Can a landlord require professional cleaning at the end of a tenancy?

No. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a landlord or letting agent in England cannot make you pay for professional cleaning, and a tenancy clause demanding it is not enforceable. What they can do is expect the property back at the same cleanliness standard as your check-in inventory. Fall short of that, and a deposit deduction is allowed.

What the Tenant Fees Act actually says

The Tenant Fees Act 2019 banned most of the fees landlords and agents used to pass on to tenants in England. A “default professional cleaning fee” and “end of tenancy fees” are both on the banned list. The ban has applied to new and renewed tenancies since 1 June 2019, and to every tenancy since 1 June 2020.

In plain terms, your agreement cannot force you to pay for a professional clean, and you do not have to use a company the landlord nominates. Government guidance is blunt about it: do not pay these fees, even if they appear on the advert or in your contract. If you are charged one, you can report it to your local trading standards team.

What a landlord can still expect

Here is the part that catches people out. You are free to clean the place yourself, but you still have to return it in the condition recorded at the start of the tenancy, allowing for fair wear and tear. If your check-in inventory describes a professionally cleaned home, that standard is the bar your check-out is measured against. Where the property falls short, the landlord can make a reasonable deduction from your deposit to put it right. Our guide on whether a landlord can charge for cleaning explains how those deductions are judged.

Why this matters for your deposit

Cleaning is not a small corner of deposit disputes. The Deposit Protection Service reports that cleaning and property damage together cause more than half of the disputes it handles, with cleaning alone behind 26.64% of cases. It is also the issue most within your control, which is why it pays to get it right before you hand the keys back.

DIY or book a clean: which is the safer bet?

If you have the time, the right products and a forensic eye for kitchens and bathrooms, cleaning it yourself is perfectly valid. The risk is that any deduction is decided by the inventory clerk, not by you, and you have little say over what it costs once it comes out of your deposit. Booking your own end of tenancy clean keeps you in control: you set the standard, you get an invoice as evidence, and a cleaning deduction becomes much harder to justify. You can check a price for your property with our instant quote, and every clean is backed by a 48-hour re-clean guarantee (terms apply).

Quick answers

Can a letting agent put professional cleaning in the contract? They can write it in, but since June 2019 it is not enforceable as a paid requirement, so you cannot be charged a fee for it.

Do I have to use the landlord’s cleaner? No. You can clean it yourself or pick your own company, as long as the result meets the check-in standard.

Can they still deduct for cleaning? Yes, but only to return the property to its check-in condition, not to make it cleaner than it started, and not for fair wear and tear.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Tenant Fees Act 2019 guidance
• Tenant Fees Act 2019 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Deposit Protection Service: causes of deposit disputes

This article is general guidance for tenants in England, not legal advice. Tenancy agreements and deposit scheme processes vary, so check your own and speak to a qualified professional if you need advice.