Is an End of Tenancy Clean Worth It? Petts Wood Landlords
When a tenant moves out of a rental in Petts Wood, the clock starts. Every day the property sits empty is a day of lost rent, and the condition it's in when the next tenant views it can decide whether they sign. So is a professional end of tenancy clean worth paying for as a landlord, or is it something you can handle yourself?
Quick answer
For most landlords, yes. A professional end of tenancy clean usually costs less than a week of lost rent, gets the property ready to relet sooner, and gives you an invoice to support a deposit deduction if the outgoing tenant left it dirty. In Petts Wood, Cleaners2Match end of tenancy cleans start from £180.
The real cost of an empty week
The cost that landlords tend to underestimate isn't the clean itself. It's the gap between tenancies.
A property that's cleaned, checked and ready to show within a couple of days of check-out can be relet faster than one that waits for the landlord to find a free weekend. On most rentals, a single week of lost rent costs more than a professional clean.
What a professional clean gives you
A professional end of tenancy clean is built around what gets checked when a property changes hands:
- Kitchens, including inside cupboards and drawers, the hob and extractor degreased, and the sink and taps descaled
- Bathrooms, with limescale removed from taps, screens and tiles, and the toilet, bath and shower deep cleaned
- Every room, with skirting boards, doors, frames, light switches, sockets and windowsills cleaned
- Floors, hoovered and mopped, with carpet cleaning available as an add-on
Optional extras such as a full oven clean, fridge clean or inside-window clean can be added to the same visit.
It protects your position on the deposit
If the outgoing tenant left the property dirty, you may be entitled to deduct the cost of cleaning from their deposit, allowing for fair wear and tear. In England, though, the deposit sits in a government-approved protection scheme, and if the tenant disputes the deduction, the scheme's adjudicator decides based on evidence.
A professional clean with a clear invoice, alongside your check-in and check-out inventories, gives you a documented cost to point to. That's much stronger than an estimate of what your own time was worth.
When doing it yourself makes sense
A DIY clean can work if the previous tenant left the property in good condition, it's a small flat, and you have time to do it properly before the next viewing. If any of those don't apply, a professional clean is usually the cheaper option once you count the void days.
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord charge a tenant for a professional clean?
Not as a condition of the tenancy, under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. A landlord can deduct a reasonable cleaning cost from the deposit if the property isn't returned in its check-in condition, allowing for fair wear and tear.
How long does an end of tenancy clean take?
It depends on the size and condition of the property. Cleaners2Match end of tenancy bookings are a minimum of 5 hours.
Can oven and carpet cleaning be added?
Yes. A full oven clean and carpet cleaning can both be added to the same visit.
Landlord cleaning in Petts Wood
We clean for landlords between tenancies, letting agents preparing properties and tenants moving out, across Petts Wood, the BR5 area and the wider Borough of Bromley. End of tenancy cleans start from £180, which is a minimum booking of 5 hours at £36 per hour. The exact time depends on the size and condition of the property.
See our end of tenancy cleaning page for what's included, or our Petts Wood page for local details. Request a free quote and we'll reply within 2 hours during opening hours.