Before an end of tenancy clean, remove personal belongings and rubbish, make the property accessible, empty any appliances that are being cleaned internally, and check your inventory or letting-agent instructions for areas that need particular attention. If professional cleaners are attending, make sure running water and electricity remain available and provide access, parking and key information before the appointment.
Preparing the property properly helps the cleaning team work efficiently and reduces the risk of areas being inaccessible or missed because belongings, frozen appliances or access problems are in the way.
The property should ideally be empty, or as close to empty as practical, before the end of tenancy clean begins. Boxes, clothes, food, toiletries and other personal belongings can prevent cleaners from reaching floors, cupboards, shelves and other surfaces.
Remove unwanted items and ordinary household rubbish before the appointment. A cleaning service is not normally a rubbish-removal or clearance service unless this has been separately agreed.
If some belongings must remain in the property, tell the cleaning company beforehand and keep them grouped away from the areas that need to be cleaned wherever possible.
If the inside of a fridge, freezer or another appliance is included in the booking, remove food and personal items before the cleaners arrive.
A freezer should normally be fully defrosted before its interior is cleaned. A frozen or heavily iced freezer can delay the job and may prevent the interior from being cleaned properly during the booked time.
At Properly Services, our studio end of tenancy package includes all appliance interiors, including the oven. For 1–5 bedroom packages, up to three agreed kitchen appliance interiors are included, while internal oven cleaning is separately priced and does not count as one of those three appliances.
If you are unsure which appliances are included in your booking, confirm the cleaning scope before the appointment rather than waiting until the cleaners arrive.
Professional cleaners normally need access to running water and electricity throughout the appointment. Water is required for cleaning and rinsing, while vacuum cleaners and other equipment depend on electricity.
If you are closing utility accounts when moving out, arrange the timing so that essential services remain available until the clean has been completed.
Tell the cleaning company exactly how the team will enter the property. This may involve meeting the tenant, collecting keys, using a key safe or arranging access through a concierge, landlord or letting agent.
If there are building entry codes, reception procedures, security gates or restricted access times, provide those details before the appointment.
Access delays can reduce the time available for cleaning or affect other bookings scheduled for the team later in the day.
Parking and property access can make a significant difference to a cleaning appointment, especially in London and other busy urban areas.
This is particularly important when carpet-cleaning or upholstery equipment needs to be carried into the property.
Before the clean, review your original check-in inventory, photographs and any check-out instructions supplied by the landlord, letting agent or inventory clerk.
This can highlight areas that need particular attention, such as an oven that was recorded as clean at check-in, limescale-sensitive bathroom fittings, marks on flooring or appliance interiors.
Send relevant instructions to the cleaner where they affect the agreed cleaning scope. Do not assume that the cleaning team has received documents held by your landlord or letting agent.
For a broader explanation of the final inspection, see our guide to what a landlord checks at the end of a tenancy.
Where possible, remove boxes and moveable personal items before cleaners arrive. This gives the team better access to floors, skirting boards, cupboards, wardrobes, windows and other surfaces.
Large landlord-supplied furniture does not normally need to be removed. However, cleaners may not be able to move very heavy furniture, dismantle beds or lift items where doing so would be unsafe or risk damage.
If a specific area behind or underneath furniture needs attention, discuss it before the booking so the access requirement is clear.
If you already know about an area that needs extra attention, mention it when booking rather than waiting until the cleaning team arrives.
Examples include:
Properly Services’ standard prices are based on properties in average cleaning condition. Where the condition is substantially heavier than expected, any additional requirement should be discussed and confirmed rather than simply assumed to be included.
Some services require additional equipment, products or appointment time, so they should ideally be booked in advance.
For a detailed breakdown of standard cleaning and optional extras, see what end of tenancy cleaning includes.
You do not need to deep-clean the whole property before paying a professional team to perform the end of tenancy clean. The purpose of preparation is to make the property accessible and ready to clean, not to duplicate the service you have booked.
In most cases, you do not need to:
You should, however, remove belongings, food, rubbish and other obstacles that prevent access to the surfaces being cleaned.
An empty property is usually easier and faster to clean thoroughly because the team can access floors, skirting boards, cupboards and other surfaces without working around packed belongings.
That does not mean every property must be completely unfurnished. Landlord-supplied furniture can remain in place. The important distinction is between furniture that belongs with the property and the tenant’s personal belongings or moving boxes.
Where possible, schedule the clean after most or all personal belongings have been removed and before the final check-out inspection or key handover.
The amount of time required depends on property size, condition, team size and additional services. Our guide to how long end of tenancy cleaning takes gives typical operating times by property size.
After the cleaning has been completed, check the property before final handover where practical.
Properly Services provides a 7-day re-clean guarantee for eligible end of tenancy cleaning issues, subject to the agreed cleaning scope and our guarantee terms.
The cleaning appointment and the final property inspection are related but separate steps. Cleaning addresses the condition of the property, while the check-out can also cover inventory items, damage, keys and other aspects of the tenancy.
In England, Shelter advises tenants preparing for check-out to compare the property with the inventory, clean it to the same standard as when they moved in, remove rubbish and keep their own evidence of the property’s final condition. Read Shelter England’s check-out inspection guidance.
Our end of tenancy check-out inspection guide also includes a printable checklist you can use before returning the keys.
No full deep clean is normally necessary. Remove personal belongings, food and rubbish and make sure the cleaning team can access the areas included in the booking.
If the freezer interior is being cleaned, it should normally be emptied and fully defrosted before the cleaners arrive. Heavy ice can prevent the interior from being cleaned properly during the appointment.
Yes. Professional cleaning normally requires running water and electricity, so these services should remain available until the clean is finished.
It does not necessarily need to be unfurnished, but tenant belongings and moving boxes should ideally be removed. An empty or cleared property allows much better access to the surfaces being cleaned.
If the inventory or letting-agent instructions identify particular cleaning requirements, sharing the relevant information can help the cleaner understand the areas that need attention. The cleaning company will not normally have automatic access to documents held by your landlord or agent.
This depends on the booking and property, but keeping rooms clear generally makes it easier for the cleaners to work efficiently. If you need to remain at the property, avoid using rooms or surfaces that have already been cleaned where possible.
This guide combines Properly Services’ practical booking and cleaning experience with current tenancy check-out guidance. Property access, cleaning scope and preparation requirements can vary by booking, property and service provider.
Book online or send your property details for a fixed quote. For next-day and later slots, a member of our team confirms your booking within 2 working hours.
If your landlord, letting agent or inventory clerk flags a cleaning issue within 7 days of the clean, we come back and re-clean the affected area free of charge (terms apply).