If you find yourself reading this article you could well be moving out soon and wondering about end of tenancy cleaning prices.
There are lots of companies that specialise in end of tenancy cleaning but as we will see standards can vary a lot and price really does matter if you are to be sure you get your deposit back.
What Is End of Tenancy Cleaning?
A standard tenancy contract states that a property must be left in a clean condition. Normally a deposit is kept by the landlord and is only refunded once the premises are inspected and found to be clean. A few stains on a carpet or limescale in a dirty shower can count against you leading to possible disputes with your landlord about the return of your deposit.
The property rental market in London is massive. With many landlords insisting on a professional clean when you vacate your property the end of tenancy cleaning sector has become crowded and very competitive with lots of cleaning companies and cleaners providing a wide range of services and standards. Everyone from one man bands to large commercial cleaning companies are competing for a slice of the action.
With a cleaning company being a popular option as a start up business in theory anyone can set themselves up as an end of tenancy cleaning business with some cloths, some detergent, a vacuum cleaner, and lots of elbow grease. However, the reality is often more complex than that.
Professional end of tenancy cleaning, if it’s done properly, is a completely different ball game to lighter, regular house cleaning. Domestic home cleaners often don’t have the experience, expertise, equipment and chemicals to carry out a full professional end of tenancy clean that will satisfy most landlords.
End of Tenancy Cleaning Prices
If you carry out research on end of tenancy cleaning prices you will quickly see there are many outfits offering “cheap end of tenancy cleaning”. There will be individuals offering to do you an end of tenancy clean at a rate of £6 – £8 per hour using your materials and equipment, and more professional outfits who will send a team of three or four cleaners working three or four hours each and charge you £400 or more depending on the size of your property, and what you need doing.
The average cost of end of tenancy cleaning offered by professional companies ranges from £100.00 for a one bedroom flat to £400 for a large house. Most companies will charge extra for specialist services, such as carpet cleaning. End of tenancy cleaning London prices may be higher.
Tips for choosing the right cleaning company
As with most things in life you get what you pay for and price is often a good indication of quality. When you are researching end of tenancy cleaning prices you should consider the following factors, which will help you sort the wood out from the trees:
1. Is the company offering the option of delivering your service using your domestic cleaning materials and equipment for a cheaper price? If so, this should ring alarm bells. Equipment and chemicals for lighter domestic cleaning are not suitable for full professional end of tenancy cleans. It may well cost you more when your cleaners have to factor in the supply of equipment, chemicals, transport and parking etc. but this really is a good indication of quality.
2. Who are the cleaners they are sending? Regular house cleaners who specialise in lighter domestic cleaning will not have the expertise, equipment and chemicals to do a full professional clean. You should only consider a company that sends out a supervised and experienced cleaning team of at least two or three cleaners in a van with professional equipment and chemicals on board.
3. Are they offering a full clean in two to three hours with a couple of cleaners? Again, you should be wary of this. End of tenancy cleaning is hard graft and needs to be very thorough. It is normally done over three or four hours by three or four cleaners.
4. Does the price quote include VAT? If not, this can sometimes mean you are dealing with amateurs, or at least new kids on the block. While none of us like paying VAT a price that includes VAT suggests the cleaning company you are dealing with is an established business with a good turnover.
5. You should ensure your cleaners are fully insured. Employers and public liability insurance are a must. Damage to surfaces by untrained cleaners can lead to deductions from your deposit so you need to be sure your service is an insured one delivered by professional staff who know what they are doing.
6. You should check out a company’s reputation by looking out for online reviews from independent sites such as Google Places.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, price really does matter when it comes to end of tenancy cleaning. If it is to be done properly it requires a team of trained cleaners, armed with professional materials and equipment, ready to tackle everything and anything your landlord expects. If you want to get your deposit back it is a good idea to use professionals to do the job.
In a nutshell, if the price you have been quoted for professional end of tenancy cleaning seems expensive you may understand why – if you take into account most, if not all, of the above essential factors.
If, on the other hand, the quoted price looks cheap then your end of tenancy cleaners are unlikely to be professional and squeaky clean.
If you are looking for a professional cleaning service in London delivered by experienced and trained cleaners and including commercial grade chemicals and equipment please contact us for a competitive price and a free consultation.
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