Can your landlord charge you for cleaning? Here's the law

Your letting agent wants £500 for "professional cleaning." You left the place looking fine. Wiped the counters, hoovered, and scrubbed the bathroom, but they claim it's not enough.

That charge is probably not legal. Even if the cleaning deduction is legitimate, the bar is lower than most landlords claim, and the amount claimed lower.

"Professional cleaning" clauses are unenforceable

If your tenancy agreement says you must pay for professional cleaning when you move out, that clause has been unenforceable since 1 June 2019.

The Tenant Fees Act 2019 banned landlords and agents from charging fees outside a short list of permitted payments. Professional cleaning is not on that list. A landlord who enforces it anyway could face a fine of up to £5,000 for a first offence, and an unlimited fine for a second within 5 years.

Your landlord can ask you to return the property clean. They can even request a "professional standard." But they cannot make you hire, or pay for, a specific cleaner. If you can match the standard with a mop and some Dettol yourself, that is your choice.

The standard for cleaning: match what you moved into

The requirement is simple. You need to return the property in the same condition you found it, minus fair wear and tear. That is it.

If the check-in inventory shows that the oven was clean, then the oven needs to be clean when you leave. If the carpets were freshly shampooed when you arrived, they need to be in a comparable state when you go.

But if the flat was already tired when you moved in, your landlord cannot expect you to hand it back in better shape.

The inventory is crucial here. No inventory, no dated photos, no detailed checkout report? That is a weak case for the landlord, and an adjudicator will likely side with you.

Fair wear and tear: condition, not cleanliness

Important to note, fair wear and tear covers gradual deterioration from normal life. Faded paintwork after three years, carpet worn thin in the hallway, minor scuffs near light switches. Your landlord cannot deduct for any of that.

But fair wear and tear applies to condition, not cleanliness. Worn carpet from foot traffic is wear and tear. Carpet with coffee stains is a cleaning issue, and that one is on you.

What your landlord has to prove

The burden of proof for cleaning fees sit with the landlord. To justify a cleaning deduction, they need:

• A signed check-in inventory with photos
• A checkout report showing the condition you left it in
• Evidence the condition is beyond fair wear and tear
• Receipts or quotes showing the deduction amount is reasonable

For example, if the only issue is a greasy oven, they cannot charge £300 for a full-property clean. An oven clean runs about £50 to £80.

How to dispute an unfair deduction

Your deposit will be held in one of three government-approved schemes: TDS, DPS, or mydeposits. All three offer free dispute resolution.

1. Respond in writing. Say what you disagree with and why. Reference the inventory.
2. Try to negotiate. Of the 4.7 million deposits protected in England and Wales, only about 1% go to formal adjudication.
3. If you cannot agree, raise a dispute with the scheme. Submit your photos, inventory, cleaning receipts, and any messages.
4. An independent adjudicator reviews both sides and makes a binding decision, usually within about 6 weeks. It's free for both parties.

Adjudicators follow the evidence. If your landlord cannot show you left the property dirtier than you found it, the deduction gets rejected.

At Remedy, we help renters navigate the deposit dispute process. We help coordinate with your deposit protection scheme, organise evidence, and generate the right letters and strategy to recover what's fair.