How to Ensure You Get Your Rental Deposit Back

When you rent out a property, it is your legal obligation to undertake basic checks on how the home is looked after and return the property in the same condition you received it. This can be a big responsibility for tenants, but it’s important to realize that landlords are responsible for ensuring the property is returned to good condition. Here are a few tips to ensure you get your rental deposit back.

Common cleaning tasks overlooked by tenants

People usually remember to clean basic things like windows but often forget about the details, like the frames or the handles, or the side of the window that has the closing mechanism. The window blinds are also often forgotten. The metal blinds can be dusted, and they’re fine, but the blinds made from fabrics need to be washed accordingly.

Other often overlooked spaces are the baseboards – they catch a lot of dust and dirt over time, are present in almost every room, and are often forgotten. The same applies to air vents and ceiling fans. It’s important to clean the air vents regularly because otherwise, they can pollute the indoor air. And the ceiling fans are often forgotten because they are located high, but they also gather a lot of dust and need to be cleaned if you’re moving out. The realtor won’t be happy if they turn on the ceiling fan in front of clients, and it spreads dust all over the room. But be careful. Cleaning things located this high carries all kinds of dangers.

Other often underestimated areas are door knobs, various handles around the house, switches, cords, and sometimes even the doors themselves if their color covers stains and marks easily.

Regular cleaning tasks tenants can undertake to keep the property clean

Regular dusting of the house helps prevent dirt build-up in various corners.

The oven cleaning can also prove to be a difficult task because many people don’t clean spills regularly, and the grease can stick in there for good after some time. It’s a good habit to wipe a spill right after it happens, after the oven cools down, of course.

Taking the good and regular care of the carpeted areas is also a good idea. It’s recommended to have those dry or steam cleaned at least once or twice a year. Taking timely care of spills and stains is also a plus because otherwise, they can reach the padding, which makes removing them even harder.

Also, try to avoid any burn marks, stains on walls, and scratches on the floors. They are very hard to fix when the tenancy ends. If the property comes with some upholstered furniture, consider placing protective covers over the pieces to keep them safe from spills and stains.

Is it worth hiring a tenancy cleaning service? 

There are many advantages to hiring a professional company to handle your end-of-tenancy cleaning efforts.

Tenants are responsible for the good condition of the property during the tenancy, so once it ends, they need to leave it in the same condition it was in the beginning. The landlord or leasing agency prepares move-in and move-out condition reports, and every new stain, scratch, and mark can be deducted from the security deposit. And since most deposits cost around two months’ rent, it’s essential to get that money back.

The tenants themselves could try to clean the property to a perfect condition, but it’s a very long list of tiring tasks, and not everyone has time for that. By hiring a company to do it, they save a lot of time and effort. A team of two or three licensed technicians can take care of even big properties in a matter of hours. They work according to strict agency-approved checklists, which allow them to cover every hidden corner, surface, and spot that most people rarely even think about. The entire cleaning process is extremely organized, and these services are usually not limited in time, which means that the cleaners stay until the job is done to a satisfactory level. They also use professional equipment and detergents to help them on the job, like industrial vacuums and carpet and upholstery steam cleaning equipment to get rid of stains and refresh these areas.

Another advantage of hiring a company to handle these types of cleanings is that the technicians who perform these services are usually insured with public liability. This means that if something gets damaged during the cleaning, they have insurance to cover it. While if you try to clean something yourself and damage it, you just move one step closer to losing that deposit.

Also, most companies that provide end of tenancy cleaning also provide a bond back guarantee. If the landlord is unhappy with the results, the company will return to re-clean for free until the needed results are achieved. Of course, there are additional terms. Some companies provide a guarantee for 48 hours after the cleaning and others for 72 hours or more. It depends on many factors.

If your realtor or agency recommends you a cleaner, it may be a good idea to check them out. Many rental agencies work with particular companies regularly. It could be easier because these companies are already familiar with their specific requirements.

Room by room end of tenancy cleaning checklist

A cleaning service is ready for work

Conclusion

Rental deposits are a pain to manage and a nightmare to get back. With the average tenant in the UK owing their landlord over £1,000 in unpaid rent and bills, it’s becoming increasingly important for tenants to plan the retrieval of their security deposit in advance. By keeping the property in good condition on a regular basis, you are one step closer to getting your funds back without any disputes.