disputes and problems explains what happens if you cannot agree:

• Your scheme offers a free dispute resolution service.
• Using it is optional, but you and the landlord both have to agree to it.
• You will both be asked for evidence, and the decision is final.
• If you cannot contact your landlord, you can raise a dispute with the scheme. There may be a time limit, so do it as soon as possible.

Your check-in report, your own dated photos and any dated receipts for cleaning are the kind of evidence worth keeping.