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With the end of a tenancy, tension and apprehension can often appear. A smooth handover of a house or flat helps everyone involved, whether that’s in terms of getting deposits back, or being able to hand the property to a new tenant.
The condition of the property at the end of the tenancy can often cause issues. A dirty property can become a major stumbling block in the process.
With speed often of the essence, bringing in professional cleaning firms like Cleaner Cleaner can make a big difference, and have a huge impact on whether the renter gets their deposit back or the landlord can install a new tenant on time.
Why would you employ a cleaner at the end of a tenancy?
Two or three different people or parties are involved at the end of any tenancy. These are the lessor (the owner of the property), the lessee (the person who has occupied the property during the let), and very often an agent who handles various aspects of the property management for the lessor.
Depending on the lease, commercial agreement, or just professional pride, one, two, or even all parties should have an interest in seeing that the property is in a spotless condition at the end of the tenancy.
Using an end of tenancy cleaning company from the lessee’s point of view
Getting the deposit back from the landlord or agent is usually the primary objective of the person who has had the tenancy (the lessee). Deposits can be quite substantial in today’s rental market, particularly in big cities or desirable locations, sometimes running into several thousand pounds in places like London.
There are so many stories of unscrupulous landlords and agents that getting your deposit back can be a considerable task. If you need this money for your next let, or for a deposit on your own property purchase, the whole issue becomes critical to the moving process.
Terms of the lease
More often than not, the lease is likely to state that you have to hand the property back in a clean and tidy condition. You might think this quite clear, but how do you actually define clean and tidy? Clean and tidy is fairly ambiguous, as it doesn’t specify cleaning standards. Running over the carpet with a hoover and cleaning down work surfaces probably isn’t going to be enough.
This is a bigger problem than you might imagine, as failure to meet an agent or landlord’s standards may result in the deposit not being handed back in full.
There are several choices when it comes to end of tenancy cleaning. You can do it yourself, employ an independent cleaner, or call in a professional cleaning service who specialise in end of tenancy cleaning.
The first two options could easily fall short of the standard that the landlord or agent expects. You could end up paying to have the place cleaned twice, with the second cost determined by the landlord or agent. In almost all circumstances, it pays to use an end of tenancy cleaning service.
Doing this means the cleaners know exactly what standards are required, and have the correct equipment to clean the whole property to these standards. A further advantage is that they will also provide an invoice to show that you complied with the lease terms.
Using a cleaning company from the lessor’s point of view
For the lessor, time is money. As little time as possible should be lost between the end of a tenancy and the time that new tenants move in.
The new tenants will expect the house or property to be in perfect condition when they occupy it. While it will almost always be stipulated in the lease that the departing tenants clean the house, more often than not, their cleaning standard can leave a lot to be desired.
For a landlord, the best option is undoubtedly to employ a professional cleaning service. They are likely to be able to come in quickly and thoroughly deep clean the property, minimising the possibility of future delay and loss of revenue.
From an agents perspective
As the agent is working on behalf of the property owner, both of their interests are usually intertwined. Depending on the agreement in place between the property owner and the handling agent, they are likely to be responsible for ensuring that the new tenants receive their house or flat in perfect condition.
If the cleaning job done by the departing tenants is substandard, then further cleaning will be necessary. At this point bringing in a professional cleaner is probably their only option.
Using a general cleaner, though, could be a mistake. While they will superficially clean well, they may not have access to the professional equipment needed to do a proper deep clean of the property.
What is usually involved in an end-of-tenancy clean?
End of tenancy cleaning is quite a specialised field. It is not just a question of cleaning carpets and work surfaces, but involves the proper cleaning of every ‘nook and cranny’ of the property.
Generally, this will include:
- All interior rooms
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- En-suites
- Halls and landings
In the kitchen, particular attention will be paid to the oven (often a major cleaning job in itself), fridge, freezer, and other appliances. In the bathroom and en-suites, toilets, baths and showers will be given full attention.
If the flat is let furnished, this means the cleaning of upholstery, beds and mattresses is also likely to be necessary, in addition to wall and floor surfaces.
How to choose the right cleaning company
The question of choosing the right people to clean is not always straightforward. There are plenty of independent cleaners who will pop around for a quick dust and vacuum. Mistakenly, some tenants think this is all that’s needed. However, this is unlikely to meet the standards expected.
Finding a company that has experience in full property deep cleans can make all the difference in ensuring the job is done properly. There are many out there that advertise this service, although it is of course always best to check out their reviews before employing. A really good company will provide guarantees and photos of their cleaning.
What can’t end of tenancy cleaning do?
There is no doubt about the benefits of employing a cleaning service that specialises in end of tenancy work. You will get a clean flat, and an invoice if the landlord or agent chooses to argue.
Damage is another matter. Don’t expect a cleaning company to magically fix the holes you made in the wall, or get burns out of the carpet. Marks and stains shouldn’t pose them any difficulties, but if there is real damage they won’t be able to do anything about it.
Conclusion
As we have seen, getting end of tenancy cleaning right for all involved can be tricky. Everybody’s idea of what is clean varies, so it can be difficult to know what is expected from a lessee’s point of view. From the agent and landlord’s perspective, they don’t want expensive delays or complaints from incoming tenants.
Bringing in an experienced end of tenancy cleaner is the best solution for all involved. The lessee should calculate this into the expected cost of the move, while if the landlord has issues, it is the quickest way to deal with a dirty property.
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