How much does end-of-tenancy cleaning cost in the UK in 2026?

Typical professional 2026 UK prices: studio £100–£180 , 1-bed £150–£250 , 2-bed £180–£330 , 3-bed £250–£450 , 4+ bed £350–£600+ . Carpet cleaning is usually an add-on at £20–£40 per room. London and the South East sit at the upper end of these ranges.

Do I have to use a professional end-of-tenancy cleaner?

No — your tenancy agreement cannot legally require you to use a professional cleaning service. This was confirmed by the Tenant Fees Act 2019 in England, and similar laws in Wales and Scotland. The landlord can only require the property to be returned in the condition it was let to you (allowing for fair wear and tear). However, if your inventory says the property was professionally cleaned at the start, you'll need to match that standard — which often makes a professional clean the cheapest way to avoid deductions.

What's the difference between regular cleaning and end-of-tenancy cleaning?

End-of-tenancy cleaning is a deep clean to a specific inventory-handover standard. It includes things a normal clean skips: inside the oven, behind the fridge and washing machine, inside kitchen cupboards, descaling shower screens, limescale removal from taps, skirting boards, picture rails and the tops of doors. Most professionals follow a checklist of 60–100 items and guarantee re-clean if the inventory clerk fails it.

Does carpet cleaning come with end-of-tenancy cleaning?

Usually not — it's a separate service, billed per room at £20–£40 each (or £50–£90 for larger living rooms). Most end-of-tenancy quotes will offer carpet cleaning as an add-on. If your inventory specifies carpets were professionally cleaned at the start, you'll likely need to match that to avoid a deposit deduction.

Who pays for end-of-tenancy cleaning, the tenant or the landlord?

The outgoing tenant is responsible for returning the property in the condition it was let — which usually means paying for the clean themselves. If you don't, the landlord can deduct the cost from your deposit. The landlord then pays for any work needed to bring the property to a lettable standard for the next tenant, which is a separate concept.

How long does end-of-tenancy cleaning take?

A two-person team will spend approximately 3–4 hours on a 1-bed , 5–6 hours on a 2-bed , 6–8 hours on a 3-bed , and a full day on larger homes. Book for the day after you've moved out — cleaning around boxes adds time and reduces what the cleaner can actually clean.

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End-of-tenancy cleaning checklist & costs (UK, 2026)

2026 costs · plain-English

Last updated: 2 June 2026

Cleaning is the single biggest cause of UK deposit deductions, year after year — accounting for over half of all disputes raised with the Deposit Protection Service. This guide breaks down 2026 prices for a professional clean, a room-by-room checklist if you're doing it yourself, and the specific traps that catch most tenants out.

What you'll pay (2026 prices)

Property	Typical UK cost	Time on site
Studio flat	£100–£180	2–3 hours
1-bed flat or house	£150–£250	3–4 hours
2-bed	£180–£330	5–6 hours
3-bed	£250–£450	6–8 hours
4-bed	£350–£550	7–9 hours
5+ bed	£500–£700+	Full day

Add-ons most companies charge separately:

Carpet cleaning: £20–£40 per standard room, £50–£90 for larger living rooms
Upholstery cleaning (sofas, mattresses): £30–£80 per item
Internal window cleaning: often included; external usually not
Oven deep clean (if heavily used): typically included, sometimes priced as a £25–£40 extra for severe build-up
Fridge/freezer defrost & clean: defrost before they arrive — £20–£30 extra if they have to do it

London and the South East run 15–25% higher than the figures above. Single-operator cleaners can be cheaper than agencies but may not give you the re-clean guarantee you want for a deposit dispute.

Why this clean is different from a normal one

Professional end-of-tenancy cleaning targets a specific inventory-handover standard, not everyday tidiness. The big differences are:

Inside, not just surfaces. Inside the oven, behind the fridge and washing machine, inside every cupboard and drawer, inside the toilet cistern, inside the extractor fan.
The places dust accumulates over a tenancy. Skirting boards, picture rails, tops of doors, light fittings, radiators, behind radiator covers.
Limescale. All taps, shower screens, the inside of kettles, behind toilet seats, around plug holes.
Marks and scuffs. Walls, doors, skirting boards — sugar-soap finish where possible, repaint touch-ups not included.

Room-by-room checklist

Use this if you're doing the clean yourself, or to spot-check a professional. Inventory clerks tend to work through it in roughly this order.

Kitchen

Inside oven, hob, extractor hood and filter (degrease and limescale-remove)
Behind and underneath fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher
Defrost freezer at least 24 hours before
Inside fridge, freezer, microwave, kettle
Every cupboard and drawer — empty, wipe inside and out
Splash-back tiles and grout
Sink, taps and plug-hole — descale
Bin (washed inside and out)
Skirting boards, light switches, door frames

Bathroom

Limescale removal from taps, shower head, shower screen and tiles
Inside and outside of toilet — including under the rim and cistern lid
Bath and basin — descale, polish
Tile grout — bleach or grout-pen if mouldy
Extractor fan (cover off, wash, refit)
Mirror, glass shelves
Bathroom floor including under any pedestals

Living areas and bedrooms

All carpets vacuumed; consider a wet-extraction clean if they were professional at start
Hard floors mopped, including under furniture
Curtains and blinds dusted; wash where machine-washable
Inside built-in wardrobes and drawers — empty and wipe
Window sills, frames, glass (inside)
Skirting boards, picture rails, dado rails
Behind and above radiators
Light fittings, lampshades
Plug sockets and switch plates
Mattress flipped and rotated (if your inventory listed it)

Hallway and stairs

Carpet vacuumed including edges; stair runners brushed
Front door — both sides, including letterbox and handles
Banister, balustrade and stair lights
Hallway radiator and skirting

Outside (if applicable)

Patio swept; visible weeds removed if the inventory says so
Garden lawn mowed if the tenancy specifies maintained lawn
Bins emptied and washed
Outside lights and house number cleaned

The biggest deposit-deduction traps

Across DPS, TDS and MyDeposits, the items that come up over and over in adjudications:

Oven and extractor. The single most-disputed item. If it's not a showroom-finish, expect a deduction. Either deep-clean obsessively or pay £25–£40 for an oven specialist.
Carpets with stains or pet hair. Vacuuming alone isn't enough if the inventory said "professionally cleaned" at the start. Wet extraction (£40–£100 per room depending on size and operator) usually resolves it.
Limescale. Bathrooms in hard-water areas need a dedicated descaler product, not generic bathroom spray. Inventory clerks photograph tap bases routinely.
Mould on grout. Often a landlord/ventilation issue, but you're on the hook if it's visible at check-out. Bleach pen and white grout-pen are cheap fixes.
Marks on walls. Sugar soap removes most. Paint touch-ups need to match exactly, which is hard — better to flag in writing that you've cleaned them rather than attempt a botched repaint.
Garden. If your tenancy mentions garden maintenance, an overgrown lawn at check-out almost guarantees a deduction.

DIY vs professional — when to pay

As a rule of thumb, professional cleaning pays for itself if any of the following apply:

Your inventory says the property was professionally cleaned at the start of the tenancy
Your deposit is more than 3× the typical professional clean price (i.e. £600+)
You've been in the property more than 18 months
You have pets or there has been smoking inside
You're moving long-distance and won't be on hand for a re-clean if the inventory clerk fails it

Professional companies typically include a 48–72 hour guarantee: if the inventory check-out fails on cleaning, they return and re-do the failing items free of charge. This is the single biggest reason to pay rather than DIY — your deposit is on the line and a £200 receipt with a guarantee is much easier to defend than your own elbow grease.

Booking and timing

Book 1–2 weeks ahead at the end of the month. Most operators are fully booked Fridays in the last week of every month.
Schedule for after you've moved out, not while still living there. Boxes and remaining furniture cut what the cleaner can actually reach.
Empty the fridge/freezer 24 hours before and defrost. Add £20–£30 if you leave that to the cleaner.
Be there for handover if possible, or arrange access for the inventory clerk to walk through immediately after. A 24-hour gap between clean and check-out is when dust resettles.
Get a detailed receipt showing room-by-room work done. This is your evidence if the landlord tries to deduct cleaning costs anyway.

Your rights and the deposit scheme

Three government-approved schemes hold deposits in England and Wales — DPS, MyDeposits and TDS. Scotland has SafeDeposits Scotland, LPS and MyDeposits Scotland. Northern Ireland uses TDS NI, MyDeposits NI and LPS NI. Some quick principles to remember:

Fair wear and tear is not cleaning. A landlord can't charge you for general aging — carpet fibres flattening, light scuffs on walls. But "fair wear and tear" does not cover poor cleaning.
The landlord must prove the deduction with check-in and check-out inventory reports, photos, and quotes/invoices. No evidence = no deduction.
You can dispute any deduction through the scheme's free alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service. The adjudicator is independent and decisions are binding.
Keep dated photos of every room at check-out — wide shots and close-ups of any condition issues. They're free insurance.

Frequently asked questions

How much does end-of-tenancy cleaning cost in the UK in 2026?: Typical professional 2026 UK prices: studio £100–£180, 1-bed £150–£250, 2-bed £180–£330, 3-bed £250–£450, 4+ bed £350–£600+. Carpet cleaning is usually an add-on at £20–£40 per room. London and the South East sit at the upper end of these ranges.
Do I have to use a professional end-of-tenancy cleaner?: No — your tenancy agreement cannot legally require you to use a professional cleaning service. This was confirmed by the Tenant Fees Act 2019 in England, and similar laws in Wales and Scotland. The landlord can only require the property to be returned in the condition it was let to you (allowing for fair wear and tear). However, if your inventory says the property was professionally cleaned at the start, you'll need to match that standard — which often makes a professional clean the cheapest way to avoid deductions.
What's the difference between regular cleaning and end-of-tenancy cleaning?: End-of-tenancy cleaning is a deep clean to a specific inventory-handover standard. It includes things a normal clean skips: inside the oven, behind the fridge and washing machine, inside kitchen cupboards, descaling shower screens, limescale removal from taps, skirting boards, picture rails and the tops of doors. Most professionals follow a checklist of 60–100 items and guarantee re-clean if the inventory clerk fails it.
Does carpet cleaning come with end-of-tenancy cleaning?: Usually not — it's a separate service, billed per room at £20–£40 each (or £50–£90 for larger living rooms). Most end-of-tenancy quotes will offer carpet cleaning as an add-on. If your inventory specifies carpets were professionally cleaned at the start, you'll likely need to match that to avoid a deposit deduction.
Who pays for end-of-tenancy cleaning, the tenant or the landlord?: The outgoing tenant is responsible for returning the property in the condition it was let — which usually means paying for the clean themselves. If you don't, the landlord can deduct the cost from your deposit. The landlord then pays for any work needed to bring the property to a lettable standard for the next tenant, which is a separate concept.
How long does end-of-tenancy cleaning take?: A two-person team will spend approximately 3–4 hours on a 1-bed, 5–6 hours on a 2-bed, 6–8 hours on a 3-bed, and a full day on larger homes. Book for the day after you've moved out — cleaning around boxes adds time and reduces what the cleaner can actually clean.

Sources & further reading

The Deposit Protection Service (England & Wales): depositprotection.com
MyDeposits: mydeposits.co.uk
Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS): tenancydepositscheme.com
Tenant Fees Act 2019 (England): legislation.gov.uk
Citizens Advice on tenancy deposits: citizensadvice.org.uk
Our companion guide: cost of moving home in the UK

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Tenancy deposit rules vary between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; always check the rules that apply to your tenancy. Cleaning prices reflect typical 2026 UK market ranges.