So it’s time to move out of your current rental! However, before you make your final exit, there is much to tick off the list before you hand back the keys. One of the most important elements of the process is ensuring everything is clean. This will guarantee the property is ready for the next tenant and keep the landlord happy.
Cleaning, however, is a tricky area to tackle, depending on who your agent or landlord is and what they expect from the vacated property. Also, cleanliness is subjective depending on who looks, right? Well, yes and no. To help get you started on this final phase of moving out and into your next home, we’ve added a few considerations below and explore why hiring an end-of-tenancy cleaning company can help you reduce stress and help you get your deposit back.
Know Your Rights
Before we get into that, knowing your rights on EOT cleaning is helpful. Some tenancy agreements will have a clause that compels the tenant to have a professional cleaner do that final once-over. However, the Tenant Fees Act 2019, which has been in place since 2019, states it’s no longer legal for landlords to enforce clauses for additional charges, including professional property cleaning, unless it’s legitimate and fair’. What does that mean?
Landlords now need a legitimate case to request a professional cleaning as it has been deemed unfair to demand this of tenants. The caveat is that if you take the DIY approach and feel that you had cleaned to the same level as the property when you moved in – but the landlord feels different – you will have to make an official dispute claim. Plus, the landlord can still deduct from your deposit for additional cleaning. This is why it’s worth reducing your move-out aggravation and having a professional cleaner do that final job.
So what are the five common issues that can be solved at the end of tenancy with a good clean?
1. Avoidance of Disputes
As stated above, while you are not legally obliged to have a professional cleaning, there can be consequences for this. A property’s cleanliness is one of the top reasons for tenancy disputes and withholding of deposits, according to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), with over half of the conflicts that arise – and they adjudicate – concern property cleanliness.
By taking that additional step to have a professional clean and ensure the property is as clean as possible, you’re more likely to avoid issues and disputes for the return of your deposit or anything else that may arise. This will make your own house move so much less stressful if you know you’re unlikely to come up against any issues with your deposit return and landlord.
2. Receive a Good Reference
If you need good references for future rentals and moves, you will no doubt need your landlord to provide one for your latest contract. These are important as a lack of cleanliness may be an issue when you move out. Past landlords may provide this information to future property owners making it harder to rent in future. Of course, an expected level of cleanliness is open to interpretation. What one party may consider spotless may be contested, so the best thing to do is to have that final professional clean. This will allow you to get as much deposit back as possible, proving the agent or landlord was happy with the state of the property.
3. Saves Time Over DIY
When deciding whether to hire a professional cleaner or take the DIY approach and get the property in order by yourself, there are a few questions to ask yourself. Do I have the time, will it cause me stress, and is it affordable and better to have someone else handle it?
Let’s face it – moving is stressful, and anything that can make it easier is for the best. Understandably, DIY is attractive as it often has to do with being the cheaper option. But there are plenty of reasons not to take that approach, especially as the likelihood of your landlord contesting it and requiring an additional cleaning is high. So save yourself the stress and do it professionally the first time.
4. You Can Relax with a Professional Cleaner
Working with a professional cleaning service will offer peace of mind and a less stressed move allowing you to concentrate on everything you need to relocate to your new place.
As mentioned, deposit deductions are less likely, and cleanliness is less likely to be contested, which may lead to an ongoing TDS dispute, delaying the deposit return. All of these reasons and more make professional cleaning attractive.
5. Solves Common End-of-Tenancy Issues in the Property
There are some commonly recurring issues that a landlord may deduct from a deposit that professional cleaning can solve, such as:
- Foul Odours: food, cooking tobacco, mould, pets and a lack of cleanliness can all affect the smell of a property, which must be dealt with. Professional cleaners will fix this issue simply by finding the origin of the noxious smell and eliminating it.
- Tough Carpet Stains: these can be challenging to remove yourself without the correct equipment. End-of-tenancy cleaners can remove common stains easily.
- Hard to Reach Places: getting to these can take time and effort. However, not cleaning these places can lead to bacteria and allergen build-up, each potentially harmful to your health and your deposit return.
- Grease: Removing grease can be tricky; however, a cleaner will have the know-how and products to get it right the first time to remove any fat or oiliness from the kitchen.
- Limescale: often found in both the bathroom and kitchen, this annoying surface substance can be easily removed with the right cleaning products and expertise.
Book Your End-Of- Tenancy Clean With Grease Gone
Specialist companies such as Grease Gone offer cleaning services with additional peace of mind and professionalism as standard for properties around London. Discover how they can help get your deposit back and a minimal fuss final handover when you end your tenancy.
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