How to Get Your Deposit Back: Cleaning Mistakes Tenants Make

Why Cleaning Matters When You Move Out

Cleaning is one of the areas that can lead to disagreements between tenants and landlords. The important point is that tenants are generally expected to return the property to the same standard of cleanliness as when they moved in, rather than making the property look brand new.

This means that a property which was professionally cleaned before the tenancy may require a much higher standard of cleaning than a property that was only cleaned to a basic domestic standard.

Your check-in inventory is therefore extremely important. Before you start cleaning, look back at the original inventory and photographs if you have them. They can show you what condition the property was in at the beginning of the tenancy.

In England, tenancy deposits are normally protected through an approved deposit protection scheme, and disputes can be referred to the scheme’s free dispute resolution service if the tenant and landlord cannot agree.

The Most Common Cleaning Mistakes Tenants Make

1. Cleaning What You Can See and Ignoring the Rest

One of the biggest mistakes is concentrating on obvious areas such as floors, worktops and furniture while ignoring less visible surfaces.

A quick final clean might make a property look tidy, but inspection can reveal dust and dirt in places that are easy to overlook.

Common examples include:

• Dust on skirting boards and door frames
• Grease around kitchen extractor fans
• Dirt behind and underneath appliances
• Marks around light switches and doors
• Dust inside cupboards and drawers
• Build-up around taps and shower screens
• Dust on radiators
• Cobwebs around ceilings and corners

These details become particularly noticeable when the property is empty and there is no furniture or personal belongings to distract from them.

2. Leaving the Oven Until the Last Minute

The oven is one of the most frequently overlooked areas during an end of tenancy clean.

Cooking over several months or years can leave behind layers of grease, burnt-on food and carbon deposits. A quick spray and wipe on moving day is rarely enough to remove heavy build-up.

Pay particular attention to the:

• Oven interior
• Door glass
• Racks and trays
• Fan area
• Hob and controls
• Extractor hood and filters

If the oven has not been cleaned for a long time, trying to deal with it alongside the rest of the property on moving day can quickly become unrealistic. For tenants who want to know what`s the cost, our guide on Professional Oven Cleaning Cost in London.

3. Forgetting Carpets and Upholstery

Vacuuming the carpet is not necessarily the same as restoring it to its original condition.

Heavy traffic areas can contain accumulated dirt, while stains, pet hair and odours can remain after ordinary vacuuming. Upholstered furniture can have similar problems.

This is particularly important if the property was supplied with carpets or furniture that were visibly clean at the beginning of the tenancy.

If the carpet has accumulated significant staining or ground-in dirt, professional carpet cleaning in London may be more appropriate than trying several household products without knowing how they will affect the fibres.

4. Ignoring the Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers

Tenants often clean kitchen worktops and appliances but forget the inside of cupboards and drawers.

Grease, crumbs, dust and food residue can accumulate during a tenancy, particularly around handles and the bottom of drawers.

Open every cupboard and drawer before leaving and check:

• Corners and edges
• Handles
• Drawer runners
• Shelves
• Areas underneath removable liners
• Grease around the cooker and extractor

A kitchen can look clean from the outside while still failing a detailed end of tenancy inspection.

5. Treating the Bathroom as a Quick Spray-and-Wipe Job

Bathrooms can require more attention than simply cleaning the toilet and sink.

Limescale, soap residue and water marks can build up around taps, shower screens, tiles and fittings. Mould or discolouration around silicone seals can also become noticeable.

The aim should be to restore the bathroom to the standard documented at the beginning of the tenancy rather than simply making it smell clean.

Pay special attention to shower screens, taps, grout, toilet areas, extractor vents and hard-to-reach corners.

6. Forgetting Windows and Glass

Windows are another area that tenants sometimes overlook, particularly when they have spent most of their time cleaning inside the property.

Fingerprints, dust, grease and marks can remain on internal glass, frames and sills.

You may not necessarily need a specialist window cleaning service for every tenancy, but internal glass should be checked carefully if it was clean when you moved in.

7. Cleaning Without Checking the Inventory

This is perhaps the most avoidable mistake.

Rather than deciding what “clean enough” means yourself, compare the property with the check-in report.

If the inventory photographs show a spotless oven, clean carpets and dust-free skirting boards, those areas deserve particular attention when you move out.

Take your own dated photographs after cleaning. They can provide useful evidence if there is later a disagreement about the property’s condition.

What Counts as Cleaning and What Counts as Wear and Tear?

Not every mark in a rental property can automatically be treated as a cleaning issue.

Normal wear and tear is different from damage. For example, gradual deterioration caused by ordinary use is generally not the same as excessive damage that requires repair.

This distinction matters because tenants should not assume that they have to make every part of the property look completely new.

The practical question is usually whether the property’s condition has changed beyond what would reasonably be expected from normal occupation.

For cleaning, however, leaving behind significant dirt, grease, stains or rubbish is much easier to distinguish from normal wear.