In your opinion, should rental properties be professionally cleaned between tenancies?

[LindorDoubleChoc]

Just that really.

Yes or no.

I have cleaned all my rental properties myself as a tenant to a FAR better condition than professionals have done it. Same with all my tenants.

To your question. Should tenants have to? No. Just to a reasonable standard.

Should landlords have to? Yes.

In theory no but the problem is "professional standard" to one person means dirty and sloppy to another with dust under beds, oven not touched etc. So to be consistent I think professionals are needed.

Yes. Professional companies will be able to deal with such things as pet flea eggs and bedbugs, do a better job of cleaning carpets & curtains etc, and have strong chemicals to sort out black mould, clean grouting and remove limescale.

In other words - if you are a landlord and letting a property, that property should be absolutely clean at the start of a tenancy?

Of course.

Love the inference that tenants leave fleas and bedbugs wherever they go

Property should be spotless at the start of a new tenancy, yes without doubt. As to who does the actual cleaning, that doesn’t matter.

Sorry, quoted the wrong post

Yes

A property should be as clean as it can be when a new tenant moves in. How that is done doesn't really concern me!

I’m another who leaves a property cleaner than the moved in professional clean.

in theory a professional clean should be a good standardised thing. In practice they rarely are

Yes.

This.

As a landlord I’ve yet to have been satisfied by a “professional clean” and have ended up going in myself after them, to do finishing touches.

Our best long term tenants left the house immaculately clean when they bought their own place and moved out of ours. Cleaner than any professional company.

Regardless, tenants should always move in to a spotless property.

Yes - and if that’s not the case, take detailed photos and send immediately to the lettings agent/landlord and ask for a rent reduction to cover the cost of a professional clean/costs of delayed moving etc.

The tenant should not have to pay a cleaner, no, and neither can you enforce any clause you’ve added that requires this.

it should be left clean, of course.

We paid a professional company to clean a flat we rented just prior to us leaving. We were still charged a "cleaning fee" from our deposit by the landlord despite me sending the invoice to prove we had paid for this service already. We also paid for a professional to clean the cooker alongside the end of tenancy clean. In future I wouldn't pay for these services and would rather the landlord just paid out rather than myself pay out twice again. I would expect a property to be deep cleaned before moving in (although I question some of the places I have rented have only been hoovered between tenants 🤣)

The way it works in the UK at the moment seems to be that landlords either rely on their tenants to do a very thorough clean at the end of their tenancy, or charge the tenants an extortionate fee for a professional end of tenancy clean. There seems to be no concept of deep cleaning being a landlord's cost.

100% yes. I moved DS into his new student digs a few weeks ago. Victorian house with dated but perfectly acceptable decor. The owner met us there to hand over the keys and it was absolutely spotless, she had even left brand new mattress toppers on each bed for them. Fair play to her I was well impressed compared to some
of the shitholes I’ve been in.

In our contracts, we have a clause that states the property will be professionally cleaned by a company selected by the landlord, the cost of which will be taken from the deposit. If the property is left in good condition, then the length of the clean is shorted (and less expensive).

This comes after years of people (generally the husband about the wife) telling me that they always leave the properties better than when they entered. No. That has not happened ONCE in over 100 properties. So no longer do I have to argue the toss. If they don't like the clause, then they don't get the property.

It is handed over professionally cleaned when they arrive, and that is how it should be for the next tenant. The average cost is included on the contract.

I’ve been thinking about this,
I’m approaching ten years in my rental at the moment. I’ve repainted where I can match the paint colours but I’ve not been able to match all the rooms so haven’t repainted those.

• which is a tip for landlords, always leave any remaining paint!

the kitchen is 20 -30 year a old which means it is chipped and marked. bathroom 20-30 years old and the bath is going rusty and is marked.

it’s not dirt but cleaning will only go so far and almost seems wasted when it all needs replacing.

I’d rather it was but it goes back to returning the property in the state you moved into. The landlord doesn’t bear the cost of anything that isn’t wear and tear.

i do find it weird that you can accept rent every month then at the end of the tenancy tenants are supposed to make the house look like they were never there - using it what they paid for, right?! 😂

After 10 years the landlord wouldn’t be able to hold you to any kind of cleanliness clause. As you say, much of the items are overdue replacement or near end of life

When we rented for a short period during house renovations, contract said house had to be left cleaned to.a professional standard. I did it myself and agent confirmed it was far better cleaned than any professional clean she had seen.

So it is the standard of the clean that is key - not who does the clean.

Given "professional clean" is no guarantee of it being cleaned to a good standard I think it's nonsense to require it. 💯 Agree it should be left clean obviously.

You can put what you like in your contract and your tenants can sign it but none of the above is enforceable. You can’t require a professional clean and you cannot take it out of the deposit.