As Shelter explains, a clause saying the tenant must pay for professional cleaning is not fair and the landlord cannot make you do it. Fees requiring tenants to pay for professional cleaning are banned in England under the Tenant Fees Act. You are only expected to leave the home at the same standard of cleanliness it was in when you moved in, as recorded on your check-in report.
What the law says about cleaning clauses
Tenants and landlords often disagree about how a property should be left at the end of a tenancy. Some tenancy agreements include a clause about professional cleaning, and the wording matters.
In England, fees requiring tenants to pay for professional cleaning are banned. You cannot be forced to use a professional cleaner, and you cannot be forced to pay a fee to the landlord for them to arrange a professional clean.
If you are renting a home in England, your rights regarding these fees are clear. A landlord cannot make you pay for a professional clean simply because it is written in the contract. Shelter says a clause that tries to make you pay for this service is not fair. You have the right to clean the property yourself, provided you reach the required standard.
What the Tenant Fees Act allows and bans
The GOV.UK Tenant Fees Act 2019 guidance for tenants lists the exact fees a landlord is allowed to charge you. This law applies to England and protects you from unexpected demands for money. If a charge is not on the permitted list, it is banned.
The government guidance states that landlords can only charge you for specific things. These permitted payments are:
- Your rent payments across the duration of the tenancy
- Your deposit
- A payment for changing the tenancy agreement if you request it
- A payment for ending a tenancy early without giving enough notice
- Utility and communication bills
- Interest charges for late rent payments
- Key or fob replacement
Cleaning is not on the permitted list on that government page. Because it is absent from the permitted list, any fee your landlord tries to charge you for professional cleaning is known as a prohibited payment. A prohibited payment is a fee that is not allowed, and your local council can act on it.
This means a landlord cannot send you an invoice for a cleaning company and demand that you pay it as a condition of your tenancy. The GOV.UK list of permitted fees does not mention cleaning charges.
Clauses that say professional cleaning is required
When you read your tenancy agreement, you might see a cleaning clause written in one of two ways. Understanding the difference between the two main types of clauses will help you know where you stand.
Shelter notes that a clause saying 'Tenant must pay for professional cleaning' is not fair. If your contract includes this exact wording or something very similar, the landlord cannot make you do it. Fees requiring tenants to pay for professional cleaning are banned, so tell your landlord and keep a record.
However, the wording might be slightly different. A clause saying 'Tenant must clean the property to a professional standard' is only fair if the property was cleaned to a professional standard before you moved in. This clause does not force you to pay a company. It simply sets the benchmark for how clean the property must be when you hand the keys back.
If the property was professionally cleaned before your tenancy started, you must return it in that same pristine condition. You can achieve this standard yourself by putting in the time and effort, or you can choose to hire someone to do it for you. The choice of how the work gets done belongs entirely to you.
This table shows how the law in England treats common tenancy clauses about cleaning.
|
Clause or request |
Position in England |
|---|---|
|
Tenant must pay for professional cleaning |
Not fair and banned under the Tenant Fees Act |
|
Tenant must clean to a professional standard |
Only fair if the property was professionally cleaned before moving in |
|
Landlord demands a non-refundable cleaning fee |
Banned as a prohibited payment |
|
Landlord asks you to return the home to check-in standard |
Expected, because your cleaning duty is tied to the condition at move-in |
These rules apply in England only.
The standard you must clean to
Your duty as a tenant is to return the home as clean as it was at the start of your tenancy. Your cleaning obligation is tied directly to the condition of the property at move-in. You do not have to leave the property cleaner than you found it, nor do you have to upgrade the property for the landlord. If the bathroom tiles were dull when you arrived, you do not need to polish them to a shine before you leave.
The condition of the property when you moved in should be noted on an inventory or check-in report. This document is the most important piece of evidence you have when moving out. It should list the cleanliness of every room, surface, appliance and floor at the exact moment you took over the tenancy. A good inventory will describe the inside of the oven, the state of the carpets, and whether there was dust on the skirting boards.
If the inventory says the oven was greasy and the carpets were stained when you moved in, you are not expected to leave them sparkling clean when you move out. If the check-in report says everything was newly cleaned and free of dust, you must return the property in that exact state. Always refer back to this document before you start your final clean, and use it as your own personal cleaning checklist.
You are also protected from being charged for normal use of the property. Landlords cannot deduct for fair wear and tear. Faded carpets from sunlight, minor scuffs on a hallway wall, or worn hinges on a kitchen cupboard are wear and tear. Whether a mark counts as wear and tear or a lack of cleaning is judged against the condition of the property at move-in, as recorded on the inventory or check-in report.
If a landlord tries to claim money from your deposit, the check-in report is the record of what standard the property was in when you arrived. You can read more about how to challenge these charges in our guide on handling deposit disputes over cleaning.
Using a professional cleaner by choice
While your landlord cannot force you to pay for a professional service, you might decide to hire one anyway. Moving house is a stressful process, and a full end of tenancy clean is a huge physical job. A deep clean goes much further than a regular domestic clean and takes significantly longer. It covers inside appliances, removing limescale, scrubbing grease from behind the hob, washing skirting boards, cleaning door frames, and dusting the tops of cupboards.
If you choose to hire a cleaner, Shelter advises that you keep the receipt so you can prove you had the property cleaned. A detailed receipt from a cleaning company is strong evidence that you took your responsibilities seriously. Ask the cleaner to write down exactly what was cleaned on the invoice, including any specific add-ons you paid for, such as oven cleaning, carpet cleaning, or washing the inside windows.
To get the best results, book the clean after all your belongings are out of the property and before the final check-out inspection. This gives the cleaners empty rooms to work in and ensures no dust is disturbed by moving boxes after they finish. Give the cleaner a copy of your move-in inventory so they know exactly what standard they need to match to satisfy the landlord.
When you hire someone to clean, you want to ensure they do a thorough job and offer fair terms. Choose a service that provides a written checklist of the tasks they will complete. Many end of tenancy cleans are priced by property size rather than by the hour, and they often come with a time-limited guarantee to re-clean any areas the landlord is not happy with. You can find more advice on what an end of tenancy clean involves to help you prepare.
Always take dated photos of every room once the cleaning is finished. Open the oven door, the fridge, and the washing machine drawer, and take photos of the insides to show they are spotless. These photos, combined with your receipt, may help if the landlord later claims the property was left dirty and tries to make a deduction from your deposit.
What landlords and letting agents can and cannot do
Landlords and letting agents have strict rules they must follow when managing a tenancy in England. They are allowed to expect the property back in a clean condition, but their power to enforce this is limited by the law. They cannot write their own rules to bypass the Tenant Fees Act.
A landlord cannot demand that you use a specific cleaning company. Even if they recommend a firm they have used for years and trust completely, you are under no obligation to use them. You are free to hire any cleaner you choose, provided they can reach the standard required by your inventory. You are equally free to do the work yourself if you prefer to save money.
Letting agents cannot add a professional cleaning charge to your checkout fees. Shelter says fees requiring tenants to pay for professional cleaning are banned. Your only financial obligations are the permitted payments listed by the government, such as your rent, your deposit, and your utility bills.
If you leave the property dirtier than when you moved in, a landlord may try to deduct from your deposit. Landlords cannot deduct for fair wear and tear, and deposit disputes are covered in our separate guide on cleaning deductions.
The standard to aim for is the one recorded on your original check-in report, not the standard a landlord would like for the next tenant.
What to do if you have been charged
If your landlord or letting agent demands a payment for professional cleaning, Shelter says fees requiring tenants to pay for professional cleaning are banned, and the GOV.UK list of permitted fees does not mention cleaning charges. You have several routes to challenge the charge.
The first step is to tell your landlord that the fee is banned under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Keep a record of all your emails, text messages, and letters, and keep your communication polite but firm.
If you are unsure of your rights or need support dealing with a difficult landlord, you do not have to handle it alone. You have several options to get advice and escalate the problem:
- Your local council can investigate the landlord and help you get the money back
- The local council can also make a landlord pay a fine for breaking the rules
- The First-tier Tribunal can formally order the landlord to repay a prohibited payment
- You can report letting agents to The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress
- You can get free help and advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The rules discussed in this guide apply specifically to tenants, landlords and letting agents in England. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 is an English law, and the list of permitted and prohibited payments is based entirely on government guidance for England.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules regarding tenancy fees, cleaning clauses, and deposit disputes. The laws governing what landlords can charge, how deposits are protected, and what terms are fair in a tenancy agreement vary significantly across the UK. If you rent a property in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, or anywhere else outside England, you will need to check the specific housing legislation and government guidance for your country.
Common questions
Can a landlord deduct cleaning costs from my deposit?
A landlord may try to deduct from your deposit if the property is less clean than your check-in report records, but landlords cannot deduct for fair wear and tear. Tenancy deposit disputes are covered in our guide on cleaning deductions.
What happens if I clean the property myself?
If you clean the property yourself and reach the standard noted on your check-in report, you have fulfilled your duty as a tenant. The landlord cannot penalise you for not using a professional service. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on tasks like oven cleaning, limescale removal, and washing skirting boards to match a professional standard.
Does an end of tenancy clean guarantee my deposit back?
No cleaning service can guarantee that you will get your deposit back in full. A deposit can be held for reasons other than cleaning, such as unpaid rent, broken furniture, or damage to the property. A receipt can help show you had the property cleaned.
Can my landlord insist on a receipt for cleaning?
A landlord cannot make you hire a professional cleaner, so you may have no receipt to show if you clean the property yourself. However, if your contract says you must clean to a professional standard, providing a receipt is the easiest way to prove you have done so. Shelter says to keep the receipt so you can prove you had the property cleaned.
Next steps before you move out
Getting your move-out process right will save you stress and help protect your deposit. Use this simple checklist to ensure you meet your cleaning obligations without paying unfair fees.
- Read your tenancy agreement to see exactly what it says about cleaning
- Find your original check-in report and read the cleanliness descriptions
- Walk through every room and note down what needs to be cleaned to match the move-in standard
- Decide whether you have the time to do a deep clean yourself or if you want to hire help
- Get like-for-like quotes from cleaners and ask if they offer a time-limited re-clean guarantee
- Ask the cleaner to provide a detailed written receipt when the job is done
- Take clear and dated photographs of every room, appliance and floor after the cleaning is finished
- Remind your landlord that mandatory professional cleaning fees are banned if they try to charge you one
When you are ready to hand the hard work over to someone else, you can find a house cleaner near you to get the property ready for your check-out inspection.
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