End of tenancy cleaning deposit in London: what a clean can and cannot change

Does cleaning affect your tenancy deposit in London?

It can. The three government-approved schemes, the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), mydeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), describe cleaning at check-out in the same way: the property is judged against how clean it was when the tenancy started, not against a general idea of clean.

Two documents show that starting point. The check-in inventory records the property when you moved in, and the check-out report records it at the end. mydeposits advises whoever carries out the final inspection to use the inventory for reference and comparison, and to support what they note with photographs.

Fair wear and tear is a separate idea. mydeposits describes it as the deterioration that comes from an item's age and normal use, and says it applies to condition, not to the standard of cleaning. The TDS made the same point in a 2019 post: an item can be worn and aged, but it should still be clean.

GOV.UK writes the deposit rules for England, and none of the pages read for this guide sets a rule that applies only in London. What differs from one London tenancy to the next is the paperwork: the agreement, the inventory and the check-out report.

How much deposit can a London landlord ask for, and where must it be held?

The cap depends on the annual rent, not on the borough. GOV.UK says a landlord can require a deposit of up to five weeks' rent where the annual rent is below £50,000. Higher-rent tenancies have a higher cap, which is six weeks' rent at £50,000 or more.

The rules sit on GOV.UK's pages for fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (opens in a new tab) and tenancy deposit protection (opens in a new tab). GOV.UK also says that if you are in a dispute with your landlord, the deposit stays protected until the issue is sorted out.

What do the deposit schemes say about cleaning at check-out?

These are scheme guidance pages, not law, and several are older than the 1 May 2026 changes. Read each point as that scheme's view, on the date shown.

• DPS. In a press release dated 30 June 2022 (opens in a new tab), the DPS said a landlord can only ask a tenant to return the property to the same standard of cleanliness it was in when the tenancy started.
• TDS. In a June 2018 blog post (opens in a new tab), the TDS said a tenant should return the property cleaned to the same standard as at the outset. A June 2019 post (opens in a new tab) added that landlords can claim money for cleaning from the deposit under certain circumstances.
• mydeposits. Its fair wear and tear guide (opens in a new tab) says deductions are only permitted for damage beyond normal use, not for wear and tear itself.
• Betterment. The DPS (opens in a new tab) gives the cost of a full professional clean, claimed where there were cleaning defects at the start of the tenancy, as an example of improper betterment. The TDS said in 2018 that a tenant cannot be asked to return a property in better condition than they received it.
• Reasonable claims. The DPS says landlords have a duty to act reasonably and not claim more than is necessary to compensate for any loss.

None of the scheme pages read for this guide says a professional clean is always required, or always banned. So the useful questions sit in your own paperwork: what does your tenancy agreement say about cleaning, and how does the inventory describe the property at the start?

What can a professional clean change, and what can it not?

A clean works on one thing: how clean the property is when the inspection starts. If the inventory describes a tidy kitchen and the hob, extractor and sink carry a layer of grease and limescale, that gap is what a clean is for. It cannot reach beyond it.

• Damage. Cleaning does not repair a burn, a chip or a broken fitting, and it does not remove damage from the check-out report.
• Rent or bills that are still owed.
• Items listed on the inventory that are missing.
• The decision to claim. That sits with the landlord or agent and, if you dispute it, the scheme.

Ivory's end of tenancy clean is from £190, and the final price reflects the condition of the property, not how long you lived there. Inside the oven, fridge and cupboards are paid extras, and a machine carpet clean is priced on top, so say in the form if your inventory lists them.

What Ivory stands behind is the clean. If the agent queries a point, send it over and the team returns to re-clean it within 48 hours. Your deposit is not ours to promise. The standard list is on the end of tenancy cleaning page.

What evidence should you keep before the keys go back?

The schemes lean on evidence. mydeposits says that without a clear inventory it is very difficult for a landlord or agent to prove that damage or cleaning issues arose during the tenancy. The DPS says that if the check-in and check-out reports are unsigned, date-stamped photographs are what give them weight.

1. Find your check-in inventory. mydeposits says an inventory is not a legal requirement, though it strongly recommends one, so if you never received yours, ask your landlord or agent for a copy.
2. Read the entry for each room and clean to that description. The London checklist goes through it room by room.
3. Take dated photographs of every room once the clean is finished, on the day the keys go back if you can.
4. Keep receipts for any cleaning you paid for, and any messages about cleaning. The TDS lists both among the evidence it suggests.
5. Ask to be there for the check-out. mydeposits calls giving the tenant the opportunity to attend the final inspection best practice.

Timing matters as much as paperwork. When to book the clean covers where it sits between your belongings leaving and the check-out.

Did the Renters' Rights Act change anything for a London tenant?

It changed how tenancies run. GOV.UK's overview for tenants (opens in a new tab) says most existing assured shorthold tenancies automatically became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, and that it is no longer possible to have an assured tenancy agreement with an end date. A tenant can end one by giving two months' notice in writing.

GOV.UK's landlord guidance on ending a tenancy (opens in a new tab) adds that section 21 notices can no longer be used, so a landlord needs a valid ground. The tenant overview does not mention deposits, and the GOV.UK deposit pages read for this guide state the 30-day and 10-day rules without describing any change to them. For the cap, protection and return rules, use the GOV.UK deposit pages linked above.