UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi

I was on the hunt for some advice for landlords/tenants and found your website.

I really like that you offer an impartial advice service for landlords and/or tenants.

Actually, I just put together an infographic guide to end of tenancy cleaning aimed at tenants and landlords.

As someone who writes about this area I thought your website visitors may make use of it

http://www.twinkleclean.co/end-of-tenancy-cleaning-guide/


Cheers,
Rob

Attempted enforced use of professional cleaning companies, that the Tenant must pay for, is evidently an unfair term and condition and should not be required by any good tenancy agreement. More fair terms in agreements are those that say the property must be cleaned to a professional / acceptable standard, which can be easily completed by Tenants themselves... only if they are so minded, of course.

Can Tenants do it themselves? Absolutely.

Your infographic contains an error which should be corrected.

As Hippo said,

No fair tenancy agreement would enforce the use of professional cleaning, EXCEPT maybe for carpets, upholstery and curtains. Carpet cleaners use expensive machines that regular people can neither afford, nor have any need to.

A tenancy agreement would require the property be left in a good standard for hygiene, but that doesn't necessarily require the use of a cleaning firm. Any man or woman with 20 quid for some cleaning products and consumables can do it in a couple of days.

Is it hard work - yes
Is it painfully tedious - yes
Is it easy to miss something - yes
Will the landlord charge you for cleaning, if you didn't do it - yes, and probably they're going to go for the full service on your expense (serves you right for skipping)

Will the landlord charge you for cleaning, if you missed something small - no, of course. I work for the competition, and I very well know the tactic of scaring tenants to death about the deposit and making landlords look like a sadistic overlord with a metal spiked whip. Shamefully, I've used it as well.

On that notion though, If you're ending you tenancy, most likely there are a ton of things you need to do in a limited time frame. If quite possible you don't have the time or energy to deal with licking up the whole flat. Also, if you know your property is heavily polluted, you might no be able to clean it all on your own (I've seen some examples). This is where cleaning companies come in handy. They are there to help you when you can't or don't want to do it, not rape you with their services.. .

Also, when you lose money for cleaning from your deposit, you will approximately lose the same amount that you'd pay to a cleaning firm. A landlord is only able to deduct for a service that has been done to the property by providing a receipt for it. 

Best Regards,
Audrey Wright
Move out Mates - End of Tenancy Cleaning London.