In short
The standard is the condition the property was in when you moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear, so the first item on any checklist is the check-in inventory. HomeLet's guide lists vacuuming and mopping, dusting all surfaces, washing windows, frames and doors, cleaning inside drawers and wardrobes, wiping sockets and light switches, removing stains and cobwebs, wiping down appliances and cleaning the bins. Propertymark adds photographs of every room and a signed check-out inventory.
This is a job for our End of tenancy cleaning service.
Start with the inventory, not the mop
Shelter England says you only need to clean to the same standard as when you moved in, and that this should be noted on the inventory or check-in report. Read it first, so you clean to the standard it records rather than to a showroom. See who has to clean at the end of a tenancy.
The cleaning list
HomeLet's end of tenancy guide (last updated 13 August 2026) lists these jobs. Room by room they work out as:
Every room
- Vacuum and mop the floors.
- Dust all surfaces, including skirting boards, shelves and the tops of wardrobes.
- Wash windows, frames and doors.
- Wipe sockets and light switches.
- Remove cobwebs and any stains you can.
Kitchen
- Wipe down appliances inside and out, including the oven, fridge and washing machine.
- Clean the worktops, sink and cupboards, inside and out.
Bathroom
- Clean the bath or shower, sink and toilet, and the tiles and grout.
Bedrooms and storage
- Clean inside drawers and wardrobes.
Outside
- Empty and clean the bins, and remove rubbish that will not fit in them. Shelter notes this is the tenant's job too.
The room-by-room grouping is ours, and the jobs are general cleaning tasks rather than a rule: HomeLet is a letting-services and insurance company, and no deposit scheme or government body we could find publishes an official list.
The paperwork that protects your deposit
Propertymark's guide for tenants recommends photographing every room, with close-ups and timestamps, asking for a check-out inventory, giving the notice your tenancy requires (one month for a periodic tenancy), returning the keys and taking final meter readings. Citizens Advice also suggests asking the landlord to sign the check-out inventory.
How long does it take?
Housekeep, a cleaning company, says a small flat can be cleaned top to bottom in three to five hours by a team of one or two, and a larger family home takes longer. That is a trade figure, not a standard.
If you would rather someone else did it
SAS Cleaning takes end of tenancy enquiries in Wisbech and across the Fens. Send the address, the size of the property, the date and any list you have been given through the enquiry form. See end of tenancy cleaning.