Deposit Deductions for Cleaning: What Tenants Should Know

In England and Wales, landlords must protect most tenancy deposits in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme – the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), mydeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) – within 30 days of receiving it, and give you the prescribed information. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own approved schemes and deadlines.

If you're not sure whether your deposit is protected, you can check with each scheme using your details. This matters because the schemes offer a free dispute resolution service if you and your landlord can't agree.

A landlord or agent can claim for cleaning if the property is returned dirtier than it was at the start of the tenancy. The claim should be based on evidence – usually comparing the check-in and check-out inventories and photos – and should reflect the reasonable cost of putting it right.

They can't claim to bring the property up to a better standard than it was at the start. If the oven was greasy when you moved in, you shouldn't be charged to make it spotless when you leave.

Fair wear and tear means the natural deterioration that happens through normal, reasonable use over time. Faded curtains, light wear on carpets in walkways and small scuffs on walls after several years are usually wear and tear. Dirt, grease, limescale build-up, food left in the fridge and pet hair are generally cleaning issues, not wear and tear.

The length of the tenancy and the number of occupants matter: a home lived in by a family for five years will show more wear than one let to a single person for a year.

In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans landlords from requiring tenants to pay for a professional clean, and clauses requiring it are generally unenforceable for tenancies covered by the Act. Wales has similar rules. But if you leave the property dirty, the landlord can still claim the reasonable cost of cleaning it.

In practice, it doesn't matter who cleans – you, a friend or a company. What matters is the result compared to the check-in condition.

A little organisation goes a long way:

First, ask the landlord or agent for a breakdown, evidence and how the cost was calculated. Many disputes are resolved simply by talking. If you can't agree, you can raise a dispute with the deposit scheme. The scheme's adjudicator will look at the evidence from both sides – inventories, photos, invoices and the tenancy agreement – and decide how much of the deposit should go to each party.

The burden is generally on the landlord to show that a deduction is justified, which is why good inventories matter so much for both sides.

A reasonable claim compares the check-in and check-out condition, identifies specific areas that were returned dirtier, and puts a reasonable cost on cleaning them. For example: 'Oven recorded as professionally cleaned at check-in; heavily soiled at check-out; cost of oven clean £X, invoice attached.'

A blanket charge for a full professional clean when only part of the property needed attention is more likely to be challenged. So is a charge for areas that were already dirty at check-in, or for normal wear such as slightly faded carpets after several years.

Whether you're a tenant or a landlord, the same evidence decides most disputes:

Clear inventories with photos, a property that's professionally cleaned at the start of each tenancy and a check-out report done promptly make disputes much easier to resolve. See our landlord's guide to cleaning between tenancies.