# Can I charge my tenant for cleaning at the end of a tenancy? Source: https://tenancyvaults.co.uk/blog/charging-tenant-for-cleaning By Andy Lewis (Landlord and software developer) · 6 October 2026 · Last checked 6 October 2026 ## The short answer Yes, if the property was left less clean than it was at check-in, and you can show it. You can claim the reasonable cost of the cleaning the tenant didn’t do, but you can’t require a professional clean, or charge to bring the home up to a higher standard than at the start. ### Key points - Cleaning is the most common reason for deposit deductions: it featured in 54% of TDS disputes in 2024/25. - The standard is the check-in report. A tenant owes a home as clean as it was at the start, not cleaner. - In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 stops a landlord requiring a tenant to pay for professional cleaners. - Fair wear and tear doesn’t apply to cleanliness: dirt isn’t age. - An itemised invoice or quote, by room or area, carries far more weight than a single line. ## How common are cleaning deductions? Very. Cleaning featured in **54%** of TDS disputes in 2024/25, more than any other issue ([TDS](https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com/article/Tenancy-deposit-disputes-in-2025-Myths-realities-and-best-practices)). At DPS, cleaning has been the most common reason for deposit deductions for five years running, at about **29%** of claims in 2025 ([DPS](https://www.depositprotection.com/news-insights/cleaning-main-cause-of-tenancy-deposit-deductions-for-a-fifth-year-running/)). It is also where landlords most often claim more than an adjudicator will award. ## What standard does the tenant have to meet? The one recorded at check-in. Every scheme measures cleanliness against the start of the tenancy, and only for the areas left worse. A property that was “domestically clean” at check-in has to be returned domestically clean, and that is all. Cleanliness isn’t subject to fair wear and tear ([TDS](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/how-tds-approaches-cleaning-disputes.pdf)). Paint fades and carpets wear with time; a dirty oven doesn’t clean itself. So there is no allowance for how long the tenancy lasted, as there is for damage. ## Can I make the tenant pay for a professional clean? Not as a requirement. In England, the [Tenant Fees Act 2019](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/section/1) stops a landlord requiring a tenant to pay a third party for a service, which includes professional cleaners. A tenancy clause that says “the property must be professionally cleaned” can’t be enforced, and DPS describes a clause requiring a professional clean regardless of the check-in condition as potentially unreasonable ([DPS](https://www.depositprotection.com/learning-centre/disputes/in-disputes-be-fair)). What you can do is claim for a breach of the tenancy: the Act allows damages for breach of the tenancy agreement ([Schedule 1, paragraph 5](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/schedule/1)). If the tenant left the home less clean than at check-in, the reasonable cost of putting that right is a fair claim. mydeposits suggests wording the tenancy as “cleaned to a professional standard” rather than “professionally cleaned”, and says claiming a professional clean against a domestic-standard check-in is betterment ([mydeposits](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/what-is-the-difference-between-professional-and-domestic-cleaning/)). ## What evidence do I need? TDS says a clause in the tenancy agreement on its own isn’t enough. You need to show the property was less clean at the end than at the start ([TDS](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/how-tds-approaches-cleaning-disputes.pdf)): - **A check-in report that records cleanliness**, not just condition. “Good condition” doesn’t tell an adjudicator anything about how clean something was. - **A check-out report that records it in the same terms**, room by room, so the two can be compared. - **Photos where they help.** TDS says photos are of limited value for general cleaning, but useful for a single item such as an oven or a fridge. - **An itemised invoice or quote**, dated soon after the tenancy ended and broken down by area or item ([TDS](https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com/article/How-do-you-prove-cleaning-is-a-dispute-worthy-deduction)). ## Can I do the cleaning myself and claim for it? Yes, but evidence it as carefully as a contractor’s bill. TDS won’t award for rough estimates, or for your own work, unless it is clearly itemised and evidenced. mydeposits says landlords can charge for their own labour at a reasonable rate (it gives around £20 an hour as a guide), but not for arranging the work or travelling to it ([mydeposits](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/cleaning-and-landlord-costs/)). A contractor’s quote showing your charge is no higher helps. ## How should I set the claim out? Itemise it. TDS’s own [guide to presenting a case](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/1how-to-present-your-case-to-a-tds-adjudicator.pdf) splits an example cleaning claim of £243 into the carpet (£75), the oven (£25) and general cleaning (£143), each with its evidence. If only part of the home was left worse, claim only that part: mydeposits awards a partial clean proportionately. For each item, give: 1. what the check-in report recorded, with its page 2. what the check-out report recorded, with its page and any photo numbers 3. the cost, and where it comes from (invoice, quote or your own itemised time) ## The short version Record cleanliness properly at check-in, record it the same way at check-out, and claim only the difference, itemised. That is what each scheme’s adjudicator looks for. When TenancyVaults reads your evidence, it compares the two reports on cleanliness for each cleaning deduction. ## Common questions ### Can a tenancy agreement require a professional clean? Not in England: the Tenant Fees Act 2019 stops a landlord requiring a tenant to pay for a third-party service. You can still claim the reasonable cost of cleaning the tenant didn’t do. ### Is cleaning covered by fair wear and tear? No. The tenant should return the home as clean as at check-in, however long the tenancy lasted. ### Are photos enough to prove a cleaning claim? Rarely on their own. TDS says photos help most for single items such as ovens. The check-in and check-out reports, and an itemised invoice, matter more. ### Can I charge for my own time cleaning? Yes, at a reasonable rate and itemised. mydeposits gives around £20 an hour as a guide, and excludes time spent arranging the work or travelling. ## Sources The facts on this page come from these official sources, checked on 6 October 2026. 1. [TDS: How TDS approaches cleaning disputes](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/how-tds-approaches-cleaning-disputes.pdf) 2. [TDS: How do you prove cleaning is a dispute-worthy deduction?](https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com/article/How-do-you-prove-cleaning-is-a-dispute-worthy-deduction) 3. [TDS: Tenancy deposit disputes in 2025](https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com/article/Tenancy-deposit-disputes-in-2025-Myths-realities-and-best-practices) 4. [DPS: Cleaning the main cause of deposit deductions (June 2026)](https://www.depositprotection.com/news-insights/cleaning-main-cause-of-tenancy-deposit-deductions-for-a-fifth-year-running/) 5. [DPS: In disputes, be fair](https://www.depositprotection.com/learning-centre/disputes/in-disputes-be-fair) 6. [mydeposits: Professional and domestic cleaning](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/what-is-the-difference-between-professional-and-domestic-cleaning/) 7. [mydeposits: Cleaning and landlord costs](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/cleaning-and-landlord-costs/) 8. [Tenant Fees Act 2019, section 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/section/1) 9. [Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/schedule/1)