The Top Five Areas To Address If You Want To Pass Your Tenancy Cleaning Inspection With Flying Colours
If you’re about to move out of a rented flat or house, you’ve likely heard the phrase “end of tenancy clean” more times than you’d like. You might even be scrubbing away in a panic already, wondering if you’ll ever see your deposit again. Here’s the thing: yes, you do need to clean the entire place – but no, you don’t have to spend your weekend bleaching every inch of every wall. The trick to passing your tenancy cleaning inspection isn’t about obsessing over the skirting boards (though don’t ignore them), it’s about focusing on the places that landlords and letting agents always check.
They’re not wandering around with white gloves and torches, but they do know exactly where grime hides. Most of them have done this dozens of times. They know the bathroom fan gets dusty, the shower screen collects limescale, and that food splatter builds up behind the cooker even if it looks clean from the front. You could have a sparkling lounge and still lose part of your deposit if the oven tray smells like burnt pizza.
The good news? If you concentrate your energy on the five areas we’re about to go through, you’ll give yourself a solid chance of passing that inspection with flying colours – and with a bit less stress. These are the spots they’ll check first, and the ones that usually decide whether your clean gets the thumbs up or a frown and a follow-up email.
1. Behind and Around the Stove – The Grease Trap Zone
Why This Area Matters
Letting agents love to peek behind cookers. Why? Because it tells them if you’ve cleaned properly or just wiped what you could see. It’s one of the easiest places to neglect and one of the worst places to be caught out. Grease, crumbs, and burnt-on bits love it back there.
How To Tackle It Properly
Start by pulling the cooker out. You might need a second pair of hands if it’s heavy or electric. Lay down a towel so you don’t scratch the floor. Now, vacuum up any crumbs or loose bits. Spray the area with a degreaser – the strong stuff – and let it sit for a few minutes. Use a scourer or old sponge to scrub off any greasy build-up. Pay attention to the wall behind, the floor, and the sides of the cooker. If the cooker has removable parts like trays or knobs, take them off and soak them in warm soapy water.
Finish up by wiping everything down with a damp cloth. If you’ve got a cooker hood, clean the filters – they collect grease like nothing else. A soak in hot water with a bit of dish soap does wonders.
2. The Kitchen Sink – And What’s Underneath It
Why This Area Matters
The sink is another giveaway. A shiny basin won’t help much if the area under it smells damp or looks mouldy. Letting agents often open the cupboard below to check for leaks, grime, or signs of neglect. It’s like a snapshot of how you’ve treated the property.
Cleaning Like a Pro
Start with the sink itself. Scrub around the taps and plughole. Use a toothbrush for the fiddly bits. For limescale, white vinegar is your best friend – just soak some paper towels in it and wrap them around the taps for 15 minutes. Rinse and polish with a microfibre cloth.
Now move to the cupboard underneath. Take everything out. Wipe down all surfaces – sides, base, pipes – with an antibacterial spray. If there’s mould, use a mould remover spray or a vinegar and baking soda combo. Check for leaks and, if needed, tighten loose fittings or let your landlord know.
Make sure it’s bone dry before you put anything back. Leave it looking like you’ve never stored old bags and cleaning supplies in there (even if you have).
3. Around and Behind the Toilet – Not Just the Bowl
Why This Area Matters
You could have the cleanest toilet bowl in London and still lose marks if there’s dust or grime behind the seat or near the floor. Inspectors crouch down (yes, really) to check the base and sides of the toilet. They know people wipe the seat and skip the rest.
The Right Way To Do It
Wear gloves – this isn’t a time for bravado. Use toilet cleaner in the bowl and let it sit while you work on the outside. Wipe down the tank, handle, seat, and lid with disinfectant. Then get into the real problem area: the back and base.
Use a spray cleaner and an old cloth or sponge to scrub the floor around the toilet. Pay special attention to where the toilet meets the floor and the corners behind it. An old toothbrush helps here too. Finish by wiping it all with a clean, damp cloth, then dry it off.
Check that the toilet brush and holder are clean or replace them – they’re cheap and one of the first things that make a place look grubby.
4. Shower Cabin or Bathtub – Say Goodbye to Soap Scum
Why This Area Matters
Shower screens, bathtubs, and tiles are magnets for soap scum and limescale. These stains are incredibly obvious under bright bathroom lights. If you can see them, so can the inspector – and they’ll note it down.
Getting a Sparkling Finish
Start by tackling limescale. Spray the screen or taps with a vinegar solution or limescale remover. Let it sit. For soap scum, a paste of baking soda and water works well. Scrub it on with a sponge, then rinse it off.
Don’t forget the tile grout. If it looks grey or spotty, run over it with a grout brush or an old toothbrush dipped in bleach or bathroom cleaner. Mouldy grout is a red flag for inspectors. Clean the corners of the tub or shower tray and polish the taps until they shine.
If your shower curtain’s mouldy, replace it. No one wants to touch someone else’s mildew.
5. Windows and Glass Surfaces – The Deposit Killer
Why This Area Matters
Smudges, fingerprints, and streaks on glass are ridiculously easy to spot. Letting agents will check windows, mirrors, and even glass doors. It’s one of the quickest ways to lose points on your clean.
Cleaning Glass Without Streaks
Use a decent glass cleaner or make your own with vinegar and water. Spray it on the glass, then wipe with a microfibre cloth or newspaper. Yes, newspaper. It doesn’t leave lint and works a treat.
Do this when the sun isn’t shining directly on the glass – otherwise, it’ll dry too fast and leave streaks. Pay attention to corners, frames, and sills. Wipe the inside and outside if you can. And don’t forget mirrored wardrobes or bathroom mirrors – they count too.
If any of the windows are too high or dangerous to reach, clean what’s safe and flag the rest in your inventory notes.
Final Thoughts – It’s Not About Cleaning Everything
End-of-tenancy cleaning doesn’t mean scrubbing till you collapse. You need to be smart about it. These five areas – behind the stove, under the sink, round the toilet, the shower or bath, and all things glass – are the ones that get judged the hardest.
Focus your energy there and get them right. The rest of the house still needs a decent clean, but you don’t have to be obsessive everywhere. Letting agents use these key spots as indicators. Nail them, and you’ve already made a great impression.
Still feeling overwhelmed? That’s normal. If you’re short on time or energy, consider calling in professional cleaners who know what landlords look for. But if you’re doing it yourself, start early, work smart, and check each of these five off your list before that final walk-through.
No one wants to spend their last day scrubbing a toilet or chasing streaks off a window – but if it means getting your deposit back in full, it’s absolutely worth it.