Mon, 18 May 2026 · Mercy Tembo · 6 min read
The End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist Agents Actually Use
Inventory clerks work from a list. After hundreds of check-outs across Peterborough and Spalding, we know it by heart. Here it is, including the five spots that lose more deposits than everything else combined.
Deposit deductions for cleaning aren't really about dirt, they're about the gap between what tenants think 'clean' means and what the inventory report says. Clerks compare the property against the check-in report line by line, and they look in a predictable order.
The five deposit-killers
1. The oven. First thing every clerk opens. Baked-on carbon on the door glass is the single most common deduction we see.
2. Extractor fan filters. Slide them out. If they drip grease, that's a line item.
3. Window tracks and frames. The glass gets cleaned; the tracks get forgotten.
4. Limescale. Shower screens, taps and the toilet waterline. Hard Lincolnshire water guarantees it unless it's been actively removed.
5. Skirting boards and door tops. The dust test, literally a finger-swipe in most check-outs.
The full room-by-room order
Kitchen first (appliances inside and out, cupboards, worktops, floor), then bathrooms (descale everything, grout, extractor), then bedrooms and living rooms (windows, skirting, carpets, light fittings), hallway last. Work top-to-bottom in each room so dust falls onto surfaces you haven't cleaned yet.
Or skip the weekend of labour: our end-of-tenancy clean follows this exact checklist and carries a 72-hour deposit-back guarantee.