It is probably a fair assumption that most people do their own cleaning. Vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning windows are standard household tasks for both tenants and homeowners.
However, there is a huge market for professional cleaners worth over £42.5 billion.
The pandemic affected this market, as businesses had to hire professional services to regularly disinfect surfaces and comply with health regulations.
However, a large portion of this market is based solely on cleaning for individuals who have reached the end of their tenancy.
What does an end-of-tenancy clean refer to exactly?
When an individual, couple, or family rents a home in the UK, it is normally for a set period.
Some landlords insist on a minimum 12-month rental commitment, while others ask for only a 6-month commitment. Regardless of the lease length, a contract will be made out and signed by both parties.
A deposit is then paid for security purposes, and the tenancy begins.
At the end of the tenancy, the landlord will take possession of their property once more, and they expect it to be presentable.
Using end-of-tenancy cleaners is a popular way to ensure the property is cleaned to the standards a landlord expects. This type of clean is a thorough cleaning process that includes all areas and aspects of a home. Although you can do the end-of-tenancy cleaning yourself, hiring a cleaner will save you time and generally, professional cleaners will do a better job.
Is it something you should be troubled with?
Unfortunately, some tenants aren’t very concerned with this area. Many landlords have received the keys back to properties that have been left filthy.
As a tenant though, there are good reasons to be concerned over how you leave your rented home. Firstly, you will probably need a reference from your previous landlord so it is always good to leave on good terms. You may even wish to rent another property owned by him, or marketed by the same letting agents later on.
You will also surely wish to receive your deposit back. Ignoring an end-of-tenancy clean will make this much harder to achieve.
What can an end of tenancy clean do that you can’t?
There is no reason why you cannot put the time and effort into cleaning a home yourself before you hand back the keys. Whether you will be able to clean to the same standards as an end-of-tenancy cleaning service is another matter.
There are perhaps some areas of concern or services these firms offer that you might miss or be unable to accomplish. Here are a few of those.
Understand what needs to be cleaned.
Professional services understand the places in your home that need cleaning. This might sound straightforward, but do you really know what the landlord’s inspection is going to consist of?
An end-of-tenancy cleaning service will come with a checklist of areas in the home that need to be thoroughly cleaned. You running the vacuum and duster around for an hour might not cut it.
Guarantee against breakages
Accidents happen in the home all the time. Rushing around to perform a clean when you are already stressed about your new move could result in breakage.
No doubt you signed an inventory when you moved in, and anything damaged or missing will need to be replaced. Another deduction from your security deposit.
Cleaning services provide insurance and guarantees against breakages for peace of mind.
Properly disinfect
A cleaning firm will have the products and the experience to disinfect kitchen and bathroom surfaces effectively.
Guaranteed clean
If your cleaning isn’t up to scratch, your landlord may deduct your deposit. This is standard and covers him when he has to hire a cleaning company to make the property rentable again.
If you use a professional service and you aren’t happy, they will have to come back and redo any areas that didn’t meet your standards. And this will be done for free.
Clean upholstery
Not all upholstery is easy to clean. Professional services are used to all manner of upholstery, and they will also remove unseen issues such as dust mites.
Upholstered furniture and curtains can be expensive. Indeed, if you are renting an upmarket apartment, that sofa may have cost the landlord a reasonable sum.
Attempting to clean upholstery yourself could remove its colour and cause permanent damage. This is an area often best left to professionals.
Deep clean ovens
Yes, you could do this job yourself, but do you really want to? As much as people try to keep their ovens clean, grease and residue from cooking can build up easily.
If you have neglected your oven over the last year, deep cleaning could be an unpleasant task. Removing smelly grease and restoring the cooker to something clean and shiny is an unenviable task.
Get your deposit back
You’ve already read many ways in which your deposit could be getting reduced. One good reason for hiring an end-of-tenancy cleaning company is that they know how to get deposits back.
You probably already have your money secured in a government tenancy deposit scheme, but that doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to see it all again.
One of the most common landlord-tenant disputes is around cleaning. Cleaning services are experienced in understanding how a property needs to be left so that the deposit is returned.
Many end-of-tenancy cleaning services guarantee the full return of a security deposit.
Deep clean your carpets.
You can hire a steam cleaner to clean those carpets, but why pay out for this when you can have it incorporated in a full house clean?
Proper carpet cleaning is one way to give the whole property a lift and will certainly impress anyone inspecting the home.
A professional service performs deep cleaning all over the home. They can deep clean your bedroom from top to bottom, remove stains from rugs, and remove lime from bathroom tiles.
Use equipment that you cannot.
Speaking of steam cleaners, a professional cleaning firm will simply have the experience that you don’t.
This means that while you are reading the instruction manual from your hired carpet cleaner, an experienced cleaner would have finished the job or at least be well on the way.
They also have all the cleaning products that are needed, meaning that you don’t need to go out and buy any.
Do I need a Cleaning Services Agreement for an end-of-tenancy clean?
While a Cleaning Services Agreement is not strictly required for an end-of-tenancy clean, it is highly recommended for several reasons:
Benefits of Having a Cleaning Services Agreement
- Clarity on Services: The agreement will clearly outline the specific cleaning tasks to be performed, ensuring there is no ambiguity about the scope of work. For an end-of-tenancy clean, this may include deep cleaning carpets, windows, kitchen appliances, bathrooms, and general sanitisation.
- Quality Standards: The agreement can set quality expectations, ensuring that the clean meets the requirements for returning a rented property in an acceptable condition. This is particularly important, as landlords or letting agents may have strict standards for the condition in which the property must be returned.
- Avoiding Disputes: By formalising the cleaning arrangement in writing, both the cleaning service provider and the client (either the tenant or landlord) can refer to the agreement if there are any disagreements over what was supposed to be cleaned or if the landlord disputes the cleanliness during the final inspection.
- Liability and Insurance: A Cleaning Services Agreement can specify who is responsible for damages or accidents that may occur during the cleaning process and outline whether the cleaning contractor has appropriate insurance.
- Payment Terms: The agreement will confirm the cost of the service when payment is due, and what happens if the service is not up to standard. This can help avoid misunderstandings about pricing and any potential hidden fees.
When is a Cleaning Services Agreement Essential?
- Professional Cleaning Service: If you hire a professional cleaning company for an end-of-tenancy clean, they will often provide a contract or agreement as part of their service. If they don’t, you may wish to request one to ensure the scope of the cleaning and terms are clear.
- Complex or Large-Scale Clean: If the property requires extensive or specialised cleaning (e.g., deep carpet cleaning, oven cleaning, etc.), an agreement ensures that all specific tasks are agreed upon in advance.
Summary
The biggest reason that many people decide against using an end-of-tenancy cleaning service is simply the cost.
Most people think they can clean their rental home to an acceptable standard and save money. There is some truth to this.
However, what should be weighed up is how much time and money you will spend cleaning the property yourself and how much of your security deposit you may lose. Compare that to bringing in a professional, and see how the maths works.
