Key takeaways
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- Agree the handover arrangements before booking the turnaround.
- Compare check-out findings with the original condition evidence.
- Do not require tenants to pay an automatic professional cleaning fee.
- Separate tenant damage from wear, ageing and landlord repairs.
- Use the approved deposit scheme and return agreed money promptly.
Confirm the ending and plan the handover
Start with the tenancy file, not the cleaner’s diary. Confirm who is leaving, the proposed handover date, the tenancy arrangements and who has authority to agree matters for the landlord. Record the tenant’s forwarding contact details and the agent responsible for the file. A removal van booking or an empty-looking room is not a reliable substitute for establishing that possession has been returned.
This guide covers England and is checked October 2026. GOV.UK records that assured periodic tenancies replaced assured shorthold tenancies on 1 May 2026. Avoid relying on an old fixed-term expiry checklist to decide whether a tenancy has ended. Where notice, surrender, continued occupation or possession is disputed, obtain a solicitor’s advice before arranging entry, changing locks or promising a new occupier a move-in date.
Send a practical handover note covering keys, fobs, parking permits, meter locations, belongings and the inspection appointment. Explain how the deposit review will work without promising a deduction or full refund before inspection. Build a realistic sequence for check-out, investigation, repairs, cleaning and final inspection, with one named person able to approve changes when hidden defects emerge.
Gather the starting evidence and agree access
Retrieve the tenancy agreement, original inventory, check-in report, dated photographs and any tenant amendments. Add records of repairs, replacements and cleaning completed during the tenancy. A photograph of a new carpet from several tenancies ago is not evidence that it was new for this tenant. Match each document to the correct address, room and tenancy before sharing it with the inspector.
If an advance inspection would help identify outstanding jobs, agree access with the tenant. GOV.UK explains that inspections and repairs normally require at least 24 hours’ notice and a visit at a reasonable time, with an emergency exception. Notice should not be treated as permission to force entry. Where access is refused or circumstances are contentious, seek advice rather than using management keys to bypass the disagreement.
Use an advance visit to flag practical issues, not to announce a final deposit award. The tenant may still clean or remove belongings before handing over. Record anything needing investigation, such as a leak beneath a sink or a sticking window, and identify urgent repairs separately. Keep communication factual so the outgoing tenant understands what remains to be assessed and what evidence will be used.
Complete the check-out before contractors start
Inspect after the agreed handover and before cleaning, decorating or removals alter the evidence. Follow the same room order as the check-in report. Describe cleanliness and physical condition separately: a greasy oven is different from a broken thermostat, and dusty paintwork is different from damaged plaster. Record inaccessible areas and limitations rather than marking an untested appliance as working.
Take clear overview photographs and close-ups tied to the written report. Record location, date and the specific issue, including scale where helpful. Avoid relying on a single distant image to establish a stain or crack. Check cupboards, supplied appliances, sanitary fittings, doors, windows and outside areas within the letting, while respecting the limits of a visual inspection and avoiding unsafe testing.
Invite the tenant’s comments and record disagreements neutrally. Their absence does not remove the need for careful evidence, and a signature should not be described as agreement to every proposed deduction unless that is genuinely what was agreed. For communal areas, distinguish the outgoing tenant’s exclusive space from places used by other households or contractors. Note when the last inspection occurred and whether anyone entered after handover. That chronology can matter if a mark or missing item is discovered later. Keep the unedited originals and issue a clear report promptly. Evidence collected before remedial work makes both contractor instructions and subsequent deposit discussions more reliable.
Record keys, meters and remaining belongings
List every returned key, fob and access device against the original record. Check which doors they operate rather than assuming a labelled bunch is complete. Document missing items and consider building security requirements before ordering replacements. Separate a landlord’s decision to upgrade a lock from any proposed claim for a genuinely missing key; they are not automatically the same expense.
Photograph final meter readings with the meter identification visible where practical. Record the date, utility supplier information available and any shared-meter complications. Give the outgoing tenant the readings and organise the landlord’s void-period accounts. Do not rely on an estimated bill as evidence of what the tenant used, or assume that all services automatically transfer to the managing agent when keys arrive.
Check for furniture, parcels, food and personal belongings, including sheds and loft areas that can be inspected safely. Do not treat every item left behind as rubbish or assume it can immediately be sold or discarded. Photograph and list it, try to contact the owner and obtain advice on the appropriate notice and disposal process. Keep clearance costs separate from cleaning and retain any instructions authorising removal.
Set a fair cleaning standard under the Tenant Fees Act
For lettings covered by the Tenant Fees Act 2019, an automatic end-of-tenancy cleaning fee is not a permitted payment. Nor should an agent require the tenant to buy professional cleaning from a nominated company. A clause in an old agreement does not make a prohibited charge acceptable. The important distinction is between requiring a paid service and assessing an evidenced failure to return the property to its starting cleanliness.
Compare the actual check-in and check-out standards. A tenant can clean the property themselves; the lack of a professional receipt does not establish that it is dirty. Conversely, a receipt alone does not prove that every area was adequately cleaned. Identify specific shortfalls, such as grease inside the oven or residue in a shower, rather than using an undefined whole-property cleaning charge.
A reasonable deposit claim for cleaning should address a demonstrated shortfall and its reasonable remedy, not improve on the original condition. Explain the evidence and give an itemised quote or invoice. There is no universal statutory cleaning tariff that makes an arbitrary fee safe. If the proposed payment looks like a compulsory service charge rather than compensation for an actual breach, ask a solicitor or the council’s trading standards team before pursuing it.
Book cleaning around the repair programme
Create a cleaning scope from the inspection rather than booking an unspecified deep clean. State which rooms, appliances, internal windows and surfaces are included, whether the property is furnished, and whether specialist carpet treatment is needed. Tell the cleaner about access, water, electricity, parking and any hazards. Obtain agreement on exclusions so that a missed freezer defrost or inaccessible cupboard does not become a last-minute argument.
Complete dusty or disruptive repairs before the final clean wherever possible. Deal with active leaks and investigate damp before asking cleaners to remove visible marks. Cleaning cannot establish the cause of moisture or make an unresolved defect disappear. Arrange appropriate drying and ventilation after wet cleaning, and allow time to inspect the finished work before the next check-in rather than overlapping every contractor on moving day.
Cleans can be booked in the PTM Cleans app at https://clean.pt-maintenance.co.uk. Landlords and agents can use the booking process to organise their turnaround, while tenants remain free to choose how to meet an appropriate cleanliness standard. Keep the booking, scope and invoice in the property file. Booking through the app does not establish tenant liability or make the full cleaning bill automatically deductible.
Separate damage, wear and landlord repairs
Classify each finding before approving work: cleaning, ordinary wear, tenant damage, a landlord repair or an investigation. GOV.UK identifies landlord responsibilities including the structure, exterior, heating, hot water and electrical wiring. The tenancy ending is not a reason to relabel these responsibilities as tenant damage. If a defect could have several causes, investigate before attributing responsibility or proposing a deduction.
Assess the item’s age, original quality, starting condition and length and nature of occupation. Fading, gradual carpet flattening and ageing finishes are different from a fresh burn or broken fitting. Avoid betterment: replacing an old item with a new one does not automatically justify claiming the whole replacement cost. Consider whether repair or a proportionate contribution reflects the actual loss more fairly.
Prepare separate work orders for urgent safety issues, necessary repairs and optional improvements. Ask competent contractors to report findings and distinguish repair costs from upgrades. Preserve photographs and relevant removed parts where a disputed cause needs examination. Where liability or valuation remains uncertain, seek professional advice or use the deposit scheme’s process rather than presenting a contractor’s quotation as a binding decision against the tenant.
Check protection and calculate proposed deductions
The government-approved tenancy deposit protection schemes for England are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. GOV.UK explains that deposits for assured periodic tenancies need protection within 30 days of receipt. At check-out, confirm the actual scheme, deposit reference, amount held and whether the arrangement is custodial or insured. Do not assume the current managing agent holds the money simply because they manage the property.
Custodial arrangements hold the deposit with the scheme; insured arrangements allow the landlord or agent to hold it under the scheme’s insurance arrangements. Follow the relevant scheme’s repayment and dispute instructions. If protection records or required tenant information are missing, obtain advice promptly. End-of-tenancy paperwork should not be used to conceal or casually backdate an earlier compliance problem.
Send an itemised proposed settlement identifying each issue, the starting and ending evidence, the sum claimed and its calculation. Keep rent arrears, cleaning and damage separate, and avoid claiming the same loss twice through overlapping invoices. Check the arithmetic against the protected balance and identify who should receive repayment under the scheme’s records. If several tenants paid a joint deposit, follow the scheme’s authority and repayment process rather than dividing money according to an informal assumption about who originally transferred it. Make clear which amounts are agreed and which remain disputed. Allow the tenant to respond with their own photographs, receipts or explanation before treating a proposal as settled.
Resolve the deposit and close the turnaround file
GOV.UK states that the deposit should be returned within 10 days of both parties agreeing how much will be repaid. This is not a blanket allowance to delay every refund until 10 days after the tenant leaves, nor a reason to hold up agreed money while unrelated works continue. Use the scheme’s process for releasing the agreed amount and handling any remaining contested balance.
Approved schemes offer a free dispute resolution service. GOV.UK explains that both parties need to agree to use it, provide evidence and accept its final deposit decision. Contact the scheme promptly because submission time limits can apply. Follow its evidence format and deadlines rather than sending an unstructured collection of messages. If adjudication is unsuitable or proceedings are contemplated, obtain a solicitor’s advice about the available route.
Close with a separate readiness inspection for the next tenancy. Confirm repairs are complete, cleaning matches the instructed scope, access devices work and the new inventory accurately describes the property. Review safety records and any unresolved concerns before accepting move-in arrangements. Archive the final settlement, contractor records and handover documents together, then update the maintenance plan so recurring defects are addressed rather than rediscovered at every check-out.
Frequently asked questions
01Can I charge a check-out administration fee?
A compulsory check-out fee is not a permitted tenant payment under the Tenant Fees Act for covered lettings. The landlord’s agreement with an agent about paying for an inspection does not make that cost automatically recoverable from the tenant.
02What if the tenant offers to come back and clean?
Consider whether a supervised, agreed return is practical before contractors start. Record the access arrangements and areas to be cleaned, without implying that a return visit revives the tenancy or settles every other issue. Seek advice if possession arrangements are unclear.
03Can a landlord claim without a signed inventory?
A missing signature does not answer every evidence question, but weak starting records can make a claim difficult to substantiate. Gather contemporaneous photographs, correspondence and other relevant records, and ask the scheme what evidence it accepts. Do not reconstruct an inventory and present it as an original.
04What happens if a proposed claim exceeds the deposit?
The deposit scheme cannot simply create an additional pot of tenant money. A claim beyond the protected amount may need a separate resolution, so take advice on evidence, proportionality and the appropriate route before pursuing it.
05Does using a managing agent remove the landlord’s involvement?
Agree who gathers evidence, authorises works and communicates the settlement. Check the agency contract and scheme arrangements rather than assuming the agent can approve every deduction or refund without instructions.
Sources
About the author
Peachtree Maintenance compliance team
Written by the team that arranges certificates, inspections and repairs for Peachtree Maintenance clients. General information for England, not legal advice. Last reviewed 20 October 2026.