The End of Tenancy Cleaning Service is a popular home cleaning procedure in the UK. As well as requiring considerable effort to achieve perfect results, it arrives with several specifics that you will not find in standard seasonal cleaning. In order to answer the question of who is responsible for End of Tenancy Cleaning correctly, it is important to clarify these specifics in advance. They will, by the way give you real guidance as to how to deal with the cleaning itself properly and seamlessly.
What distinguishes End of Tenancy Cleaning from any other type of home cleaning?
In the most general sense, End of Tenancy Cleaning is the cleaning of the entire property. It can be both a modest studio apartment and a three-storey house. In any case, a well-done End of Tenancy Cleaning means perfect hygiene for the entire property. In other words, all rooms should be perfectly clean and the surfaces must be glossy. Not to mention that the peculiarity of the End of Tenancy Cleaning London Service requires that special care be taken when cleaning heavily soiled areas, including those that are not visible at first glance (for example, cleaning cabinets inside, removing stains on the floor under furniture, and so on). In addition, an End of Tenancy Cleaning is characterized by the following specifics:
- It is a cleaning procedure for an apartment or house that has been rented out. Next, you will find out who is actually responsible for the cleaning - the landlord or tenant.
- An EOT is a procedure that depends on the rental agreement. Most often, it is the answer to the question of who is responsible for the cleaning itself. But not always.
- End of Tenancy Cleaning, unlike the standard cleaning that we do every day, as well as with the beginning of the new season, is not imposed on the principle of recommendation. It is binding. What we mean is that with the onset of spring, there is an unwritten rule around the world for people to carry out spring cleaning at home. But if one misses it, the fatal consequences will not come. With End of Tenancy, things are different. It is not a recommendation, but an obligation. But who has to fulfill it?
In Response to the question of who is responsible for the End of Tenancy Cleaning as standard is based on the relationship between the tenant and the landlord and the contract they have. However, in the UK (by the way, recently and in other parts of the world), the terms of this agreement are not limited to the price of the lease, its term and a set of obligations and rights to use the property. In such a type of contract, the special End of Tenancy Cleaning clause is almost always included. According to this clause, the tenant is obliged upon permanent leaving the property to bring it back to its original state. As you can see, the purpose of the clause is not only to let the tenant deal with the necessary responsibility for maintaining the integrity and the good state of the home, but also to take some responsibility for the future tenants. After all, no one would want to rent an apartment that looks as if a bomb has been dropped just because previous tenants didn't clean up after themselves. And like any other obligation, this for carrying out a thorough End of Tenancy Cleaning is accompanied by a certain sanction. If you as a tenant do not manage, you will be punished. In particular, the clause of your rental agreement mentions that the penalty equals a tenancy deposit. You pay this deposit when you sign the contract with your landlord for your new home. It may vary in amount, but in any case, it will be returned to you after the end of the lease only if you have done an End of Tenancy Cleaning. According to one study, the most common problems between tenants and landlords are related to this tenancy deposit. This may lead us to assert that, even while the two parties were making the lease to understand each other perfectly, in an untimely and poorly executed End of Tenancy Cleaning a dispute is inevitable.
How to fulfill your obligation as a tenant so you get your deposit back. Well, you just have to clean the apartment. But this task is not as simple as it sounds. To recover your deposit, you need to prepare for a top-to-bottom, thorough and comprehensive End of Tenancy Cleaning. And here comes the new question - are you prepared to handle this task? Do you have the necessary skills and the necessary products and equipment for this purpose? And more importantly, do you have time to do an End of Tenancy Cleaning yourself with the removal process that we all know is neither easy nor quick, nor cheap. It is best to show satisfactory End of Tenancy Cleaning results when checking with your landlord. And when it comes to verification… The tenant cannot avoid this obligation.
It is because of the check out inspection. When leaving the property, do not expect just a quick return of the keys, or painful and emotional farewell. In fact, under the contract and the End of Tenancy Cleaning clause, your landlord will check your apartment in detail to make sure that first, you have not caused permanent damage, and second that you have cleaned the property thoroughly. It is after this check that you will get your deposit back. You may have been wiping the floor for hours, and the next day you may have rubbed the bathroom until you faint, you may have even washed all the stains on the carpet in the living room and the windows, but the landlord can always find other gaps during the inspection. This can cost you the deposit. Keep in mind that if you rented a home through an agency, the check-up can get a lot rough and thorough. In this case, professionals - tenancy or rental agents - will evaluate your End of Tenancy Cleaning results. Usually, they are more demanding than landlords.
End of Tenancy Cleaning obligation - how to handle it perfectly
So it is your responsibility to clear the property before leaving. It is clear that End of Tenancy Cleaning itself is a standard for cleaning the property. This will fulfill your obligation. But in order to perfect it, that is, to avoid further problems with your landlord, and to get your money back, you will need to do more.
There are two options:
- Option 1 assumes that you can handle the task yourself, but responsibly and with considerable effort and time. This is a kind of DIY EOT project where you should involve the whole family if you need help from friends, colleagues and neighbors. It is imperative that you checklist yourself so you do not forget an important room, so you do not miss a spot to achieve the desired result. If you are far from the definition of a cleaner, it is very likely that you do not have the necessary equipment for EOT. In this case, it is a good idea to buy - detergents, special equipment and so on, as well as supplies such as a sponge, mop, towels, and even borrow cleaning supplies. Spend at least two days just for EOT. Otherwise, your efforts will be in vain.
- Option 2 is less labor-intensive, but to some it sounds more expensive. It's about hiring a professional cleaning company. The good news is that almost every modern UK professional cleaning company offers the End of Tenancy cleaning service. The option really costs money. But the big BUT here is that the DIY EOT project also costs you money. If you do not have the necessary cleaning supplies, you will need to buy a lot, while companies never require their customers to provide either detergents or any specific equipment. If the property is extremely dirty, specialized products (e.g. dry cleaning solutions for delicate upholstery or hot water extraction machines for carpet steam cleaning) may be required. You may be able to find them for rent somewhere, but don't expect a cheap price for it. In other words, a professional End of Tenancy Cleaning does not cost as much as it sounds. And if an EOT with a company goes as far as DIY EOT preparation, remember that the professional service option saves you a lot of time and effort. Time is money, and effort is sometimes invaluable.
What are the benefits of having a professional cleaning service if you are a tenant and are obliged to do End of Tenancy Cleaning?
Don't be fooled that the only advantage of having a professional End of Tenancy Cleaning is that you will save yourself all this exhausting wiping, rubbing, drying and whatever else. As you have already understood, in some cases it even comes out so that it can save you money. But it also has other advantages for the tenant:
The result is flawless simply because it is done by professionals. That's their job. These cleaners are trained and equipped with the necessary materials and equipment. What's more - they have experience unlike you, who may be facing this obligation for the first time and may not even know where to start.
- With the years and practice gained, End of Tenancy cleaners already know what the weak points are during an inventory check. They have performed a number of such services and have remembered, for example, that landlords like to look for stains on the carpet or to claim that the wardrobe is not cleaned on the inside. These cleaners are ready to go and have a solution to any problem.
- The cleaning company always complies with your time and conditions and the rental agreement. It is flexible enough to carry out an End of Tenancy Cleaning at a time convenient for you, including if you need an emergency service. In addition, the cleaning company is also obliged to consult your contract to make sure that the landlord does not have any specific requirements (for example, some owners insist the cleaning be done with eco-friendly products in case they accept new tenants with young children, people with allergies or pets).
- Service guarantee is a key advantage of a professional End of Tenancy Cleaning. A guarantee is always included in the package price of the service (usually it is 48-hour). According to this, if omissions are found during inventory check or the landlord is not satisfied with the results, you can contact the cleaning company again. If there are issues, the cleaners will re-do the service free of charge. In other words, an End of Tenancy Cleaning guarantee is assurance that you will get your full deposit back.
Could another person be responsible for the End of Tenancy Cleaning and not the tenant?
In 90% of the cases, the tenant is obliged to clean the property before leaving it. However, this is explicitly stated in the contract or by oral agreement with the landlord. Therefore, cleaning companies always comply with the specific tenancy deposit. It is very possible, for example, to have specific cleaning instructions and an arrangement for sharing the cost of End of Tenancy Cleaning between the two parties. And although these are quite rare cases, they do exist and should be taken into account. Sometimes, the landlord takes a larger amount of tenancy deposit with the stipulation that he will return some of it to the tenant if there is no serious damage (such as broken furniture, for example), but he remains responsible for the End of Tenancy Cleaning. It is possible for rental agencies to include the End of Tenancy Cleaning obligation to the tenants at the end of each rental on behalf of the landlord. Also future tenants may have to pay for End of Tenancy Cleaning themselves. This happens when the landlord is obliged to clean but has not done so and instead has reduced the down payment of his subsequent tenants. In any case, contemporary property experts in the UK recommend a proper End of Tenancy Cleaning for the prevention of allergic reactions, illnesses and, in general, the comfort of the future. Naturally, a clean home attracts more customers, so landlords are responsible for thorough cleaning if previous tenants have not fulfilled their obligation.
End of Tenancy Cleaning is a difficult task, but it is a must, and should not be underestimated. According to statistics, 85% of people who decide to perform this type of cleaning alone are unable to receive the entire tenancy deposit back. That is why the End of Tenancy Cleaning today is perceived not as a household task, but as a profitable and quality professional cleaning procedure.
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