How clean do we need to leave apartment when moving out?

jillyb

hey guys,

we're moving out in ten days and just wondering how clean we need to leave the place?
When we got it it looked superficially clean... but after moving in the oven needed a clean and the floors hadn't been mopped in ages.

So when we leave we were going to do the usual, hoover, mop, bathrooms, bedrooms etc and surfaces. wipe down of cupboards, microwave and fridge but the oven is filthy.

do you think they'd even notice - or worse case scenario could they deduct much off the deposit? its a letting agent.

thanks

blahblah06

Leave it as clean as when you moved in

odds_on

Was there an entry inventory (possibly with pictures) stating the condition of the property and furniture etc when you moved in? It should have been signed by you.
If there wasn't then the landlord cannot prove that the property is not in the condition (less normal wear and tear) as at the start of the tenancy.

not even wrong

There is no legal obligation on you to clean the property before moving out. The landlord cannot withold your deposit if the property is not clean (only if there is actual damage beyond normal wear and tear or unpaid rent). In particular there is no obligation on you to pay for a professional cleaning service, which is one that many landlords try on.

Regardless of the legal obligations above, the expected behaviour for a tenant is to leave the place in the same state as you would expect to move into it.

Penguino

Ask yourself "How clean would you like someone to leave your property after letting?"

It's not a case of getting one over your landlord its about common decency

Jesus Wept

blahblah06 wrote: »

Leave it as clean as when you moved in

Have only once moved into a place that was clean to a respectable level. If I left places the way they were when I moved in, I'd probably lose even more of deposits.

Also, all the landlords were full of **** regarding how clean the place was.
Example: Oven filthy when you move in, you move out and get told that it was sparkling when you moved in.

irlirishkev

jillyb wrote: »

... but after moving in the oven needed a clean..

So when we leave we were going to do the usual, <snip> but the oven is filthy.

do you think they'd even notice - or worse case scenario could they deduct much off the deposit? its a letting agent.

thanks

Ah give the oven a clean. The last tenants obviously either didn't give a crap, in which case don't stoop to their level; or they couldn't get it clean, in which case at least give it a try! Think of the next tenants to move in

JoePie

We left the place in better nick than when we moved in. Only moved out last Thursday. Took about 2 hours to defrost the fridge, give everything a clean and scrub down the bathroom. Didn't bother hoovering or mopping though. Or cleaning windows.

Leave it clean and take dated pictures before you go

jsd1004

not even wrong wrote: »

There is no legal obligation on you to clean the property before moving out. The landlord cannot withold your deposit if the property is not clean (only if there is actual damage beyond normal wear and tear or unpaid rent). In particular there is no obligation on you to pay for a professional cleaning service, which is one that many landlords try on.

Regardless of the legal obligations above, the expected behaviour for a tenant is to leave the place in the same state as you would expect to move into it.

What **** advice. Legalities or not you hand back your apartment without cleaning it and you will pay. Filth is not included as normal wear and tear.

OS119

jsd1004 wrote: »

What **** advice. Legalities or not you hand back your apartment without cleaning it and you will pay. Filth is not included as normal wear and tear.

on the other hand, anyone other than a slum-landlord will be giving the place a deep clean, and probably doing some decoration, before seeking to re-let the property. as a landlord, while i would be a bit pee'd off to discover a filthy oven, i know that its something i would be planning to clean (properly) anyway before i thought about releasing the property to new tenants.

if tenants left the place genuinely unclean i would mention it if they sought a reference from me, but its not the departing tenants responsibility to get the property to a marketable standard - thats the landlords job.

jillyb

hey thanks for replies,

We got no inventory etc. We plan to clean the place & wip down fridge & oven door. Hopefully they wont scrutinise it. The place will end up looking cleaner than the way we go it.

I'll take pics of the place before we go and fingers crossed we'll get deposit back. Im not pushed if they end up deducting a bit for the oven- just not going to tackle it!!