DIY GUIDE · CLEANING

How to clean a rented home at the end of a tenancy yourself
Two days for a two-bedroom flat, best started a week before you hand back the keys. £18–£93 including carpet machine hire.

Work from the check-in inventory, clean what the clerk checks, and photograph everything.

DIFFICULTY
Moderate
no licence needed
TIME
Two days
for an emptied two-bedroom flat: one day for kitchen, bathroom and oven, one for walls, carpets
MATERIALS
£18–£93
an oven kit, limescale and kitchen cleaners, cloths and gloves
A PRO CHARGES
£90–£350
typically £190
  • Every step, start to finish
  • Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
  • Honest about when to call a pro

FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER

Do it yourself, or get a cleaner?

Do it yourself if…

  • You have a copy of the check-in inventory and photographs, or can get them from the agent
  • The home was clean when you moved in and is now in normal lived-in condition
  • You can empty it of your belongings a day or two before handover so you clean empty rooms
  • You have time to fix what you find — a second soak on the oven, a re-clean of a carpet

Get a pro if…

  • The inventory records a professional standard of clean at check-in and you cannot match it
  • There is mould, heavy smoking residue or pet damage beyond ordinary cleaning
  • You are moving on the same day as the check-out and have no time for a second pass
  • The oven, carpets and windows are all heavily soiled and you cannot hire the kit

Safety first

  • Never mix cleaning products. HSE warns bleach with acid limescale or toilet cleaners, or with ammonia, gives off harmful gases — a real risk when cleaning a whole flat with many products in one day.
  • Oven cleaners are corrosive: long gloves, covered wrists, goggles for the oven roof, and never on a warm oven.
  • Ventilate as you go — windows open, extractors on.
  • Unplug the fridge and freezer before cleaning inside them.
  • Use a stepladder for high cupboards and light fittings with all four feet down, and stay off its top steps.
  • Do not move a gas cooker to clean behind it; clean around it where it stands.

MATERIALCOVERAGEFOR THIS JOB
Oven cleaning bag kitRacks overnight; gel on enamel onlyOne kit
Limescale remover and toilet cleanerAcid limescale remover; never with bleachOne of each
Kitchen degreaser and multi-surface sprayCupboards, worktops, doors, skirtingOne of each
Carpet machine detergentThe machine maker's ownOne bottle for a flat

How long the clean will take

Hours ≈ kitchen 4 + oven 2 + bathroom 2.5 per bathroom + 1.5 per bedroom + living room 1.5 + carpets 2 + windows 1 + walk-through 1. A two-bedroom flat with one bathroom is 4 + 2 + 2.5 + 3 + 1.5 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 17 hours — two long days for one person, or one day for two.

Add half a day if the oven has not been cleaned during the tenancy, or if there is a garden.

Start from the inventory

Get the check-in inventory and photographs from your agent or landlord. Go through it room by room and mark each item's recorded condition — 'clean', 'marked', 'professional clean', 'worn'. That is your target. Anything recorded as already marked or worn does not need to be better than it was.

What the check-out looks at first

Ovens, hobs and extractor hoods; limescale on taps, screens and toilets; inside the fridge, freezer and cupboards; walls by light switches and doors; skirting; carpets; windows and sills; and the garden and bins. Put most of your time where the inspector puts theirs.

The oven method

Soak, do not scrub. A bag-kit for the racks overnight and gel on the enamel, kept off catalytic liners, seals and elements. An oven maker advises spraying cleaner onto a cloth rather than straight into the cavity. Start it the evening before the main clean.

Carpets

If the inventory shows clean carpets, vacuum thoroughly and treat spots; if they are generally soiled, hire an extraction machine. The hire maker expects drying to take two to four hours. so do them early enough that they are dry for the check-out.

Evidence

Take dated photos and a walk-round video of every room once it is clean, matching the inventory's angles where you can, including inside the oven, fridge and cupboards. Keep receipts for any hire or products. If there is a dispute, the deposit scheme decides on evidence.

Know your rights on cleaning charges

In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 lets a landlord or agent require only the payments its Schedule 1 permits, and a professional clean is not among them, so you cannot be made to pay for one. You still return the home in the condition it was let in, allowing for fair wear and tear. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

Do not paint, fill holes or change anything without the landlord's agreement — a poor repair can be charged for when a mark would not have been.
If your deposit is in a protection scheme and you disagree with deductions, the scheme offers a free dispute service.

THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH

Preparing the home — by what the inventory checks

Empty the home first. Then, room by room, prepare each of these before cleaning so the clean runs straight through.

Kitchen appliances

Oven, hob, hood, fridge, freezer, washing machine.

  1. Start the oven soak the night before: racks in a bag, gel on the enamel only
  2. Run the freezer down and defrost it the day before if it is not frost-free
  3. Take out the hood's grease filters to soak
  4. Pull out the washing machine's detergent drawer to wash
Cupboards, drawers and worktops

Inside and out.

  1. Empty every cupboard and drawer completely, including the high ones
  2. Vacuum crumbs from corners and drawer runners
  3. Check the worktop type; stone and quartz have their own product limits
  4. Have a degreaser for doors near the hob
Bathroom

Limescale, grout, sealant, extractor.

  1. Spray limescale remover on taps, screen and tiles and leave it the label's time
  2. Put toilet cleaner in the bowl — never with a different product
  3. Soak a removable shower head in white vinegar, keeping brass to 30 minutes
  4. Vacuum the extractor fan grille
Walls, doors and skirting

Marks the inventory did not record.

  1. Compare marks with the check-in photos — only remove the new ones
  2. Test sugar soap or a mild cleaner on a hidden patch first
  3. Remove sticky pads and tape gently, warming them with a hairdryer
  4. Note nail and screw holes and ask the landlord before filling any
Carpets and hard floors

The last thing to clean.

  1. Move everything out so the whole floor is clear
  2. Vacuum thoroughly in two directions, edges first
  3. Spot-treat marks by blotting, never rubbing
  4. Book or collect the carpet machine for early in the day
Windows, outside space and bins

Often forgotten, often charged.

  1. Clean inside glass, frames, sills and tracks; outside glass only on the ground floor
  2. Clear the drainage slots in the window frames
  3. Empty, rinse and dry the bins
  4. Sweep paths and patio and leave the garden as the inventory describes

THE JOB

How to clean a rented home for check-out, in order

  1. Get the inventory and plan from it

    30 min

    Get the check-in inventory and photographs. Walk the home with it and note, room by room, what you need to restore and what was already marked or worn at the start. Book a carpet machine and the check-out date with time to spare.

    • Ask the agent for the inventory in writing if you do not have it
    • Write a room-by-room list from it
    • Plan to finish the day before the check-out, not the morning of it

    Mistake to avoid: Cleaning from memory of what it looked like. The inventory is what the check-out is measured against.

  2. Empty the home and start the oven soak

    1 hr

    Move all your belongings out, or into one room you will do last. The evening before the main clean, bag the oven racks with the cleaner and spread gel on the enamel only, keeping it off seals, elements, the fan and any catalytic liners. Defrost the freezer if it needs it.

    • Long gloves, wrists covered, oven cold
    • Mask the fan cover with kitchen roll
    • Leave the bag flat in the bath overnight

    Mistake to avoid: Leaving the oven to the last hour. A heavily soiled oven needs a soak, and possibly a second one.

  3. Kitchen: top to bottom

    4 hrs

    With goggles on, clean the tops of wall units, light fittings and the extractor hood first. Degrease cupboard doors, then clean inside every cupboard and drawer. Rinse and finish the oven, refit the racks, and clean the hob with hob cleaner and a scraper. Clean inside the fridge and freezer with a mild bicarbonate solution and leave the doors ajar. Clean the washing machine drawer and door seal, the sink and taps, and the worktops last.

    • Wash the hood filters and refit them dry
    • Wipe the fridge seal folds — they collect mould
    • Leave appliance doors open slightly so they do not smell

    Mistake to avoid: Cleaning the worktops first. Grease and drips from the units and hood above land on them later.

  4. Bathroom: scale, grout, toilet

    2 hrs 30

    Rinse off the limescale remover and scrub taps, screen and tiles with non-scratch pads. Brush the grout with a cleaning solution and rinse. Rinse and refit the descaled shower head. Clean the toilet thoroughly, including the seat hinges, cistern and the floor behind. Clean the basin, bath, mirror, extractor grille and the floor last.

    • Rinse each product off before the next
    • Dry chrome with a microfibre so it does not water-spot
    • Check sealant: mould inside it may be recorded as damage, not dirt

    Mistake to avoid: Putting bleach in a toilet that still has acid gel in it. The mix gives off harmful gas in a small room.

  5. Walls, doors, switches and skirting

    2 hrs

    Remove new marks only — compare with the check-in photos. Use a mild cleaner or sugar soap on a well-wrung sponge, and do not scrub matt paint. Wipe all light switches, sockets (switched off), door handles, door edges and frames, and the skirting throughout.

    • Fingermarks round switches and door edges are the usual charge
    • Remove sticky pads slowly with gentle heat
    • Do not fill or paint without written permission

    Mistake to avoid: Scrubbing a mark on matt paint until it shines. A shiny patch can be charged as damage.

  6. Windows, frames and sills

    1 hr

    Clean inside glass, frames, sills and tracks throughout, and outside glass on the ground floor. Clear the drainage slots and dust the tops of curtain tracks and blinds. Clean outside panes upstairs only if the windows tilt or swing in.

    • Squeegee for streak-free glass
    • Wipe window sills inside and out
    • Vacuum and wipe blinds slat by slat

    Mistake to avoid: Leaning out of upstairs windows to clean the outside. That is work at height, not a cleaning task.

  7. Carpets and hard floors

    2 hrs

    Vacuum every carpet thoroughly, then machine-clean where needed, walking backwards in single slow passes with extra vacuum-only passes to keep it from getting soaked. Open the windows to dry. Mop hard floors in two buckets, finishing at the door. The hire maker expects drying to take two to four hours.

    • Do carpets early in the day so they are dry for the walk-through
    • Rake the pile upright as it dries
    • Do not put anything back on damp carpet

    Mistake to avoid: Over-wetting the carpet the evening before check-out. It is still damp, smells, and may brown as it dries.

  8. Outside, bins and the last check

    1 hr

    Empty and rinse the bins, sweep the paths and patio, and leave the garden as the inventory records. Then walk every room with the inventory one last time, opening every cupboard, the oven and the fridge, and fix anything missed.

    • Check behind doors and inside the oven door glass
    • Run each tap and flush each toilet
    • Remove every last item, including in the loft and shed

    Mistake to avoid: Leaving a bag of rubbish 'for the bin men'. Rubbish left behind is a common deduction.

  9. Photograph and video everything

    45 min

    With the home finished and empty, take dated photographs of every room from the doorway and from the angles the inventory used, plus close-ups inside the oven, fridge, freezer, cupboards, bathroom and of the carpets. Then take a slow walk-round video. Save copies somewhere other than your phone.

    • Turn the lights on and open the curtains
    • Photograph meter readings and the keys you return
    • Email the photos to yourself for a dated record

    Mistake to avoid: Relying on the agent's check-out report. Without your own photos, it is their account against your memory.

  10. Return the keys and follow up the deposit

    30 min

    Hand back every key and get a receipt. In England and Wales once you and the landlord agree the amount, the deposit is due back within 10 days. If you do not agree on deductions and the deposit is in a protection scheme, the scheme's free dispute resolution service decides on the evidence; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes.

    • Ask for any proposed deductions in writing, itemised
    • Reply with your photos and the inventory
    • Use the scheme's dispute service if you cannot agree

    Mistake to avoid: Accepting a lump-sum 'cleaning charge' without asking what it is for. Ask for the evidence and the cost of each item.

The mistakes that cost tenants their deposit

  • Cleaning without the check-in inventory, so the effort goes in the wrong places
  • Leaving the oven, the extractor filters and limescale to the last minute
  • No dated photos or video of the finished clean
  • Filling holes or painting without permission, then being charged for the repair

Stop here and get an end-of-tenancy cleaner

  • The inventory records a professional clean at check-in and you cannot match that standard
  • There is mould, smoke residue or pet damage that cleaning will not remove
  • You have no time between moving out and the check-out for a second pass
  • The landlord disputes the clean and you need an independent standard
How to hire an end of tenancy cleaner →

The oven is still brown after one soakCarbon from a whole tenancy. Repeat the soak overnight and rinse thoroughly; keep cleaner off liners and seals.
The carpet is still damp at check-outIt was over-wetted or cleaned too late. Open windows, run fans, and do vacuum-only passes; next time clean early in the day.
Limescale will not come off the tapsYears of build-up. Wrap the tap in kitchen roll soaked in limescale remover for the label's maximum time, then scrub and rinse.
Shiny patches where wall marks were scrubbedMatt paint burnished. They may fade; point them out with the check-in photos if the wall was already marked.
The fridge smells after cleaningFood in the drain hole or seal. Clear the drain hole, wipe the seal folds, and leave the door ajar.
The agent says 'not to a professional standard'Ask for the specific items and photos, compare with the inventory, and use the deposit scheme's dispute service if you disagree.
Mould in the bathroom sealantMould inside silicone does not clean out. Note it; if it was there at check-in, it is not yours to fix.
Grey marks on the carpet by the doorTraffic soiling. Pre-treat and machine-clean the area slowly with extra vacuum-only passes.

WHAT YOU SAVE

What it costs to do it yourself

Oven cleaning kit£4–£15
Limescale remover and toilet cleaner£5.50–£6.30
Kitchen degreaser and multi-surface spray£3.60–£7.40
Gloves and goggles£5.15–£13.99
Carpet machine hire and detergent (if needed)£38.99–£49.99
Total£18–£93
DIY total£18–£93
An end of tenancy cleaner charges per visit
LOW
£90
TYPICAL
£190
HIGH
£350
End of Tenancy Cleaning price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

Against a deposit of several weeks' rent, a weekend and these costs usually pay for themselves. Keep the receipts with your photos.

RATHER NOT?

End of tenancy cleaners near you, with prices shown

The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

Leave nothing behind

Rubbish, food and cleaning products left in the property are commonly charged for removal.

Dispose of waste properly

Take rubbish and recycling to your council collection or the household waste recycling centre before you leave; furniture goes via the council's bulky waste collection. Unwanted cleaning products go to the recycling centre, not down the drain.

Keep the evidence until the deposit is back

Photos, video, receipts, the inventory and every email about the check-out.

Follow up the deposit

If there is no agreement on deductions, use the deposit scheme's free dispute service rather than leaving it.

Cleaning a rented home at the end of a tenancy: questions people ask

No, not in England. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 any payment the Act does not permit is prohibited, and Schedule 1 does not list cleaning. You still hand the home back in the condition it was let in, allowing for fair wear and tear. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

Mostly the oven and hob, extractor, limescale in kitchen and bathroom, inside the fridge and cupboards, marks on walls and skirting, carpets, windows, and the garden and bins — always against the check-in inventory.

In England and Wales, the deposit is due back within 10 days of you and the landlord agreeing the amount. Disputed amounts stay protected in the scheme until the dispute is settled.

Ask for itemised deductions with evidence, reply with your photos and the inventory, and use the deposit protection scheme's free dispute resolution service if you still disagree.

The Locufy UK price guide puts end-of-tenancy cleaning at £90–£350 per visit, typically £190. Larger homes, ovens and carpets push it up.

If the inventory records them as clean and they are now soiled, yes — vacuum and, if needed, machine-clean them early enough to dry before the check-out.

MORE GUIDES

More DIY guides

Cleaning an empty home before you move inCleaning an ovenDeep-cleaning a fitted carpetDeep-cleaning a kitchen and bathroomCleaning your windowsCleaning a whole house in a dayKeeping a home clean week to weekRescuing a neglected home in one big clean
All 90 DIY guides →How to hire an end of tenancy cleaner →End of Tenancy Cleaning price guide →End of tenancy cleaners on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. GOV.UK — tenancy deposit protection: 30 days to protect, 10 days to return, separate schemes in Scotland and Northern Ireland
  2. GOV.UK — tenancy deposit protection: disputes and problems
  3. Tenant Fees Act 2019, section 3 — a payment is prohibited unless Schedule 1 permits it (England and Wales extent)
  4. HSE — safe use of cleaning substances (CAIS22): never mix, oven cleaners
  5. AEG — how to clean and care for your oven
  6. Beko — how to clean your fridge freezer
  7. Rug Doctor — FAQs: drying time after a carpet clean
  8. Mira Showers — how to clean and descale your shower head
  9. B&Q — price check: oven cleaners, October 2026
  10. Sainsbury's — price check: limescale removers and toilet cleaners, October 2026
  11. Sainsbury's — price check: kitchen cleaners and degreasers, October 2026
  12. B&Q — price check: carpet shampoo and machine hire, October 2026
  13. B&Q — price check: rubber gloves, October 2026
  14. B&Q — price check: safety goggles, October 2026
  15. West Sussex County Council — how to dispose of cleaning products
  16. Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1 — the permitted payments (no cleaning payment among them)
  17. Secondary: GOV.UK — Tenant Fees Act 2019: guidance for tenants (PDF), withdrawn 8 May 2026 and replaced by guidance updated for the Renters’ Rights Act