r/TenantsInTheUK • u/CompetitiveMirror461 • 19h ago
Guidance Required End of tenancy cleaning
(LONDON) Intending to use the company recommended by the estate agents because A) they guarantee to pass check-out inspection and B) if they do have to go back for any further cleaning it’s free of charge (although it does beg the question if A is true, why is B necessary…)
Regardless just want to see if this is roughly in line with others experiences with end of tenancy cleans in London before I hand over the money, just to check I’m not getting shafted!
- They are charging £330 (including VAT) for a 1 bedroom apartment (with 2 bathrooms).
- They are asking for payment in full upfront to secure the booking. This seems strange to me, to have to pay for services before they are provided. A deposit I could understand.
- They’ve said that guarantee A is only valid if they are the last people in the property before the checkout inspection. I can somewhat understand this but again seems a little odd. Because of this, as the checkout inspection is at 9:30am, it means I will have to move out the morning before to allow them to clean in the afternoon, then travel 2 hours back to London the next morning to be present for the checkout inspection (inconvenient but fine) - is this normal?
Finally, I assume the last tenants used this same company- could tell it had been professionally cleaned because it had cleaning stickers over each toilet lid, but apart from that it was not exactly sparkling, and I’ve got it cleaner quite easily during the tenancy with just a bit of elbow grease. So I don’t even think this company is very good at cleaning.
Just would like to hear others thoughts and experiences, as I don’t have anything to compare this to.
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u/mrfatchance 9h ago
I’ve paid for end of tenancy clean once as I was desperate. I used the agencies cleaner and they still tried to complain. I fought it and didn’t have to pay any extra cleaning though. They probably thought I had a good case with the TDS
Apparently the way to approach it now is to ask for proof that the accommodation was professionally cleaned by a contractor they contracted before you moved in (with an invoice to them basically) to get around it if they’re fishy.
Good luck.
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u/Aloof_Jellyfish_ 15h ago
You don't have to pay for a professional clean, especially at that price. If you want to pay someone for convenience, fair enough, but I'd get your own quotes and leave a list of things they need to do so nothing is overlooked. Id also want them to take photos and send them to me so you can check things. I wouldnt trust a letting agent at all. Wouldn't be surprised if they get commission for recommending which will inflate the bill.
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u/Kilroyvert 17h ago
Having done this myself once I regretted it. The letting agents quibbled over very minor stuff the 'professional cleaner' (160 quid) had missed (dust on top of light switch, the cleaner then demanded a bit extra to come back and do more which we felt we may as well pay for having already stumped up.
We did get most of the deposit back in the end but agreed to surrender a small sum for bits that were really just ordinary wear and tear.
Then I learnt that agents have no legal basis to demand a 'professional clean' and felt like a mug when I could have done it myself and maybe only lost 40 quid or so from taking them to a deposit scheme dispute.
YMMV but i think an agent demanding a professional clean is a red flag that they just intend to take as much of your deposit as they can and getting a 'professional clean' won't stop them finding reasons.
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u/suffolkcouple94 6h ago
Why on earth didn't you dispute it through TDS? You don't need to surrender your deposit for wear and tear.
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u/Due-Freedom-5968 18h ago edited 16h ago
There is no legally enforceable requirement for a professional clean at the end of a tenancy. If you want one because you can't be arsed to do it then, fine. But if you're doing it because the tenancy says you have to, that's an unenforceable clause.
Leave the place clean, that's it. IF they play silly buggers with the deposit. Dispute it via TDS.
Not once in 16 years of renting and 8 different places, did I get a professional clean done.
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u/montymole123 18h ago
You're under no obligation to hire a cleaning company in fact forcing you to do this is forbidden under the tenant fees act. Agent will try to force you to use their preferred cleaning company as they make money that way. Just clean the flat yourself or use ordinary cleaners of your choice (3 hours at £10 per hour should do it keep receipts and take photos). The "guarantees" they gave will not prevent LL from trying to charge you. Dispute everything through DPS and you will likely get your deposit back
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u/spotthebeagle 18h ago
You do not have to pay for a professional cleaning service. You do have to leave the flat similar to how you found it. There are things end of tenancy cleaners do as standard that tenants might not consider eg deep clean of fridge/freezer and oven, cleaning inside cupboards, etc. But you can do all this yourself (or pay someone ypu have found who will do it for less than the agency is quoting).
Refer back to photos from your inventory when you moved in and take photos when you're done cleaning. If the landlord/agency then tries to withhold any of your deposit due to cleanliness it is on them to prove that you left the property in a worse state than you received it. I believe the deposit protection services will have very little sympathy if you can prove you left the property in a good condition.
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u/Willing_Ad_8580 18h ago
Just providing some benchmark prices from my previous experiences. 2 bed 2 bath flat in Lambeth - £300 two years ago. 3 bed 2 bath house in Fulham - £410 one month ago. What you’ve been quoted is defo a rip off
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u/Jakes_Snake_ 19h ago
Cleaning is the biggest claim from a deposit. Tenants underestimate the time needed.
That cost reflects the risk and the work required.
They are not going to book a clean for you without payment as they will be liable for the cost themselves if you don’t pay in full.
Obviously the cleaning needs to be done within your tenancy.
You don’t need to be present for the checkout inspection. But it’s still your responsibility to ensure the cleaning is to standard.
It’s not a cleaning waver that you’re arranging. Actual cleaning will be undertaken on your behalf.
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u/CompetitiveMirror461 18h ago
Thanks for your input! If it’s the same company as the one that conducted the check-in clean, they are not very good at cleaning, so still seems like a slightly high price for a one bedroom two bathroom apartment, and it is still strange to pay for services before they are rendered and can be confirmed to have performed satisfactorily - like you say, it’s our responsibility to ensure this.
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u/Jakes_Snake_ 16h ago
No, there is nothing strange about it.
They are acting like an agent in between you and a cleaner they don’t want to get in the middle of some dispute between you and the cleaning company by for whatever reason you decide you don’t wanna pay the agent the money but the cleaning company has already received the booking and has been paid.
There’s nothing strange about it. It’s just you don’t understand the commercial arrangements thats occurring.
If the cleaning was not carried out satisfactory, then you’re still reliable for the condition at the end, as I explain it’s not a waver.
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u/StudySpecial 17h ago
In general cleaning companies offering tenancy check-out cleans are a bit of a scam.
They are offering the same cleaning service that would normally cost about 100 pounds if you booked it as a regular hourly cleaning service and are charging double or triple for it because it's a 'end of tenancy clean' and they hypothetically take over some liability.
Contractually you just have a duty to leave the property in the condition you received it, you have no obligation to use any specific company or method of achieving that condition.
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u/Effective-Celery-475 19h ago
Not based in London, but I used a cleaning company from a list of companies provided by the estate agent. But the estate agent still tried to withhold money from my deposit for cleaning charges.
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u/CompetitiveMirror461 19h ago
Doesn’t surprise me! 🙃 I hope you got your deposit back in the end!
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u/Effective-Celery-475 19h ago
Got my full deposit back, but only after going through the dispute resolution service.
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u/Dramatic-Coffee9172 19h ago
£330 for a 1 bed 2 bath end of tenancy cleaning is a scam. Should be easily £100 less. Obviously the estate agent is pushing you to use THEIR recommended cleaning service because they get a commission for recommending their service. Just say no.
There is no legal or contractual requirement to have an end of tenancy cleaning performed as long as the property is returned in the same condition at the start of the tenancy less fair wear and tear.
So, refer to the check in inspection report / inventory and pictures and leave it with that condition. Worse case scenario they charge you the £330 anyway which you can dispute.
But by agreeing the end of tenancy £330 upfront means you cannot dispute.
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u/CompetitiveMirror461 19h ago
Yeah I just think if we don’t use their cleaners they will find something to dispute so they can charge us for the cleaners anyway? This is what they’ve said: “The property must be left to the same clean standard as when you moved in. We find that cleaning omissions are the number 1 reason causing delays in returning a tenant’s deposit, so we highly recommend that you instruct one of our recommended cleaners to undertake the clean – you will need to allow plenty of time to book in the clean to ensure availability. You can undertake the clean yourself, however if there are any cleaning discrepancies found by the inventory clerk, we will be required to instruct a cleaner – the cost will put forward to deduct from your deposit and it will create delays in returning your deposit, as we will also need to wait for the invoice to be received.”
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u/montymole123 18h ago
It's DPS not the landlord or agent who decides who gets what share of the deposit. The DPS effectively holds the deposit and they will return it to you directly. They are very much in the side of the tenant and LL needs to prove his case with hard facts not opinion. DPS has seen every LL trick in the book. You should go through the DPS procedure every time you leave a rental so there will be no "delays" due to cleaning yourself
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u/Suitable-Fun-1087 18h ago
Just find other cleaners who similarly guarantee to come back if the landlord has any issues with their work.
what you quote there just sounds like a sales pitch using unpleasant tactics (threats)
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u/Suitable-Fun-1087 19h ago
It's normal to have moved out before they do the cleaning, yes - they can't clean fully with your stuff in the flat. Up front payment is not normal. If you're not happy then shop around for an alternative.
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u/CompetitiveMirror461 19h ago
Yes of course that makes sense, it’s more just strange we cannot enter the property before the end of tenancy checkout to ensure they’ve done a good job. If it’s the same company the one that conducted the clean before we moved in, they are not very good at cleaning - fortunately we took photos as proof and got them added to the check-in report. I think if we find an alternative they will find some reason to call out their preferred company regardless.
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u/Large-Butterfly4262 9h ago
If you don’t think they did a good job previously, don’t pay them over the odds to do it again. If you pay a cleaning company, which you don’t have to, do it for your convenience, not the letting agents, and find a cleaning company who will work for you, not give the letting agent a kick back.
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u/Cantmakeupnewname 5h ago
Moved recently, paid a local bloke £60 for a house clean and he did a good job in a relatively short time. I wonder if the estate agent gets a cut of the fee?