How Much Does End of Tenancy Cleaning Cost in London in 2023?

In 2016, the number of renters overtook the number of homeowners in London for the first time. This tendency continues in 2022. The reasons are pretty obvious. End of tenancy cleaning cost

With the city’s population growing every year, the housing supply can’t keep up with the demand. Naturally, this drives property prices up and makes them unaffordable for most people.

Renting seems to be the only option for more than 50% of Londoners. And that number is expected to rise to 60% by 2025.

With such a high number of tenants, there’s been a natural increase in the demand for end of tenancy cleaning services in London.

Landlords want to get their property back in the best possible condition. Tenants want to get their security deposits back. It seems like a match made in heaven.

Yet people want to get the best value for their money. And with the average end of tenancy cleaning prices hovering at over 200 quid, it’s not hard to imagine why.

If you want to get an affordable and professional end-of-tenancy cleaning service – feel free to complete the form below!

In this article:

• What is end of tenancy cleaning?
• How much does end of tenancy cleaning cost in London in 2022?
• What does end of tenancy cleaning include?
• Kitchen
• Bedroom(s)
• Bathroom(s)
• Reception room.
• Entrance, hallway, and stairs.
• Benefits of professional end of tenancy cleaning in London
• You get your deposit back.
• You don't waste your time. 
• You don't need to take time off work.
• You don't have to worry about cleaning materials, equipment, and insurance. They are included in the end of tenancy cleaning price.
• Conclusion

What is end of tenancy cleaning?

End of tenancy cleaning is the process of deep cleaning a property at the end of a tenancy. It’s the tenant’s responsibility to perform this thorough cleaning, otherwise, they risk losing their deposit (or at least a part of it).

Seems simple and straightforward enough. Yet end of tenancy cleaning is usually the Apple of Discord between tenants and landlords.

Landlords expect to find the property in the same condition it was when the tenants moved in. This especially pertains to the level of cleanliness.

Tenants, on the other hand, feel they’ve done a good enough job at cleaning the property themselves. A dispute ensues.

The landlord refuses to give part of the deposit back. They whip out the landlord inventory (which usually includes photos) and claim the property is in a worse condition.

At this point, tenants feel the landlord is being unreasonable. They need their deposit back since they need to pay the deposit for their new place. The situation is getting out of hand.

You can see how easily something so minor can escalate. It’s unpleasant for everyone involved. This is where professional end of tenancy cleaning comes in.

Once tenants book end of tenancy cleaning with a cleaning company, they’re off the hook as far as cleanliness goes. Needless to say, cleaning companies can’t fix damage to the property. So if your dog’s chewed out the sofa, that’s not something any cleaning company can help you with. But those tea stains on the carpet can probably get out.

An invoice from a cleaning company is usually enough to get landlords off the tenants’ back. Even if the landlord is not happy for some reason, there’s a 72-hour guarantee, so the cleaners will come back and re-clean the property if needs be.

Note: If you’re a tenant, your landlord can’t force you to hire a professional cleaning company under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. You can do so at your own accord and for your own convenience, but neither your landlord nor the letting agent can make you.

How much does end of tenancy cleaning cost in London in 2022?

The average cost for end of tenancy cleaning in London is £225. That number doesn’t say a whole lot, though.

Let’s break it down according to property size and actual prices you can find on the market. The prices below are based on market research in 2022.

Most companies only list end of tenancy cleaning prices for flats. This is intentional because the price of the service for houses is 15% higher, on average.

By only listing flats, they make their prices seem lower than they actually are.  With this in mind, here’s our estimate of the end of tenancy cleaning prices for houses in London.

You can check out our own end of tenancy cleaning prices here. We’re not the cheapest company on the market and we don’t want to be. We believe our cleaners and our clients deserve more than the bare minimum and our prices reflect that.

As you can see, there’s quite a bit of range. I should note these are minimum or starting prices. The actual quotes are going to be higher. Yet this should give you an idea of how much your end of tenancy cleaning is roughly going to cost.

There’s a variety of pricing factors when it comes to cleaning services and end of tenancy is no exception. One thing is for certain – end of tenancy cleaning costs a fraction of the deposit.

Also, bear in mind some companies cut corners in order to keep prices low. So before you make up your mind about which company you want to hire, be sure to research them first.

Even if you have to make an upfront payment, it’s not a problem if the company is legitimate. 

What does end of tenancy cleaning include?

When I say end of tenancy cleaning is a detailed, top-to-bottom cleaning service, I mean it. Here’s a comprehensive (but not complete) list of what you’re getting for the cost of end of tenancy cleaning service.

Kitchen

The kitchen is usually the room that takes the most time to clean. Even if you clean it regularly, there are always limescale deposits, grease, mould, and dirt in places people rarely think about. This is what a detailed kitchen cleaning looks like:

• We clean all cabinets and drawers. Our cleaners use detergents in accordance with the surfaces. All cabinets and drawers get cleaned inside and out.
• Clean the kitchen cabinets, including their highest part. If there is some space between the cabinets and the ceiling, we clean that, too.  Landlords love to check that space for dust or dirt since people often forget to clean it.
• We wipe down the microwave inside & out.
• Clean all sides of the washing soap dispenser, machine, and filters.
• The dishwasher gets a detailed treatment. We remove the limescale deposits to give it a shiny new look.
• We clean and degrease the inside and outside of the oven. This includes the racks, even though they can be particularly tricky at times.
• Clean and polish hob and grill.
• Clean and polish gas rings, as well as gas control knobs. Those are usually hard to clean without specialised detergents.
• Clean the washing machine inside and out. This includes wiping the rubber at the door. Another detail landlords and letting agents often pay attention to.
• Clean, degrease and polish the extractor fan and the filters.
• Remove mold and grease from wall tiles, wash and polish. The idea is to give the kitchen tiles a fresh new look without undergoing actual repairs.
• We also clean the exterior of all kitchen appliances such as kettle, toaster, etc. Oftentimes, they require special attention due to their constant use.
• Wipe and wash down kitchen worktops. Once again, we use detergents in accordance with the countertop material. You don’t need to worry about damage.
• Remove limescale and polish the sink and taps.
• Clean windows from the inside. Also, wipe down window sills and frames.
• Take off the dust from all skirting boards.
• Wipe all woodwork (doors, door frames). Top of the door is yet another place people often forget to clean. 
• Wipe down the radiators. We also use a brush to clean behind the radiators.
• Clean all plugs and light switches.
• Vacuum and mop the floors. The service doesn’t include professional detailed carpet cleaning, but we can include it if you want. However, it will cost extra. 

Bedroom(s)

Bedrooms also need special attention. While they’re usually the best-maintained rooms in an average home, they’re still some specifics people often miss. This is what I’m talking about:

• We clean the doors, including the top, which most people forget.
• We wipe down skirting boards all wooden furniture, carefully removing any dust.
• Clean windows from the inside. Also, wipe down window sills and frames.
• Clean the inside and outside of cupboards, wardrobes, etc. This also includes the top part where dust usually accumulates.
• Remove cobwebs from every corner.
• Clean off the dust from coving, picture rail, and curtain rails.
• We clean and polish the mirrors and pictures.
• Clean and polish light switches and fittings, lampshades, plugs, and sockets. Once this is done, it leaves a very pleasant impression.
• Wipe down the radiators. We also use a brush to clean behind the radiators.
• Vacuum the upholstery and mattresses. Detailed upholstery cleaning is a separate service you can order.
• Vacuum and mop the floors. The service doesn’t include professional detailed carpet cleaning, but we can add it if you want. However, it will cost extra.  

Bathroom(s)

The bathroom(s) compete with the kitchen on which is more difficult to clean. The number of bathrooms affects the end of tenancy cleaning price. While the bathroom doesn’t present the same level of greasiness as your average kitchen, there’s a whole other set of challenges that need to be addressed. Here’s what I’m talking about:

• Remove and wash limescale deposits from tiles, taps, showers, sinks, baths, and etc. This gives everything a fresher look.
• Wash and polish the shower cabinet from inside and out.
• Clean, disinfect, and polish the toilet from inside and out.
• Wash tiles and the grout between the tiles. We also remove mould and wipe the tiles. Mould is another huge issue for landlords.
• Clean and polish the mirrors. Dirty mirrors are usually the first thing someone notices when entering the bathroom.
• Clean windows from the inside. Also, wipe down window sills and frames.
• Wipe down the door, frames, skirting boards.
• Wipe and clean towel rail.
• Clean the bathroom fan.
• Clean plugs and light switches.
• Disinfect and mop the floor.
• Wipe down the radiators. We also use a brush to clean behind the radiators. 

Reception room.

The reception room is the place where we entertain visitors. So naturally, it’s oftentimes the best looking since we want to put our best foot forward. However, it still needs a detailed cleaning, included in the end of tenancy cleaning price. Here’s what I mean:

• We clean the doors, including the tops since most people forget.
• Wipe down skirting boards all wooden furniture to clean off the dust.
• We clean the doors, including the top, which most people forget.
• Clean windows from the inside. Also, wipe down window sills and frames.
• Clean the inside and outside of cupboards, wardrobes, etc. This also includes the top part where dust usually accumulates.
• Remove cobwebs from every corner.
• Clean off the dust from coving, picture rail, and curtain rails.
• Clean and polish the mirrors. Dirty mirrors are usually the first thing someone notices when entering a room.
• Clean and polish light switches and fittings, lampshades, plugs, and sockets. Once this is done, it leaves a very pleasant impression. 
• Wipe down the radiators. We also use a brush to clean behind the radiators.  
• Vacuum the upholstery. Detailed upholstery cleaning is a separate service you can order. 
• Vacuum and mop the floors. The service doesn’t include professional detailed carpet cleaning, but we can include it if you want. However, it will cost extra.   

Entrance, hallway, and stairs.

Finally, the high-traffic areas. Here’s what we do:

• Remove all cobwebs.
• Clean cornice and curtain rails and pictures
• Clean and polish the mirrors. As we’ve already established, dirty mirrors usually attract attention.
• Clean and polish the windows on the inside. This also includes sills and frames.
• We vacuum the upholstery. We also remove the cushions and clean under them. Though detailed upholstery cleaning is a separate service you can order
• We clean the doors, including the top, which most people forget.
• Wipe all skirting boards and woodworks of dust.
• Wipe down the banister, stairway, and railings.
• Clean lights switches and lights fittings, plugs, lampshades, and sockets.
• Dust and polish all flat surfaces.
• Vacuum and mop the floors. The service doesn’t include professional detailed carpet cleaning, but we can add it if you want. However, it will cost extra.   

As you can see, quite a bit of work goes into end of tenancy cleaning. It will take you quite a while to do this all on your own. There are many parts people simply forget. Those are the parts landlords love the most. It gives them the justification to withhold a part of the deposit or even the whole thing.

Benefits of professional end of tenancy cleaning in London

End of tenancy cleaning seems to be expensive at first. However, once you factor in all the benefits, in some cases you’re practically making money off of it.

You get your deposit back.

Cleaning is the top reason deposits get slashed or outright withheld. But when you hire a cleaning company, you’re guaranteed this will be a non-issue. Since every reputable company offers a re-clean in case of any issues, your landlord can’t withhold your deposit on the grounds of cleaning.

Even if for some reason they do, you have a strong leg to stand on in the dispute. However, if you do your own cleaning, it’s a lot harder to argue you did a good job. You risk losing the lion’s share of your deposit to cover the cost of end of tenancy cleaning and your landlord will be very happy about it. 

You don’t waste your time. 

Many people think cleaning is easy. Many people are wrong. In order to do a good job, you need to know what you’re doing. You need a system. Also, you need to know how to combine different cleaning detergents and not poison yourself.

On top of that, end of tenancy cleaning is not your typical cleaning on the weekend. It’s a deep, top-to-bottom cleaning that requires you to seriously apply yourself.

This means you need to work your fingers to the bone for hours on end. Furthermore, if the property was professionally cleaned before you moved in, you need to match that level of cleanliness. You need to match the level of people who do this for a living. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but it’s going to take a lot of work.

You don’t need to take time off work.

Moving is stressful. It requires a lot of organization. That’s why many people use real estate agencies and moving companies to ease their burden. Adding a cleaning agency on top of that isn’t going to increase the expenses that much. But it will ensure you don’t lose time off work.

If you don’t manage to do all your cleaning on the weekend, you will have to take a day off to finish it. Unless you love cleaning, I seriously doubt you want to spend your day off scrubbing, sweeping, wiping, and washing.

On the other hand, if you work in a competitive environment, losing time off work comes with its own cons. Even if you seem to be saving money for the end of tenancy cleaning cost by doing it yourself, you might be wasting an opportunity at work. Not to mention the deposit risk.

You don’t have to worry about cleaning materials, equipment, and insurance. They are included in the end of tenancy cleaning price.

Last, but not least, you don’t need to worry about cleaning materials, equipment, and insurance. Reputable companies will take care of everything for you.

This means they’ll use quality detergents (unless they skimped on those to keep prices low), professional equipment (especially important for carpet cleaning), and they’ll be insured (because accidents do happen).

Conclusion

Moving is stressful enough as it is. You don’t need to add cleaning to the mix for some extra anxiety. As you can see, end of tenancy cleaning prices in London are very competitive, but that doesn’t mean the cheapest route is the most valuable. If you need help, we’re always here to lend you a hand.

Author: Atanas Dzhingarov

Hi, I’m Atanas - brand consultant and writer. I’m helping Samyx Cleaning create the best cleaning company blog on the Internet. Join us on our journey and learn how to live a cleaner, healthier, happier life in the process.