An end of tenancy clean and a deep clean are close cousins, but they are not the same job. A deep clean resets a lived-in home by tackling built-up grime. An end of tenancy clean (also called a move-out or tenancy clean) returns an empty rental to the condition recorded at check-in, so the landlord or agent has nothing to deduct from your deposit. If you are leaving a rental, book the end of tenancy clean. If you are staying put, or the home has just been renovated, one of the other two is probably the right call.
TL;DR
- End of tenancy clean: for an empty rental at the end of a tenancy, judged against your check-in inventory. Our prices run from £109 to £339 depending on property size.
- Deep clean: for a home you still live in (or are about to move into) where grease, limescale and dust have built up. Our prices run from £119 to £329.
- After builders clean: for fine plaster dust, paint splashes and adhesive after building work. Our prices run from £159 to £419.
- In England a landlord cannot make you pay for a professional clean, but you must hand the property back in the condition you found it, bar fair wear and tear.
- The deciding factor is the moment and the standard you are cleaning to, not how hard the cleaner scrubs.
Table of Contents
- The short version: what separates the three
- What an end of tenancy clean actually is
- What a deep clean actually is
- Where the two services overlap, and where they do not
- Do tenants have to pay for a professional clean?
- Where after builders cleaning fits
- How to decide: a simple checklist
- What each clean costs
- Why we built our service the way we did
- Book the right clean
- FAQ
- Sources
The short version: what separates the three
Most of the confusion comes from the fact that every one of these services involves a thorough, top-to-bottom clean. The difference is the purpose, the timing and the yardstick.
| End of tenancy clean | Deep clean | After builders clean | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When | Last days of a tenancy, usually once the property is empty | Any time, often seasonally or before moving into a new home | After renovation, extension or refurbishment |
| Main goal | Match the check-in condition and satisfy the check-out report | Remove built-up grime and reset the home | Remove construction dust and residues |
| Typical targets | Inside ovens, cupboards, skirting, bathroom limescale, carpets | Kitchen grease, bathroom scale, dust in hard-to-reach spots | Fine plaster and brick dust, paint splashes, adhesive, silicone |
| Who checks it | Landlord, letting agent or inventory clerk | You | You, and often the next occupant |
| Our price range | £109 to £339 | £119 to £329 | £159 to £419 |
The price ranges above are the published one-off prices for each service, and the final figure depends on the size of the property. You can see every service side by side on our prices page.
What an end of tenancy clean actually is
An end of tenancy clean is a systematic, room-by-room clean built around one question: will this property pass a check-out inspection? That makes it different from a general tidy. The cleaner works to a written checklist and pays most attention to the places inventory clerks and landlords look at first.
In practice, that means:
- Kitchen: inside and outside of the oven, hob and extractor, inside the fridge and freezer (defrosted and wiped), cupboards and drawers inside and out, sink and taps descaled.
- Bathrooms: limescale removed from taps, shower screens and tiles, grout cleaned, toilet descaled, mirrors and fittings polished.
- Living areas and bedrooms: skirting boards, door frames, window sills, light switches, radiators and wardrobes wiped, floors vacuumed and mopped.
- Carpets and upholstery: often the single most disputed item, because a landlord may expect carpets to be professionally cleaned if they were at check-in.
We publish a written checklist for every booking, and our end of tenancy cleaning checklist goes through it in detail. If you want a room-by-room version with photo evidence tips, there is also our move out cleaning checklist.
Move out clean, tenancy clean, checkout clean: same thing?
Yes, for practical purposes. Move-out clean, tenancy clean, checkout clean and end of tenancy clean are different names for the same service: a full clean of a vacated rental to the standard expected at handback. Companies and agents use the terms interchangeably, so do not pay extra just because a quote uses a different label. What matters is what the checklist includes. Ours is spelled out in our guide to what is standard and what is extra.
What a deep clean actually is
A deep clean goes beyond the surface cleaning of a regular visit. It deals with what accumulates when a home is lived in for months: grease film on kitchen cupboards, limescale around taps, dust on top of wardrobes, grime in grout, marks on doors and switches.
There is no legal or industry definition of a deep clean, so scope varies from one company to another. That is why a written checklist matters. With us, you see what is included before you book, and the price is fixed online. A typical deep clean covers kitchens and bathrooms in depth, plus detailed dusting and wiping throughout. Ovens, fridges, inside windows and mattresses are frequently add-ons rather than part of the base price, so check the list.
People book a deep clean when they:
- are moving into a new home and want a clean start;
- have not cleaned thoroughly for a long time and want a reset before returning to a regular routine;
- are preparing for guests, a sale or a new baby;
- want a one-off clean of a kitchen before the next inspection or party.
You can see our scope and fixed prices on the deep cleaning page. For kitchens in particular, our guide to kitchen deep cleaning explains what gets done and why.
Where the two services overlap, and where they do not
An end of tenancy clean contains a deep clean's worth of work, but it is aimed differently. Think of it this way:
- A deep clean asks, "how dirty is this home, and how do we reset it?"
- An end of tenancy clean asks, "how was this property recorded at check-in, and does it now match?"
That second question changes the job in several ways.
The property is empty. With furniture gone, the cleaner can reach behind and underneath things, clean inside every cupboard and wipe the whole floor. A deep clean in an occupied home works around your belongings.
The inspection is external. An end of tenancy clean is judged by someone else, with a checklist and a camera. A deep clean is judged by you.
Specific items are expected. Oven interiors, limescale on taps, marks on walls, carpet condition and the state of windows are the things that most often appear in deduction claims, so an end of tenancy clean prioritises them.
Timing matters. The clean should happen after your belongings are out and before keys go back. Leave a gap and the property can get dusty again; leave it too late and you have no time to fix anything the inspector flags. Booking in the last two days before handback is a sensible window.
If you are clearing the home yourself first, a clear space is easier to clean, and so are the items inside it. This guide on keeping clutter from returning is a handy reference for sorting small items before the cleaners arrive.
Do tenants have to pay for a professional clean?
This is where the "end of tenancy vs deep clean" question often becomes a deposit question. In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 stops a landlord or agent requiring you to pay for a professional clean at the end of a tenancy. The government's tenant guidance puts it plainly: a landlord or agent cannot require you to pay for a professional clean or deep clean when you check out. The same guidance adds that a landlord may ask for the property to be cleaned to a professional standard, and that you remain responsible for returning it in the condition you found it, aside from fair wear and tear. Note that the guidance document is now marked as no longer up to date, so check the current GOV.UK pages if a dispute turns on the wording.
So the rule is not "you never have to pay for cleaning". It is:
- Nobody can force you to book a specific professional cleaner or a professional clean.
- You are still expected to leave the property as clean as you found it.
- If it is not, the landlord can claim reasonable cleaning costs from your deposit, with evidence.
That is why many tenants choose to book a professional clean anyway: it is the most reliable way to match the standard, and a receipt and checklist are useful evidence if there is a disagreement.
The standard is check-in condition
The benchmark is not "spotless". It is how the property was recorded at the start. The deposit protection provider mydeposits explains that a property must be left cleaned to the same standard as at the start of the tenancy, and that claiming for a professional clean when the property was only domestically clean at the start would be betterment, meaning the landlord ends up better off than before. It also stresses that a quality check-in inventory is the baseline for comparison.
That has two practical consequences:
- Find your inventory. Compare it with the property before you clean, and note anything described as professionally cleaned at check-in (typically carpets and ovens).
- Photograph everything at handback. Dated photos of each room, the oven and the bathroom after cleaning are your best defence. Our guide to tenancy cleaning and your inventory covers how to do this.
If a deduction is proposed, the deposit scheme's dispute process lets you challenge it. Landlords must show evidence, such as the inventory and photographs, and cannot deduct for fair wear and tear. This article is general information on the rules for England, not legal advice: if you are facing a large deduction, contact your deposit scheme or Citizens Advice.
Where after builders cleaning fits
After builders cleaning is the third service people confuse with these two, and it is the one least like the others. Construction leaves fine plaster and brick dust that settles on every surface, inside cupboards and in vents, plus paint splashes, adhesive and silicone residue on glass, tiles and fittings. A standard deep clean is not built to remove it, and wiping dry dust with a damp cloth can smear it into surfaces.
Choose after builders cleaning when:
- the work is finished and tradespeople have left;
- you can see a pale film of dust on surfaces or in the air;
- there are paint splashes, sealant smears or adhesive on windows, floors or sanitaryware.
Choose a deep clean when there has been no building work, only everyday grime. Many homeowners book both in sequence for a major renovation: after builders first for the dust, then a deep clean once everything is installed and furnished. Our after builders prices run from £159 to £419, and heavy paint splash removal can be added for £30.
How to decide: a simple checklist
Ask yourself these questions in order:
- Are you leaving a rental and handing back keys? Book an end of tenancy clean.
- Has there been building or renovation work? Book an after builders clean first.
- Are you staying in the home and it needs a reset? Book a deep clean.
- Do you just need keeping on top of things? Regular domestic cleaning, from £17.50 to £20.95 per hour, is cheaper over time than repeated deep cleans.
A few edge cases come up often:
- Landlord between tenants: an end of tenancy clean is the right fit if the aim is to bring the property back to a letting standard, with the written checklist as a record.
- Buying a former rental: a deep clean is usually enough unless there has been building work.
- Short let or guest accommodation: a deep clean between seasons, then regular turnaround cleans.
- Leaving owned property you are selling: a deep clean or end of tenancy style clean both work. The latter is more thorough on empty rooms.
What each clean costs
Price depends on property size, condition and extras. Our published one-off ranges are:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| End of tenancy cleaning | £109 to £339 |
| Deep cleaning | £119 to £329 |
| After builders cleaning | £159 to £419 |
| Domestic cleaning | £17.50 to £20.95 per hour |
| Carpet cleaning | £32 per room |
The things that move the price are mostly the same across all three services:
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms. More rooms means more time.
- Condition. Heavy limescale, grease or neglected carpets take longer.
- Extras. Our add-ons are priced separately: inside oven £25, inside fridge or freezer £15, inside windows £15, external windows £25, heavy limescale treatment £20, wall spot cleaning £20, mattress deep clean £30 and balcony or patio cleaning £15.
- Carpets and upholstery. Carpet cleaning is £32 per room and sofa or upholstery cleaning is £25 per item.
- Logistics. If you need us to collect keys from an agency, that is £15.
We show fixed prices online before you book, with no hidden fees, and all products and equipment are provided. The exact price for your property appears on the booking page.
Why we built our service the way we did
We have cleaned more than 2,300 homes, and the pattern is consistent: most deposit disputes are not about a dirty property, they are about a mismatch between what the tenant cleaned and what the inspector expected. A tenant who has wiped every surface but forgotten the oven, the extractor filter or limescale around the taps can still lose money.
That is why our end of tenancy service is built around a written checklist, and why we back it with a 72-hour re-clean guarantee: if the standard is not met, tell us within 72 hours and we return to put it right. Our cleaners are vetted, DBS-checked and arrive in uniform with all products and equipment. Our guarantee guide explains how it works in practice.
Our advice, whichever service you choose: ask what the checklist covers, ask whether ovens and carpets are included, and keep the receipt with your inventory photos. Cheaper quotes that leave those out often cost more in the end.
— Book
Book the right clean
If you are moving out, you can see the price for your property and book online in under a minute, with no card or deposit needed to reserve, on our end of tenancy cleaning page. If you are staying in your home, the deep cleaning booking page shows fixed prices from £119. Same-day slots are often available, and we cover England: our areas page shows where.
FAQ
Is an end of tenancy clean the same as a deep clean?
Not quite. Both are thorough, but an end of tenancy clean is aimed at returning an empty rental to its check-in condition and is checked by a landlord or agent. A deep clean resets a lived-in home and is judged by you. The end of tenancy version puts more weight on ovens, limescale, carpets and inventory items.
Is a move out clean different from an end of tenancy clean?
No. Move out clean, tenancy clean and checkout clean are all names for the same service. Compare what the checklist includes rather than the label, especially for ovens, carpets and windows.
Can a landlord make me pay for a professional clean in England?
No. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 a landlord or agent cannot require you to pay for a professional clean at the end of the tenancy. They can, however, claim reasonable cleaning costs from your deposit if you leave the property in a worse state than recorded at check-in, and they need evidence to do so.
Do I need a deep clean after builders have finished?
Usually you need an after builders clean first, because construction dust and residues need specific methods to remove. A deep clean can follow once the home is furnished and in use.