It’s one of the most common questions at the end of a tenancy. The short answer: the tenant is responsible for returning the property clean, but the landlord can’t force the tenant to pay for a professional cleaning service.
This is general information for tenancies in England, not legal advice.
The tenant’s responsibility
Most tenancy agreements require you to return the property in the same condition it was in at the start, allowing for fair wear and tear. In practice that means leaving it as clean as it was recorded in the check-in inventory.
How you achieve that is up to you. You can clean it yourself, ask friends to help, or book a professional.
What the landlord can’t do
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords and agents in England generally can’t require tenants to pay for a professional clean as a condition of the tenancy.
What the landlord can do
If the property is returned dirtier than it was at check-in (beyond fair wear and tear), the landlord can propose a deduction from the deposit to cover reasonable cleaning costs. They’ll normally need evidence, such as the check-in and check-out reports and photos.
What about the landlord’s side?
Between tenancies, many landlords choose to arrange and pay for a clean themselves to make sure the property is ready for the next tenant — particularly if the outgoing tenant’s clean wasn’t quite up to standard, or the property has been empty for a while.
Avoiding disputes
- Read your check-in inventory before you clean
- Clean to that standard — not just “tidy”
- Take dated photos when you leave
- If you disagree with a deduction, use your deposit scheme’s free dispute service
Whoever is paying, our end of tenancy cleans are fixed-price, inventory-standard and backed by a 48-hour re-clean guarantee.