Moving out is stressful enough without losing a slice of your deposit to a greasy oven or a limescale-stained shower. Here's the good news from the team that does this for a living: the standard letting agents actually check for is completely predictable. Pass this list, and you pass your checkout.
01Read the inventory report like an agent
Before you clean a single surface, find the check-in inventory report you signed on move-in day. That's the exact document your checkout will be measured against. Agents aren't comparing your property to a show flat — they're comparing it to the report, and photographing every discrepancy. The rooms that cause most deposit deductions nationally are kitchens, bathrooms and windows, in that order. So start with the bits that cost the most.
02The kitchen — where deposits go to die
Kitchen deductions are the most common of all, and the #1 culprit is an oven interior that has never been deep cleaned. In our standard tenancy clean, the oven, hob, extractor, fridge and freezer are done inside and out — not just wiped on the outside. A tip for the brave at home: pull out filters and trays rather than trying to reach into the back of the cavity with a cloth.
- Oven interior, trays and glass — degreased, not just wiped
- Hob and extractor, including the filter
- Fridge and freezer, emptied and wiped inside and out
- Kitchen cupboards wiped inside and out, tiles and splashback degreased
- Sink, taps and draining board — and don't forget the sink overflows
03Bathrooms — limescale is the enemy
Agents photograph taps, shower screens and grout lines close up. If your water is hard, limescale builds exactly where those photos point. An end of tenancy bathroom clean is a descale, not a polish: toilets done properly, showers and baths descaled, taps shining, and grout lines scrubbed rather than skimmed past.
- Toilet — inside and out, including behind the rim and the base
- Shower and bath, descaled with soap-scum and limescale removed
- Taps, showerhead and plugholes
- Grout lines scrubbed; shower screen squeegeed streak-free
- Mirrors and all fittings wiped down
04Bedrooms & living spaces
Less punishing, but easy to lose marks on. Dust isn't just on surfaces — it's on skirting boards, door tops, radiator fins and inside wardrobes. Vacuum and mop all floors, dust walls where needed, and remember the bits people forget until checkout day.
- All rooms dusted top to bottom, including skirting and doors
- Vacuumed and mopped throughout
- Inside windows, sills, frames and handles in every room
- Inside wardrobes and cupboards wiped out
- Light switches, sockets, radiator tops and door handles
05The finishing touches agents notice
Once the big rooms are done, sweep the property like an inspector would — door handles, socket plates, skirting joints, curtain poles and the inside of hallway cupboards. These are the details that separate a "clean" flat from a "professional clean", and they're exactly what the check-out report comments on.
- Find your check-in inventory report and clean to it
- Start with the kitchen, then bathrooms, then the rest
- Empty the property — you can't clean around furniture properly
- Book your clean for the day before checkout, not the morning of
- Keep the receipt — it helps if your agent queries anything
06DIY vs professional — when it pays
The honest answer: if you have the time, a free weekend and the willpower to descale your shower with a toothbrush, you can pass most checkouts yourself. But three things pull tenants towards a professional end of tenancy clean:
- Speed. Moving is a full-time job already. One professional visit replaces a long weekend you don't have.
- Steam. Many inventories require carpet and upholstery steam cleaning. That needs pro equipment — the same HEPA vacuums and 200°C steam kit we carry on every job.
- Standing behind it. In a letting-agent dispute, having a professional clean on record (with a receipt) is a far stronger position than "we did our best".
07How to book your tenancy clean
At Dorman Cleaners we quote on bedrooms, bathrooms and extras like oven or carpet steam cleaning, and confirm the price in writing — fixed, no hourly surprises. Our team deep cleans to inventory standard, and if your agent flags anything afterwards, tell us and we'll put it right. We cover homes, offices and tenancies across Brixton, Clapham, Streatham and the rest of our London patch, with evening and weekend slots available around your move.
Got a question about what counts as "inventory standard"? It's one of our most-asked FAQs — see what else landlords and tenants ask us.