The rules of trade in the rental home business require you to clean your home before you move out. Cleaning and organising a rental house before vacating can prove easy and fun if you follow the ultimate cleaning checklist for tenants.

It’s your responsibility to make sure you leave the house as clean and organized as you found it. Not adhering to the tenancy’s agreement of cleaning the home before you vacate can make your landlord hold back the deposit.

Whether commercial or residential homes, landlords use the same checklist to determine if you’ve thoroughly cleaned the premises. 

End-of-tenancy-cleaning

How to Clean the Living and Dining Rooms At the End of Tenancy

People spend most of their time in the living and dining rooms. So, the traffic levels in these areas are extreme. That means more dirt and dust accumulation, hence the need for thorough cleaning. If you’ve exhausted your tenancy contract and would like to give your dining and living rooms a fresh look and feel, explore the ultimate cleaning checklist for tenants to make your work easier.

  • Thoroughly vacuum the rugs, carpets, and upholstery

  • Dust off the lighting shades, fittings, paintings, and pictures

  • Remove the skid marks, cobwebs, and spots from the room corners and walls

  • Thoroughly wipe the dirt on the switches, sockets, and plugs

  • Dust off and clean the wall units, shelves, door handles, frames and doors

  •  Wipe clean the spindles, banisters, and the fireplace

  • Remove dust and thoroughly clean the armchair and sofa cushions

  • Give the desks, tables, and cabinets thorough cleaning and polishing

  • Get the furniture comprehensively vacuumed underneath and on the top

  • Dust off the remote controls, cables, and TV screens

  • Clean and polish the wooden ornaments

  • Remove the dirt on the curtains and blinds and clean them thoroughly

  • Thoroughly clean the shoe cabinets, wardrobes, and furnishes

  • Mop clean all hard and laminate floors

How to Clean the Kitchen and Cooking Areas Before Vacating Your Rental Home

Landlords are very keen when inspecting the cooking and kitchen areas. These are the most used areas, so they are exposed to extreme levels of humidity, grease, bacteria growth, and food stains. For an ordinary tenant, cleaning the kitchen can prove a great challenge. These are the tasks qualified end of tenancy cleaners will do to provide impressive results.

  • Professionally sanitize polish taps, kitchen sinks, counter tops, and workplaces

  • Remove all the cobwebs around the kitchen ceiling, walls, and corners

  • Clean the curtain rails and kitchen bins

  • Wipe clean the cooking hobs and extractor hoods

  • Remove the food stains and de-grease the ovens externally and internally

  • Clean off all the hard water and lime-scale deposits

  • Clean the grease on your wall tiles, control knobs, and gas rings

  • Remove all the grown mold on the kitchen tiles grouts

  •  Wash and sanitize the microwaves, washing machine, freezer, and fridge

  • Clean the interior, sills, frames, and ledges of the windows

  • Wash and stack the dining accessories, utensils, and cutlery

  • Thoroughly clean the door handles, towel handers, and spice racks

End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist for the Carpets

At the end of the tenancy, your landlord or letting agent will want to inspect the appearance and condition of the carpets. They will check every part of the carpet carefully, ensuring they are impressive. These are the easy ways to give the carpets that impressive and desirable look.

  • Remove the furniture and furnishings to ease the cleaning work

  • Vacuum the rugs and carpets from one end to the other and do the same from the other side.

  • Evaluate the textile floor covers for the buildup of soot and dirty edges

  • Mop clean the carpet stains, including cooking grease, red wine, tea, and mile.

  • Best Way to Clean the Bathrooms and Toilets

How to Clean the Exterior of the Premises

Your landlord wants the exterior of the property to be visually pleasing. Get the garages and sheds cleaned and organized. Clear off the moss, leaves, mould, oil, and spills on the patios, exterior flooring, driveways, and paths. 

It would be great you take a clear photo of the clean exterior and document the date so you can prove proof to your landlord. Here is everything else you can do to keep your premise’s exterior clean and attractive.

  • Fix the damaged outdoor decorations and lighting

  • Check your borders, fences, and gates for rust, marks, and scratches

  • Cut short the shrubs and hedges

  • Cut down tree branches, grass, and plants

  • Prune the weeds

  • Get the patios, paths, and driveways scrubbed and cleaned thoroughly

Guide on How to Clean the Stairs, Halls, and Hallways

At the end of tenancy, you should also clean the hallway and entrance. Your landlord may decide to hold back your deposit if these areas aren’t clean. Wall marks, floor dirt, and shoe marks can prove problematic to clean. If you aren’t able to get these areas cleaned to the expectations of the landlord, our end of tenancy cleaning checklist recommends you hire a professional end of tenancy cleaning service.

  • Eradicate all the cobwebs on the ceilings, corners, and walls

  • Mop clean the hallways, stairs, and internal windows

  • Clean wash and polish the back and front of the doors

  • Vacuum clean the carpets and rugs

  • Dust off the lighting fixtures, wall-hung pictures, and skirting boards

  • Wash clean the mark handrails, treads, balustrades, and risers

How to Clean the Bedroom at the End of the Tenancy

Another area addressed in our cleaning checklist for tenants is the bedroom. You must get the bedroom cleaned thoroughly and professionally.

  • Clean off the mess left beside by the cobwebs on the wall corners and ceilings

  • Get the nightstands, cupboards, shelves, and wardrobes dusted and polished

  • Dust off the dirt particles on the doors and picture frames

  • Get the external and interior areas of the curtains and blinds vacuumed

  • Clean off the dust and dirt on the wall hangings, pictures, and mirrors

  •  Vacuum the mattresses and windows

  • Wipe and polish the switches, lampshades and light fittings

  • Clean the extension cords and power sockets

End Tenancy Cleaning Checklist for Different Appliances

If you rented the house fully stocked with most appliances, here are the ways to get different appliances cleaned.

  1. Cleaning the Fridge and Freezer

Give the fridge and freezer a thorough cleaning following these steps.

  • Unfreeze the freezer and use a cloth to absorb the melted ice

  • Clean off the leftover foods, stain, and grime on the freezer or fridge

  • Clean the freezer and fridge thoroughly both externally and internally

  • Clean the rubber seals and door handles thoroughly

  • Clean the dust and dirt accrued inside and behind the refrigerator or freezer

  •  Remove and clean the slots, shelves, and grilles

  1. How to Clean the Dishwasher

The dishwater is prone to soap, grease, leftover food, and scum accumulation, hence the need to be cleaned. Here is how to go about dishwasher cleaning.

  • Put off the dishwasher’s power and discard everything inside

  • Disconnect the utensil holders and racks and check for buildup of soap and food

  • Disconnect the spray arm, grate, and filter and clean them using vinegar and water solution

  • Change the filters if needed

  • Dry all the washed surfaces using a paper towel and reassemble them back

  1. How to Clean the Tumbler Dryer

Tumbler dryers are prone to debris accumulation. Inspect and clean your tumbler dryer following this simple guide.

  • Thoroughly wash the external and internal surfaces of the tumbler

  • Clean and polish the knobs and buttons

  •  Wipe clean the rubber seal

  • Wash clean the soap dispenser drawer

  • ·Clean the filters

  1. How to Clean Microwaves and Ovens

  • De-grease the hob, grill, and extractor fan

  • Wash clean the racks and grill pan

  •  Clear off the grease stains and food spills on the grill, extractor fan, and hob

  • Wash and polish appliance’s interior and exterior, alike

  • Wipe clean and polish the microwave and oven doors

  •  Wipe clean the hobs, grills, and oven buttons

  • Switch off the oven or microwaves

  1. Clean the Washing Machine

  •  If your rental house has a washing machine in place, these are the steps to wash it clean.

  • Disconnect the detergent drawer and wipe clean any residue, mould or buildup

  • Pour white vinegar inside the washer and run it

  • Wipe clean the dashboard, rubber seals, and handles using a damp cloth

  •  Clean all the exterior, underneath and behind sections of the machine

  1. How to Clean the Toaster

  • Wash clean and thoroughly polish the toaster exterior

  • Clear off all bread crumbs and food stains

  • Thoroughly clean the interior of the toast

  • Carefully de-grease the buttons and knobs

End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist for The Mirrors, Glass Surfaces, and Windows

The windows, mirrors, and glass surfaces aren’t an exception during the end of tenancy cleaning. You must leave every surface immaculately clean, and these are the steps to get these surfaces cleaned proficiently.

  • Get rid of the water rings, fingerprints, and oily stains

  • Wipe clean and dry off the window sills

  • Remove the dirt and dust on the window frames

  • Wipe and polish the windows, tabletops, mirrors and glass surfaces

  •  Remove the dust and dirt on the shades, blinds, and curtains

Conclusion

This is the ultimate cleaning checklist for tenants that can see you woo your landlord to give your deposit the soonest they visit and inspect the property. These cleaning tasks can prove challenging for the average house renter, and so hiring professional move-out cleaners is highly recommended.