End of Tenancy Cleaning in Bethnal Green

A first-floor conversion in a former Victorian pub on one of the quieter streets off Columbia Road — a 2-minute walk from the Sunday flower market and a 5-minute walk to Bethnal Green Central Line station. The building had been a pub until the early 2000s before conversion into two residential flats. The tenant was a freelance photographer who'd used the flat as a live-work space for 20 months at £2,100/month. Managed by Lloyds Estates (on Bethnal Green Road since 1997, family links to the area dating back to the 1960s).

The conversion had retained several original pub features that made this job unique. The hallway had original green-and-cream glazed wall tiles from the pub's entrance corridor — institutional-grade tiles that needed wiping with a damp cloth, not scrubbing (the glazing is the protective surface — damage it and moisture gets behind). An original etched-glass partition separated the hallway from the living space — a piece of Victorian pub architecture now serving as an interior design feature. Cleaned on both sides with specialist glass cleaner and a soft cloth, no abrasive products near the acid-etched detailing.

The open-plan living room and kitchen had high ceilings (the pub's original bar area) with a pressed-tin ceiling that had been painted white. Dusting the pressed-tin detailing took 25 minutes — each panel has recessed patterns where dust collects. The kitchen was along one wall — a modern installation with an integrated Bosch oven, composite worktops, and open shelving. The oven took 40 minutes. The photographer had used the open shelving for both kitchen items and photography prints — we cleaned the shelves and noted a small adhesive mark where a print had been taped (documented for the inventory).

The bathroom was a modern insertion — walk-in shower, contemporary chrome fixtures. Moderate limescale at ~275 ppm. No original pub features in the bathroom. Standard descale and polish.

Two bedrooms: the front bedroom overlooked the street, with original sash windows from the pub's upper floor. Sash tracks vacuumed. The rear bedroom was darker, facing an internal courtyard — the windowsill had accumulated more dust than the front. Both rooms had engineered timber flooring mopped with pH-neutral product.

The photographer's live-work setup had left minor marks: two small picture-hanging holes in the living room wall (documented, not filled — that's the landlord's call), a faint adhesive outline on one wall where a mood board had been mounted (cleaned with specialist adhesive remover — the outline came off without paint damage), and a light tripod scuff on the hallway tiles (buffed out with a damp cloth).

Lloyds Estates inspected two days later. They've been on Bethnal Green Road since 1997 and they know the building's history — they specifically checked the glazed tiles, the etched-glass partition, and the pressed-tin ceiling. The picture-hanging holes and adhesive mark were accepted as fair wear and tear. The tripod scuff on the tiles buffed out completely. Full deposit returned.