Key points
- The order is belongings out, clean, keys back, check-out. Book the clean to sit between the first and the last.
- Mistake one is booking the clean while belongings are still in the property, because furniture and boxes block the rooms.
- Mistake two is a clean that finishes after the check-out starts, or with no gap before it.
- Booking ahead gives you more choice of day. Your Ivory price comes back within 30 minutes, and we have same-day availability.
Knowing when to book end of tenancy cleaning comes down to order, not a number of days. The sequence is belongings out, clean, keys back, check-out, and the clean has to sit in the gap between the first and the last.
Most timing problems are one of two mistakes. The clean is booked too early, while the property is still full, or too late, so it lands after the check-out or right up against it. This post covers the order of events, both mistakes, and what to confirm with your agent.
When to book end of tenancy cleaning: what is the right order of events?
- Belongings out. Every room is empty, so the cleaner can reach every surface.
- The clean. It happens in an empty property, to the check-out list.
- Keys back. You hand the keys over as your agent has arranged.
- Check-out. The agent compares each room with the check-in inventory.
The clean sits at step two for a reason. It needs the rooms empty to reach the skirting boards, cupboard fronts and floors, and it needs to be finished before the agent compares those same places with the inventory.
Ask your agent whether the check-out happens at the moment the keys go back or at a separate time. That tells you how much room you have between the clean and the inspection.
What goes wrong when booking an end of tenancy clean too early?
The first mistake is a clean that happens while belongings are still in the property. Furniture sits against skirting boards, boxes block cupboard fronts, and the kitchen is still being used. A cleaner can only reach what is clear.
Some things only leave on the last day: the bed, the sofa, the final boxes. Plan your removals so those go before the cleaner arrives, and tell the cleaner if anything will still be there.
If you are not sure which items the clean needs to reach, read the end of tenancy cleaning checklist. It goes through the property room by room.
What goes wrong without an end of tenancy clean before check-out?
The second mistake is a clean that finishes after the check-out has started, or one with no gap before it. If the agent inspects first, they inspect the property as it was before the clean. If the clean finishes minutes before the inspection, there is no time to look round or to fix anything that was missed.
Do the sum yourself. If your removals finish at 10am and the check-out is at 3pm, you have five hours between them. Ask the cleaner whether their visit fits inside that gap with time to spare.
If the check-out is booked before the clean, ask your agent to move it. A check-out that comes first does not see the clean.
How far ahead to book end of tenancy cleaning?
Booking ahead gives you more choice of day. There is no fixed number of days that works for everyone, so get a price as soon as you have a rough leaving date. Your price comes back within 30 minutes, you see it before you pick a day, and the day itself can be confirmed once your removals and key handover are settled.
Plans left late are still workable. We have same-day availability, and we are open seven days, 8am to 10pm.
To get an accurate price, have these to hand when you ask for our end of tenancy clean:
- The address and the size of the property.
- The day you would like the clean, and the time of your check-out if you know it.
- Any extras on your check-out list. Inside the oven, fridge and cupboards are paid extras, so tell us if your list includes them.
- Whether carpets are on your list. Professional carpet cleaning is its own service.
What if your moving date changes?
Tell the cleaner as soon as you know. A booking that no longer matches your move-out recreates the same two mistakes: a clean that is too early or one that is too late.
A removal firm that reschedules or a new tenancy that starts on a different day moves everything else with it, including the check-out. Check the check-out time again whenever your move-out date shifts.
What should you ask a cleaner about timing?
Whoever you book, put the timing questions before the date is fixed. They take a minute and they catch both mistakes.
- Can the clean start after my removals finish and end before the check-out?
- How will you get into the property, and who holds the keys until then?
- What happens if my removals overrun? Can the day move?
- What happens if the agent queries something afterwards?
- Is anything on my check-out list a separate charge?
On our side, your price comes back before you pick a day, and the price reflects condition, not history. If something is queried after our end of tenancy clean, tell us and we come back within 48 hours. Inside the oven, fridge and cupboards are paid extras on every service.
What should you confirm with your letting agent?
- The date and time of the check-out, and that it falls after the clean.
- When the keys are due back, and who they go to.
- Whether you can have a copy of the check-in inventory, so the clean works to the same description the check-out does.
Once the timing is settled, read what a clean can and cannot change about your deposit.
Questions people ask
Book it for after your belongings are out and before the check-out starts. Booking ahead gives you more choice of day, so ask for a price as soon as you have a rough leaving date.
Yes, as long as the order holds: belongings out, clean, keys back, check-out. Leave a gap between the end of the clean and the start of the check-out, and agree the times with your cleaner beforehand.
Ask your letting agent to move the check-out to after the clean. An inspection that happens first sees the property as it was before the clean, so the clean does no work for you.
Tell your cleaner as soon as you know, and check your check-out time again. Ivory has same-day availability and is open seven days, 8am to 10pm, so get in touch with the new date.
Your price comes back within 30 minutes. You see it before you pick a day, so the price is in front of you before you choose.
Written by M.A. Published .
Keep reading
End of tenancy cleaning checklist: what letting agents check, room by room
What a letting agent checks at check-out, room by room, matched to the inventory. Tick it off before the keys go back, and see which items cost extra.
Does professional cleaning protect your tenancy deposit?
Cleaning is the part of your deposit you can control. Here is what a professional clean covers, what it cannot, and what to do if a deduction is proposed.
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We think Ivory is the best end of tenancy clean in Manchester. Here's how to compare any quote on the re-clean window, the extras, your handover date and the deposit rules.
