Moving out is stressful enough without losing part of your deposit over cleaning. Most disputes come down to a handful of areas that get missed, here's what letting agents actually check, room by room, so you can hand the keys back with confidence.
Whether you're a tenant doing it yourself or an agent sending this to someone who is, work through each room in order. If the carpets are the sticking point, that's where we come in, but everything below matters for getting your deposit back in full.
Living areas & bedrooms
- Carpets vacuumed, then professionally cleaned if stained, marked or heavily worn
- Skirting boards, sills and radiators wiped down and dust-free
- Marks and scuffs removed from walls where possible
- Inside of windows cleaned, cobwebs cleared from corners
- Wardrobes and drawers emptied and wiped inside
Kitchen
- Oven, hob and extractor degreased inside and out, the most-checked item of all
- Fridge and freezer emptied, defrosted and wiped down
- Cupboards cleared and cleaned inside and out
- Sink, taps and splashbacks descaled
- Floor washed, including behind and under appliances where you can reach
Bathroom
- Limescale removed from taps, shower screen and tiles
- Toilet, bath and sink cleaned and disinfected
- Grout and sealant free of mould
- Extractor fan and mirror wiped
Stairs, halls & the whole property
- Stair carpets cleaned, they wear and darken fastest and get noticed first
- All bins emptied and no belongings left behind
- Light fittings, switches and door handles wiped
- Garden or yard tidy, if the tenancy includes outside space
- Meter readings taken and keys ready to hand back
Why carpets are the deposit dealbreaker
Agents and inventory clerks compare the property against the check-in report. General wear and tear is expected, but ground-in dirt, traffic lanes on stairs, pet marks and stains usually aren't, and they're the easiest thing for a clerk to photograph. A domestic vacuum lifts surface dust; it won't shift what's worked deep into the pile over a tenancy.
That's the gap a professional clean closes. Hot-water extraction pulls the dirt out of the fibres rather than moving it around, which is why a tired-looking carpet can come back looking close to new, often the difference between a full deposit and a deduction.
Send this to your outgoing tenants
Feel free to link this checklist in your move-out emails. If the carpets need doing properly before check-out, we offer same-week turnarounds so a clean never holds up your next tenancy, just point them our way or book us in directly.
Doing it yourself vs booking it in
If the carpets are in good shape and just need freshening, a thorough vacuum and spot-treat may be enough. If there's staining, heavy footfall marks, odours or pet damage, it's worth booking a professional clean, it costs far less than a disputed deposit deduction, and you get a receipt you can show the agent as proof the work was done.