Skip to content Cleaning between tenants is not really a cleaning decision. It is a void-period decision — every day a property sits empty is rent you do not collect, and a property that shows badly sits empty longer.
This guide covers the turnaround from a landlord’s point of view: what the standard actually is, what you can and cannot charge a departing tenant for, and how to compress the void without cutting corners that cost more later.
The arithmetic of a void
Take a Liverpool property let at £900 a month. That is roughly £30 a day.
| Scenario | Void | Lost rent |
|---|---|---|
| Clean booked in advance, next tenant lined up | 2–3 days | £60 – £90 |
| Clean booked after check-out | 7–10 days | £210 – £300 |
| Clean, then repairs discovered, then re-clean | 14–21 days | £420 – £630 |
A professional turnaround clean costs £170–£310 for a typical two or three-bed. Against a two-week void it pays for itself twice over — which is why the expensive mistake is almost never the cleaning bill. It is the sequencing.
What you can charge the outgoing tenant for
This is where landlords most often go wrong, and where deposit adjudications are most often lost.
- You can deduct for cleaning needed to return the property to the standard recorded at check-in.
- You cannot require professional cleaning as a blanket condition of the tenancy — that has not been permissible since the Tenant Fees Act.
- You cannot charge for fair wear and tear, or use a deduction to upgrade the property.
- You cannot charge a flat “cleaning fee” unrelated to actual cost. Deductions must be evidenced and proportionate.
Deposits must be protected in a government-approved scheme, and GOV.UK sets out the rules — including the 30-day protection deadline and the 10-day window to return an agreed amount. If a deduction is disputed, the scheme’s adjudicator decides on evidence.
Adjudicators decide on documentation, not assertion. A dated, itemised invoice plus timestamped check-in and check-out photographs wins. “The property was left dirty” does not.
Your inventory is the whole case
Everything at check-out is measured against what you recorded at check-in. If the check-in inventory is thin, you have no baseline and very little chance of sustaining a deduction.
- Photograph every room, plus close-ups of the oven, bathroom, carpets and appliances
- Timestamp everything, and have the tenant sign the inventory
- Record the standard of cleanliness explicitly, not just the condition of items
- Keep the invoice for any professional clean you commission before the tenancy starts
- Repeat the same shots at check-out, from the same angles
Sharing our end of tenancy cleaning checklist with tenants when you serve notice is a genuinely effective move. Most disputes come from tenants not knowing the standard rather than refusing to meet it, and a clear checklist removes that excuse in both directions.
A turnaround sequence that works
- Two weeks before check-out — book the clean provisionally and send the tenant the checklist.
- Check-out day — inspect with the inventory in hand and photograph everything before anyone touches it.
- Day 1 — raise any repairs immediately. Repairs before cleaning, always: a plumber under the sink undoes a finished kitchen.
- Day 2–3 — full clean, including carpets if required.
- Day 3 — new check-in inventory photographs taken on the clean property.
- Day 4 — viewings or new tenancy begins.
Step three is the one people reverse, and it is the single most common cause of a doubled cleaning bill. If the property has had works done rather than minor repairs, that is a different job again — see our after builders cleaning guide.
What a turnaround clean should include
- Full kitchen: oven, hob, extractor filter, inside all units, behind appliances
- Bathrooms fully descaled, sealant treated for mould
- Inside all storage, wardrobes and cupboards
- Skirtings, door tops, switches, sockets, radiators
- Internal windows, sills and tracks
- All floors, edges included; carpets professionally cleaned where specified
- Bins cleaned; any garden or yard tidied if it forms part of the let
For HMOs and student lets, add communal areas, and expect the turnaround to be heavier — student properties in Liverpool cluster around a single changeover window, so book early or you will not get a slot.
If you have more than a couple of properties
A standing arrangement with one cleaning company is worth more than the small discount it usually comes with. You get priority at month-end when everyone needs a turnaround, consistent standards across the portfolio, one invoice trail for your accounts, and a team that already knows your properties.
If you are also responsible for communal areas in a block, that is ongoing contract work rather than turnaround work — the pricing logic is in our commercial cleaning cost guide. And whoever you use, check them properly first: our guide to choosing a cleaning company covers insurance, vetting and key handling, all of which matter more when someone holds keys to several of your properties.
Landlords in Liverpool should also keep an eye on licensing requirements, which affect property standards and are administered by Liverpool City Council.
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord charge a tenant for cleaning?
Yes, where cleaning is needed to return the property to the standard recorded at check-in, allowing for fair wear and tear. Deductions must be evidenced and proportionate to actual cost, and blanket professional cleaning cannot be imposed as a tenancy condition.
How much does a turnaround clean cost?
Roughly £170–£240 for a two-bed and £220–£310 for a three-bed in Liverpool, with carpet cleaning quoted separately at £30–£75 per room.
Should I clean before or after repairs?
After. Trades create dust and mess, so cleaning first means paying twice. Complete repairs, then clean, then photograph for the new inventory.
How long should a void period be?
Two to three days is achievable if the clean is booked before check-out and no significant repairs are needed. Booking after check-out typically stretches it to seven to ten days.
Do I need a professional inventory?
Not legally, but it is the document any deposit deduction stands or falls on. An independent, timestamped, tenant-signed inventory is far stronger evidence at adjudication than your own notes.
What about HMOs and student properties?
Heavier turnarounds, communal areas to include, and everyone changing over in the same few weeks. Book well in advance of the summer changeover in Liverpool.
Landlord and agent arrangements
We work with landlords and letting agents across Liverpool, Wirral, Bootle, Birkenhead, St Helens, Warrington and Knowsley on turnaround cleans, with priority scheduling for portfolio clients at month-end.
See our cleaning services or read about our team.