Can Landlords Charge for Cleaning?
The Tenant Fees Act changed the rules — but it didn’t remove your right to deduct. This guide explains what you can charge for, when deductions hold up, and the mistakes that cost landlords thousands.
The Short Answer
You can deduct from the deposit if the property is not returned to the same cleanliness standard recorded at check-in. This right exists regardless of whether the tenancy agreement mentions cleaning.
You cannot include a mandatory professional cleaning clause, require a specific company, or charge a fixed cleaning fee on exit. The Tenant Fees Act prohibits all of these.
This distinction trips up landlords constantly. The Tenant Fees Act removed your ability to mandate professional cleaning as a condition of the tenancy. But it did not remove your right to deduct from the deposit when the property fails to meet its check-in standard. These are two completely different things — and understanding the difference is worth thousands of pounds over the life of a rental portfolio.
What the Law Actually Says
The Tenant Fees Act applies to assured shorthold tenancies in England. It prohibits landlords and agents from charging fees that aren’t explicitly permitted. Professional cleaning fees are not on the permitted list — which means you cannot charge them as a standalone fee, include them as a mandatory clause, or require the tenant to pay a cleaning company directly.
However, the government’s own guidance is clear on what you can do. The official MHCLG guidance states that if the property is not left in a fit condition, landlords can recover costs associated with returning the property to its original condition by claiming against the tenancy deposit. The deposit exists precisely for this purpose.
The standard the tenant must meet is the condition recorded at check-in, minus fair wear and tear. Not “reasonably clean.” Not “good enough.” The documented condition at the start. This is why the check-in inventory is so important — it defines what “clean enough” actually means for your specific property.
When You Can Legally Deduct for Cleaning
A cleaning deduction will hold up in adjudication when all four of the following conditions are met. Miss any one and your claim weakens significantly.
The property is below its check-in standard
The checkout report must show specific areas that are dirtier than the check-in record. 'Oven interior: heavy grease on back wall and door seal' is strong; 'kitchen: dirty' is weak.
You have a documented check-in baseline
Without a check-in inventory, you have no benchmark. If your report says 'professionally cleaned, no grease, no limescale,' you have a clear standard. If it says 'good condition,' you have very little.
You have supporting photographic evidence
Dated photos showing the specific issues at checkout, ideally with matching check-in photos of the same areas.
The deduction amount is reasonable and evidenced
An invoice or quote reflecting the actual cost of bringing the property back to standard — not inflated, not estimated, not a round number.
When Cleaning Deductions Get Rejected
Adjudicators work from the position that the deposit is the tenant’s money. The burden of proof is on you to justify why any portion should not be returned. These are the most common reasons cleaning deductions fail — all preventable.
Without a baseline, you can't prove deterioration. This is the single most expensive mistake landlords make — costing far more than the £100-£200 an inventory costs.
'Good condition' doesn't set a measurable standard. Specific language like 'professionally cleaned, no grease residue' creates an enforceable standard.
If the property was 'domestically clean' at check-in, you cannot claim for a full professional clean. Real case: landlord claimed £288, adjudicator awarded only £145 because full amount would constitute betterment.
A £500 quote when the issue is a dirty oven and one bathroom is disproportionate. Adjudicators compare against market rates.
The checkout says 'oven: not cleaned' but there are no photos. Without visuals, it's one party's word against another — and the burden is on you.
Days between tenant leaving and checkout allows conditions to change. Checkout should happen on the day keys are returned.
How Adjudicators Assess Cleaning Claims
Understanding how adjudicators think is essential. They are impartial, evidence-focused, and systematic. They do not visit the property or hear verbal arguments. They work from documents.
The adjudicator starts from the position that the deposit belongs to the tenant. Their job is to determine whether you have provided sufficient evidence to justify retaining any portion. If the evidence is missing, weak, or contradictory, the default is to return the deposit.
For cleaning claims, they assess three things in order: what standard was the property in at check-in (the baseline), what standard was it in at check-out (the endpoint), and is the claimed deduction proportionate to the difference? If any link is broken — no baseline, no clear endpoint, or a disproportionate claim — the deduction is reduced or rejected.
Cleaning disputes appear in over half of all TDS cases. Yet a significant proportion of claims fail — not because the property was clean, but because the landlord’s evidence was insufficient. The property may genuinely have been filthy, but without documented proof against a baseline, the claim fails.
What Inventory Clerks Flag for Cleaning
These are the areas that generate the most cleaning flags on checkout reports — and therefore the most deposit deductions.
Oven interior
Very High riskGrease on interior walls, door glass, seals, and racks. Clerks open the oven, pull out racks, and check every surface.
Extractor fan & filters
Very High riskGrease buildup on hood, vent, and filters. Many tenants don't know filters are removable.
Bathroom limescale
High riskTaps, showerheads, screens, and grout. London's hard water produces visible limescale within months.
Cupboard interiors
High riskOpened and inspected individually. Crumbs, sticky residue, and grease film are flagged consistently.
Skirting boards & edges
Medium riskDust along skirting boards, door frames, and behind radiators. The detail items that separate domestic from professional.
Window glass & frames
Medium riskInterior glass, tracks, and frame edges. Smears, dust, and dead insects in tracks.
The Real Cost: Void Periods vs Professional Cleaning
Here’s the dilemma at every turnover. The tenant has left, the property needs cleaning. You can deduct and pay for cleaning yourself, or wait for the tenant. Both have costs.
Option one: you pay for the clean, submit the invoice, and deduct. The property is clean within 24-48 hours, checkout happens immediately, you minimise void period. If your evidence is strong, the deduction holds.
Option two: you ask the tenant to clean. They may do it themselves (missing what clerks check), hire an unknown company, or do nothing — forcing you into a dispute. Each day uncleaned is a day of lost rent. In London, void periods cost £50-£150 per day.
Increasingly, landlords — especially those with portfolios — invest in a professional clean at turnaround. A 2-bed clean costs around £229 — less than two days of void on a £1,500/month property. The clean gets done to a predictable standard, checkout happens immediately, and the landlord either deducts with strong evidence or absorbs it as a cost that pays for itself in faster re-letting.
How to Protect Yourself Before the Tenancy Starts
Costs £100-£200, protects deposits worth thousands. Without it, you're operating blind at checkout.
Insist the inventory records 'professionally cleaned, no grease residue, limescale-free' — not just 'good condition.'
Sets the standard. 'Professionally cleaned' at check-in means the tenant must return it to that standard.
Consistency makes comparison straightforward for adjudicators. Mixed-source reports are harder to compare.
Send a guide explaining the checkout standard. Not demanding professional cleaning, but explaining what they'll be measured against.
You can't mandate it, but you can recommend it. Most tenants prefer knowing upfront what meets the standard.
Will Your Deduction Hold Up?
Answer six questions about your evidence and we’ll assess the strength of your cleaning deduction from an adjudicator’s perspective.
1. Do you have a professional check-in inventory report?
A detailed, dated report recording the property's condition and cleanliness at the start of the tenancy — ideally with photographs.
2. What cleaning standard was recorded at check-in?
What does the check-in report say about cleanliness? The wording matters — adjudicators take it literally.
3. Do you have a professional check-out report?
A matching report documenting the property's condition at the end of the tenancy, using the same format as the check-in.
4. What photographic evidence do you have?
Dated photos showing the specific cleaning issues at checkout, with matching check-in photos of the same areas.
5. Do you have a cleaning invoice or quote?
An actual invoice from a cleaning company for the work done, or at minimum a detailed quote.
6. Is the amount you're claiming proportionate?
Does the cost reflect what's actually needed to return to the check-in standard — not to improve beyond it?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The Tenant Fees Act prohibits mandatory professional cleaning clauses. You can request that the property is returned to a professional standard, but you cannot require the tenant to hire a specific company or pay a fixed cleaning fee.
Yes. The right to deduct comes from the tenant's obligation to return the property in its check-in condition — not from a cleaning clause. If the checkout shows the property is below standard, you can deduct regardless of what the agreement says about cleaning.
Yes, and this is the strongest approach. Targeted, evidenced claims for specific items are much more likely to succeed than blanket claims for a full property clean.
The receipt doesn't override the checkout report. If specific areas are documented as below standard, you can still deduct. However, suggest the tenant contact their cleaning company first — many offer re-clean guarantees. This resolves things faster than a dispute.
Only if the property was professionally cleaned at check-in. If the check-in says 'domestically clean,' an adjudicator won't award the full cost of a professional clean — that would be betterment. You can only claim what's needed to return to the documented standard.
Your claim becomes significantly weaker. Without a documented baseline, you cannot prove deterioration. We strongly recommend professional inventories for every tenancy — they protect you far more than they cost.
Every item must be individually justified with evidence. Break it down: cleaning (with invoice), damage (with photos and depreciation), missing items (with inventory comparison). Only itemised, evidenced claims hold up.
Getting it cleaned quickly reduces void periods. Pay for the clean, get an itemised invoice, and propose the deduction. A paid invoice is stronger evidence than a quote for work not yet done.
Consider the time involved — disputes take 2-6 weeks. If the amount is small and your evidence is weak, the effort may exceed the value. For future tenancies, focus on prevention: better inventories, clearer check-in records, and recommending professional cleaning.
Yes — tenants can always raise a dispute through the deposit scheme. But strong evidence means the adjudicator is likely to uphold your claim. TDS data shows that well-documented deductions presented clearly to tenants before formal dispute often result in the tenant accepting without escalating.
Set the Standard at Check-In
A professional clean before your next tenancy creates the documented standard that protects your deposit claims at checkout. Fixed pricing, full receipt, inventory-grade standard.