The Complete End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist (2026) — Room by Room

A room-by-room checklist of everything letting agents check at the end of a tenancy. Use this before checkout to ensure every area is covered and avoid deposit deductions.

Cleaning is the single most common reason for tenancy deposit deductions in the UK, accounting for over 50% of all disputes. Most of those disputes come down to things that were missed — not things that couldn't be cleaned. This room-by-room checklist covers every area that letting agents and checkout clerks inspect, so you (or your professional cleaning team) don't miss anything. Prefer a DIY plan with timing and trade-offs? See Can I do end of tenancy cleaning myself?.

Kitchen Checklist

The kitchen is almost always the most time-consuming room. Letting agents pay particular attention to the oven and inside cupboards — these are the most common reasons for cleaning deductions.

• Oven — clean inside including roof, sides, door glass, grill pan and racks
• Hob — remove burners or rings, clean surface and underneath
• Extractor fan — degrease filter, wipe housing
• Microwave — clean inside, outside, and door seal
• Fridge — empty, defrost if needed, clean all shelves, drawers and door seals
• Freezer — defrost completely, clean interior
• Dishwasher — clean filter, wipe door seal, run an empty hot cycle
• All cupboards — wipe inside and out, including top surface
• Drawers — empty and wipe inside
• Worktops — degrease thoroughly, pay attention to edges and behind taps
• Sink and taps — descale and polish
• Tiles and splashbacks — degrease, remove all marks and limescale
• Bin area — clean and deodorise
• Skirting boards and kick plates — wipe down
• Floor — sweep, mop, clean under appliances if accessible

Bathroom / En Suite Checklist

Limescale is the number one bathroom issue in London due to the hard water. Allow extra time for descaling — particularly shower screens, taps, and the toilet.

• Toilet — clean inside bowl with limescale remover, seat (top and underside), cistern, base and behind
• Sink — descale and polish, clean drain
• Bath — clean and descale, pay attention to the grout and seal
• Shower — clean tray/floor, descale head and rail, scrub tiles, clean screen or curtain
• Tiles — scrub grout lines, remove mould and limescale
• Mirror — clean and polish, no streaks
• Extractor fan — wipe vent, dust cover
• Towel rails — wipe down, remove any marks
• Cupboards and shelves — wipe inside and out
• Skirting and door frame — wipe down
• Floor — clean and mop including behind toilet

Bedrooms Checklist

• Wardrobes — clean inside including rails, shelves and floor; wipe doors
• Drawers — empty and wipe inside
• Windows — clean glass inside, wipe frames and sills
• Skirting boards — dust and wipe
• Light switches and sockets — wipe with a slightly damp cloth
• Radiators — dust between fins, wipe front and sides
• Ceiling corners — remove cobwebs
• Carpets — vacuum thoroughly including under bed if accessible
• Hard floors — sweep and mop
• Door and door frame — wipe handle, frame and top of door

Living Room / Reception Room Checklist

• Fireplace or fire surround — clean grate, hearth and surround if present
• Windows — clean glass, frames, sills
• Skirting boards — full perimeter
• All sockets and switches
• Radiators — dust and wipe
• Any built-in storage — clean inside and out
• Carpets — vacuum including under sofa and along edges
• Hard floors — sweep and mop
• Ceiling light fittings — dust shades or glass covers
• Remove cobwebs from corners and ceiling

Hallway, Stairs and Landing Checklist

• Front door — clean inside and out, polish letterbox and handle
• Stairs — vacuum each step, wipe skirting on each step
• Bannisters and handrail — wipe down fully
• Skirting boards throughout hallway
• Light switches
• Any storage cupboard — hoover and wipe inside
• Entrance mat — clean or replace
• Hard floor in hallway — sweep and mop

Commonly Missed Areas That Cause Deposit Deductions

These are the areas most often flagged by checkout clerks and letting agents — make sure they're not overlooked:

1. 1Top of kitchen cupboards — grease and dust build up here and it's always checked
2. 2Inside the oven door glass — most people clean the outside but forget the glass has two layers
3. 3Behind the toilet — one of the first places agents check
4. 4Shower head — limescale visible to the naked eye is a common deduction reason
5. 5Extractor fans — both kitchen and bathroom
6. 6Window tracks and sills — dust and grime in the tracks are often missed
7. 7Skirting board tops — particularly in corners where dust accumulates
8. 8Inside drawers — even empty drawers should be wiped clean
9. 9Refrigerator seal — black mould in the door seal is a guaranteed deduction

Should You Do It Yourself or Hire a Professional?

Doing it yourself is entirely possible if you have the time, the right products, and a detailed checklist like this one. Budget at least 6–8 hours for a 1-bedroom flat done thoroughly. For larger properties or if you're short on time, professional cleaning usually makes financial sense — the cost of a professional clean (typically £170–£270 for a 1–2 bed flat in London) is almost always less than the amount a landlord can deduct for cleaning failures.

The key advantage of a professional end of tenancy clean is the re-clean guarantee — at Scrubbr, if your letting agent raises a written cleaning issue within 48 hours of the clean, we return and rectify it at no charge. This guarantee removes the risk entirely.