End of tenancy cleaning checklist (free PDF)
A room-by-room end of tenancy cleaning checklist for UK cleaning companies, matched to what letting agents check at check-out. Use it on your phone or download the free printable PDF.
Updated · 7 min read
Download the checklist (PDF)An end of tenancy clean is judged by one person: the inventory clerk or letting agent doing the check-out. They compare the property with the check-in report, room by room, and anything dirtier than it was at the start can come off the tenant's deposit. Cleaning is one of the most common reasons for deposit disputes.
So this checklist is built around what gets checked, not what's quickest to clean. Use it as it is, or adapt it for your own jobs.
How to use it
- Work top to bottom and back to front: high dusting first, floors last, finishing at the front door.
- Do the long jobs first. Get the oven degreaser on and the fridge defrosting as soon as you arrive.
- The property should be empty. Agree that when you book: cleaning round furniture and boxes takes twice as long and rarely passes.
- Photograph each room as you finish it. If the agent queries the clean, your photos are the evidence.
- Print it for the van, or download the PDF and send it to your team.
The end of tenancy cleaning checklist
When you arrive
- Check the electricity, water and heating are on
- Walk round and photograph anything damaged or stained beyond cleaning
- Apply oven and hob degreaser so it can work while you do other jobs
- Switch off and open the fridge and freezer to defrost
- Open windows
Kitchen
- Oven inside, racks, trays and door glass
- Hob, controls and splashback
- Extractor hood and filter
- Fridge and freezer cleaned inside, shelves and seals, dried
- Inside and outside every cupboard and drawer
- Worktops, tiles and grout
- Sink, taps and plughole descaled
- Washing machine drawer, door seal and filter
- Dishwasher filter and seals
- Microwave inside and out
- Bins cleaned
- Floor, including under the cooker and fridge if they move safely
Bathrooms
- Toilet, including the base, behind, the hinges and under the seat
- Bath, shower tray and screen descaled
- Taps and shower head descaled
- Tiles and grout
- Sink, pedestal and plughole
- Mirrors, and cabinets inside and out
- Extractor fan cover
- Floor, including behind the toilet
Bedrooms and living areas
- Cobwebs and ceiling corners
- Light fittings and lampshades
- Skirting boards and door frames
- Doors, handles and light switches
- Marks on walls spot-cleaned, without scrubbing paint off
- Radiators, top and behind where you can reach
- Windows inside, frames and sills
- Inside wardrobes, drawers and built-in units
- Under and behind beds and furniture
- Mattresses vacuumed, if furnished
- Carpets vacuumed, edges included; hard floors mopped
Throughout
- Smoke alarm covers dusted
- Sockets and switch plates wiped
- Curtain rails and blinds dusted
- Stairs, banisters and spindles
- Hall cupboards, including the boiler and meter cupboards
Before you leave
- All rubbish removed and bins left empty
- Windows closed and locked
- Fridge left off and open, or on, as agreed
- After photos of every room
- Keys returned as agreed
The things agents check first
The same handful of things fail more end of tenancy cleans than everything else together:
- The oven. The racks and the door glass most of all.
- Limescale on taps, shower screens and shower heads, especially in hard water areas.
- Inside cupboards and the fridge. Easy to skip when the outside looks clean.
- Extractor filters, in the kitchen and on the bathroom fan.
- Skirting boards and door frames. Dust shows up clearly on check-out photos.
If you do nothing else twice, do these.
What's normally extra
Price these separately and say so on the quote, so the customer knows what they're getting:
- Carpet and upholstery cleaning
- Outside windows
- Walls washed rather than spot-cleaned
- Gardens, garages and sheds
- Removing rubbish or furniture left behind
Agree it before you start
Most problems with end of tenancy work come from what wasn't agreed at booking. Get in writing:
- The date, and that the property will be empty with the utilities on.
- What's included and what's extra.
- Parking, and where to collect and return the keys.
- Your re-clean policy. Many companies go back free if the agent reports something on the checklist within a set time, often 48 or 72 hours. Say what it doesn't cover: damage, wear and tear, and anything moved in or out after you left.
Pricing
Price end of tenancy cleans as a fixed price, by the size and state of the property, from photos or a quick visit, with the extras as separate lines. They take longer than people expect, so don't price them like a regular clean. Our guide on how to price cleaning jobs goes through the numbers, and how to write a cleaning quote covers what to put in writing.
How RoomZoom helps
End of tenancy cleans go on the same schedule as your regular work, as one-off jobs on the cleaner's phone with the property notes and access details they need. Cleaners send photos at the end of the clean, and AI photo checks score each room against your checklist, so if an agent queries the clean you have the photos and the time it was done.
Quotes with optional extras the customer can tick, like the oven or the carpets, become the job when they accept. RoomZoom is free for up to 5 properties, and quotes and photo checks are free for your first 14 days. Sign up free, with no card needed.
More guides
Every clean on one schedule.
Regular cleans, one-off jobs and end of tenancy work, with a cleaner app and photo checks. Free for up to 5 properties.
No card needed · Set up in minutes