Cleaning

At the end of each and every tenancy, your flat or house needs to be left in a clean and tidy state. In an attempt to avoid any confusion as to the state that properties need to be cleaned, there is an in-depth guide and explanation about the end of tenancy cleaning found below. Small cleans conducted frequently throughout the duration of your tenancy will help minimise the amount of cleaning at the end of your tenancy.

End of Tenancy Cleaning

Before you move out of your property you will need to clean the entire premises to a high standard, because the next tenants expect to move into a clean property, just as you do at the start of yours. After you move out we will carry out an inspection and if extra cleaning is needed to get the standard of the property up to the level required, we will have to contract a cleaning company to do the cleaning. A minimum cleaning charge may be levied by any cleaning company contracted, and the actual charge could be higher depending on the state of the property and how much cleaning is required. After the cleaners have finished their work, they will invoice us and we will inform you of the charge, which can either be paid by yourselves or deducted from your returnable deposit. Please note cleaning charges are separate from charges applied for damages.

• Important note: Even if you make some effort to clean a particular item/area, but the result is not to the high standard we expect and need, then you will be charged the full cost of cleaning it after you move out.
• Please see this Cleaning Checklist for an overview of what we'll be looking for during our move out inspection checks. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, and if you're in any doubt about this please contact us as soon as possible.

Rubbish and Unwanted Furniture/Items

We know from experience that each summer a lot of extra rubbish is created by tenants moving out. Usually, the Council arrange extra bin collections in student areas and provide special arrangements for recycling or donating to charity unwanted furniture or appliances.

Any rubbish, items of furniture or appliances left after you have removed your items (that do not belong to the landlord) should be disposed of properly either by putting it in the correct bin(s) or by arranging for it to be collected by the Council. If waste is left inside or outside the property in an inappropriate place (e.g. dumped next to the bins, or left inside your flat) we will charge you for its removal.

Please do not leave portable appliances (e.g. kettles, toasters) in the property for the next tenant, if they were not provided by the landlord. You can instead donate these items at your local charity shop.

Cleaning Guide

Remember to change clothes/sponges regularly while you are doing your cleaning - wiping a surface with a dirty cloth will just move the dirt around and leave dirty smeary marks. For best cleaning results:

• Apply a solution or spray (leave to set if required)
• Use a sponge/scrubber to scrub dirt, grease, mould or mildew off the surface
• Use a sponge's absorber side or a cloth to wipe/soak up excess cleaning solution/dirt
• Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe over the surfaces once all excess cleaning solutions/dirt have been removed
• Use a clean, dry cloth to dry the surface, ensuring there is no residue
• Leave the surface to fully dry and run a hand over it to ensure that the surface is dirt and crease-free

You should make sure you have removed all of your belongings from the property, so please make sure you check all the cupboards and drawers. Any belongings or rubbish (even small bits at the bottom of drawers) left within the flat will need to be removed by us and we would have to charge you for this.

You should leave all operating and instruction manuals for the appliances, boiler, heaters, etc. in the property - please do not throw these away so the next tenants can use them!

We cannot keep furniture (such as shelves) or electrical appliances (such as microwaves or TVs) that were not supplied to you by the Landlord at the start of your Tenancy for the next Tenants so it is better for you to dispose of these items before you move out to avoid removal charges. Manchester City Council can remove unwanted bulky items free of charge, or you can donate items to charity!

Floors and General Rooms

• Make sure you have hoovered throughout the property including corridors and stairs and have mopped any laminate, lino or tiled floors. This includes even hoovering/mopping behind and under furniture, so make sure you move the sofa, bed, wardrobe and other furniture (where possible) to ensure that the whole floor is cleaned properly.
• Skirting boards and door frames need to be hoovered/dusted and wiped with a damp cloth to remove any marks.
• All windows throughout the property need to be cleaned (on the inside) using non-smear glass-cleaning fluid/spray, and any window frames and windowsills need to be wiped clean of any marks.

Kitchens

• Remember to thoroughly clean inside and under (if possible) cupboards and work units as well as the surfaces and cupboard doors. Tenants regularly miss or do not clean cupboard doors thoroughly enough and leave them greasy - often these areas require the use of kitchen surface cleaner and some hard scrubbing to completely remove the accumulated grease. We recommend using some sort of de-greasing spray and please check to make sure you have not left smeary marks behind once it dries.
• Be sure to clean around, behind and under all appliances, as well as cleaning inside them.
• The oven will need to be cleaned properly with oven-cleaning fluid (and some elbow grease!) and this includes cleaning the oven itself, the hob, any trays and metal grills, and the oven door. After cleaning there should be no food crumbs, waste, residue or grease remaining. Be sure to look for rogue crumbs and food waste around the oven door where it may have fallen in the cracks.
• Tenants often do not clean the oven thoroughly enough. Ovens should be cleaned regularly after use throughout your tenancy, and if you manage to do this then the final big clean will be all the more manageable. If you have not kept up with your regular cleaning, you will find that cleaning the oven can be a time-consuming job. It is worth persevering with this though, as cleaners often charge an extra premium for cleaning dirty ovens which we would have to pass on to you.
• The fridge and freezer will need to be completely defrosted and then cleaned. We often find that fridges and freezers are defrosted but not cleaned afterwards, leaving puddles of dirty water inside them.
• Once the fridge and freezer are defrosted and cleaned, please switch them both off at the mains and leave the doors open (if you leave the doors closed with the power off they tend to become mouldy and very smelly - please help us avoid this!)
• You will need to clean out the washing machine's filter (please consult the instruction manual for your appliance for details on how to do this) and clean the door/window, the seal around the door and the powder/detergent tray.

Bathrooms

• All the surfaces will need to be cleaned using bathroom/surface cleaning fluid or spray. We would also suggest using bleach or a product containing bleach to clean the sink, bath/shower stall and tiles.
• Generally, if there are black mildew marks on bathroom sealant or between tiles, these can be removed using a cleaning spray that contains bleach and a little bit of scrubbing (often a spare toothbrush helps!)
• If you have a glass or plastic shower screen, please make sure you clean it thoroughly using non-smear glass-cleaning spray. A lot of tenants miss this, and it is labour-intensive to clean afterwards!

Common Cleaning and Repairs

There are a few common cleaning/damage issues that we've noticed that have some simple solutions.

Most of these issues may incur charges at the end of your tenancy if they weren't already like that when you moved in. We never want to apply any charges, but must do so if things are damaged or require cleaning outside of "fair wear and tear".

Posters and hangings on walls

• Any use of nails, hooks, blu/white tack or sellotape can leave marks or holes in walls, doors or other surfaces.
• If these are not repaired before you move out, we will likely have to charge for the redecoration of the affected areas.
• You can use a guide like this to fill and paint holes, or remove blu tack stains.
• If you do attempt repair and can't match the finish of the wall properly, it may be worth painting an entire wall to avoid the new areas of paint being noticed/.

Mould on the silicone around bathtubs/showers

• This happens when the silicone around the base of a shower/bathtub isn't regularly dried.
• An incredibly easy way of doing this is using bleach and some paper towels - see this video for the method.

Limescale on the grout between bathroom tiles + shower screens

• Pink or orange limescale often builds up on the grouting between tiles in bathrooms/showers.
• This can easily be removed using some cleaning supplies and a toothbrush or similar bristled tool. See this video for an example and more details.
• Likewise, limescale on shower screens also needs to be cleaned, as described in this video.

Mould and mildew around window and window sills

• Light mould can often occur around windows due to poor ventilation or excess condensation (from showers, cooking or drying clothes).
• These spots can quickly and easily be cleaned using a mix of bleach and water, please see this guide for a walkthrough of the process.

Missing/spent light bulbs and batteries

• If your light bulbs no longer work, or a smoke/carbon monoxide alarm battery is low, these will need to be replaced before you leave.
• If we need to replace them for you, as they were working when you moved in, then we would need to charge £5 per bulb, and £3 per battery for the cost of the item and the time to replace it.
• If you're not sure what bulb to get or need help replacing it, please let us know ASAP so we can help you ahead of moving out.

Ovens and fridge/freezers

• Two of the most time-consuming items to clean in the kitchen are the oven (+ surrounding area), and the fridge/freezer.
• For the oven, use baking soda or something like Oven Pride. See a video showing it here, or a shorter video here.
• Fridges need to be cleaned thoroughly, and freezers should be fully defrosted, as described in this video. Be sure to not allow the water to leak out, and leave the fridge and freezer compartments propped open if you're turning them off, otherwise, they will become mouldy and smell.

Common oversights

We find that many tenants tend to forget certain areas of the property to clean at the end of the tenancy, so please make sure to check the following spaces:

• Sofas: remove cushions to hoover any dust and crumbs that have collected in the crevices
• Washing machine detergent tray and rubber seal inside the drum: the tray is typically fully removable to allow you to wash and try this fully. The rubber seal can be cleaned with a wet wipe to remove any mould or stagnant water- please remember to dry this with a clean paper towel afterwards
• Skirting boards and door frames will collect dust over time, which can also be easily removed with a wet wipe
• Behind and under furniture
• Bottom of drawers or cupboards
• Cupboard handles