End of Tenancy Cleaning
You have decided to move out and move on out of your rental. Before you hand over your keys to the landlord you will have to have an end of tenancy cleaning. You may not even realize it, but your contract or rental agreement probably includes a clause about end of tenancy cleaning and how it is your responsibility.
You can incur extra costs if you do not carry out your cleaning responsibilities properly and on time.
Here are some tips to ensure a smooth end of tenancy cleaning.
Walls
Take any pieces of art or pictures off of the walls and survey the damage. You will have to fill in any nail holes and patch any larger holes in the wall. After you have filled and sanded the holes, touch up the wall with paint if necessary. The walls should not show any traces of your wall hangings.
A nice warm and damp sponge will be just the ticket for taking off smudges and fingerprints off of the wall. Don’t scrub or scour too hard as you can easily damage the coat of paint and cause additional work.
Rinse you sponge and attack the wall heaters and trim. A quick wipe down will take care of the dust and dirt that has accumulated.
Kitchens
Cleaning your kitchen may be a bit of a chore if you haven’t kept on top of the cleaning situation. Start with the cupboards and wipe them out thoroughly. Use cleaning products to scrub down your sink and faucets making sure that all grime and build-up are taken off.
Your fridge, stove and microwave should also be given a good scrubbing. Remove any traces of caked on food or residue.
Wipe down the faces of your cupboard doors, cabinets and drawers. Clean the walls around the stove as there may be some grease splatters to take care of.
Bathroom
The bathroom is probably one of the key rooms to make spotless. Your landlord will probably be most fussy with the bathroom. Get some good cleaning products and start scrubbing. Your toilet should be glimmering and clean. All scum should be removed from your shower or bathtub, and the shower curtain should be inspected as well. Give the floor a good mop as well.
Carpet
A thorough vacuuming may not be enough to get your carpet up to snuff. Move the furniture and inspect for any spots or stains. Food or drink stains and spots from animals will need to be removed or taken care of. You may be able to hand scrub it out yourself, but professionals may need to be called in for stains that won’t budge.
Windows
Pull out your window cleaner and give your windows a good cleaning. Dust the blinds and make sure they are in working order. Your curtains may need to be washed or ironed out. Wipe down the casings too. The windows show dust very easily because of the light, so make sure you clean the windows well.
DIY vs. Professional Cleaning
You could clean your rental unit yourself which would be the most cost effective, or you could get some professionals to come in. Professionals may be a good idea if you feel that you won’t be able to carry out the cleaning requirements.
Cleaning will take strong chemicals and may have a negative impact on your health. Your health may not be the only thing impacted either. Using the wrong chemicals can cause serious damage that will need to be repaired. A professional would have experience in cleaning with harsh chemicals and would be responsible for any damage incurred during the tenancy cleaning.
You will have to do a cost benefit analysis to see what will be the best option. Add up all the costs involved in buying the cleaning products. Don’t forget to factor in your time as well – scrubbing down a bathroom may take a while. It may be that you will have to rent professional carpet steam cleaners as well. Price it all out and compare that price to that of hiring professional cleaners. You may be surprised by the costs.
End Goal
The end goal of the tenancy cleaning is to have the place in the same condition as when you moved in. Depending on how you treated your space, you may need to call in the professionals.
If you decide to clean up the rental on your own, try getting some of your friends to help you out. Many hands will get the job done quickly.
Calculate all of your expenses and figure out if you have enough time to commit to cleaning your place properly.
Do you have any end of tenancy cleaning tips to offer?
Guest author Greg Smith is a cleaning fanatic; his apartment is always pristine. He often chooses to share his obsession with others who might benefit from the information. He thinks his attentiveness to cleanliness comes from the fact he works at Haarklinikken, a hair restoration clinic. Everything always needs to be clean and sterile when you are dealing with things like hair transplantation and treating hair loss.
