End of tenancy cleaning checklist: room by room

Start with your check-in inventory. Work from the top of each room down, finish floors last, and take your final photographs after the furniture has gone. This is a planning checklist for tenants, not a promise that every task is included in a cleaning quote.

Before you start

Find the check-in report and any move-in photos. Note existing damage separately from dirt. Empty cupboards and drawers so you can reach the surfaces. Agree who is doing shared rooms if housemates leave on different days.

In England, you can meet the recorded cleaning standard yourself. A requirement to pay for professional cleaning is different from a requirement to return the property as clean as it was at check-in. Shelter explains that distinction.

Kitchen

• Empty and wipe cupboards and drawers, including handles.
• Clean the hob, splashback, worktops and sink with suitable products.
• Clean the extractor cover and service its filter according to the manual.
• Wipe reachable areas behind appliances only where moving them is safe; do not disconnect gas, water or electrical connections.
• Clean window sills, tracks, switches and door handles.
• Vacuum and mop the floor last.

Photograph: open cupboards, the hob, sink and extractor. Use a wide room photograph as well as close-ups.

Oven

• Check the model's cleaning instructions before choosing a product.
• Let the oven cool and remove accessories as instructed.
• Clean compatible racks, cavity surfaces and door glass.
• Remove cleaning residue as directed and refit dry accessories.

Keep detergents off catalytic liners. Don't dismantle the door or disconnect the oven to reach dirt. Our oven guide explains the different surfaces.

Photograph: the door glass, racks and cavity. A picture of the outside alone won't show the inside.

Bathroom

• Clean the basin, bath or shower and toilet, including reachable exterior surfaces.
• Treat scale only with a product approved for the material and finish.
• Wipe mirrors, cabinet shelves and the extractor cover.
• Remove loose hair from accessible waste strainers.
• Clean the floor last.

Don't cover a plated tap in acid and leave it for an arbitrary time. Follow the tap maker and product label. See our limescale guide. Report persistent damp or extensive mould to the landlord rather than treating it as a routine cleaning task.

Bedrooms and living rooms

• Empty and wipe accessible wardrobes, shelves and drawers.
• Dust reachable light fittings, skirting, door frames and radiators.
• Wipe handles and switches with a barely damp cloth; keep liquid out of electrics.
• Clean accessible window sills and tracks.
• Vacuum floors, edges and the spaces furniture has left behind.

Normal ageing is different from dirt. Don't repaint or attempt repairs without agreement. Use our fair wear and tear guide to separate the questions.

Hall, stairs and final checks

• Dust banisters and skirting; wipe the front door handle.
• Vacuum stairs and corners.
• Empty bins and remove your belongings and rubbish.
• Check the inventory for any garden, balcony or outside-space responsibilities.
• Photograph every finished room and record meter readings.
• Keep confirmation that the keys were returned.

Use a stable, appropriate step stool only where safe. Don't lean out of windows or attempt exterior work at height.

Fridge, freezer and windows

Empty and defrost the freezer according to its manual before cleaning it. Protect the floor from meltwater, and never chip ice with a sharp tool. Clean shelves, drawers and seals with a compatible product.

For a paid clean, ask about these tasks explicitly: inside windows, fridge/freezer interiors and specialist carpet cleaning are optional extras in Candour's quote, not included just because they appear in a tenant's checklist.

Allow enough time before check-out

The property size alone won't tell you the duration. An oven with baked-on grease, several bathrooms, belongings still in place and slow-drying floors all affect the plan. Leave room for product contact times and a final walk-through. Ask the cleaning provider to confirm duration and access needs before agreeing a key deadline.

When paying for a clean makes sense

DIY is reasonable when you have the time, suitable supplies and safe access. A professional clean may help when moving and cleaning overlap or a shared house needs one person to coordinate the work.

Candour's standard two-bedroom move-out clean with one bathroom is £249, including a single oven. Selected extras and applicable charges are itemised in your quote. A photo report documents the work; it cannot guarantee the return of a tenancy deposit.

See what our move-out clean includes or get your itemised price.