Your landlord cannot charge you a cleaning fee. They can only deduct cleaning costs from your deposit, and only if the property is returned in a worse state than the check-in inventory records.
That’s the short version. The longer version — the one you probably need — is how to tell whether a specific charge is legal, and what to do when you think it isn’t.
We run end of tenancy cleans across London every week, working with agents at Savills, Knight Frank, and Chestertons. We see the invoices. We also see the disputes. This is the practical guide we’d give a friend who just got a cleaning charge they weren’t expecting.
If you want the full legal background first, our end of tenancy cleaning laws guide covers the Tenant Fees Act and Renters’ Rights Act in depth.
The Short Answer
A landlord cannot charge you a separate cleaning fee in the UK. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, any fee outside rent, deposit, and a few specific exceptions is banned. What they can do is propose a deposit deduction for cleaning — but only with evidence that the property is below its check-in standard.
Those are two completely different things. Mixing them up is where most tenants lose money they should have kept.
When Your Landlord Can Legitimately Deduct for Cleaning
A cleaning deduction is only valid when both of these are true:
- The property is measurably worse than it was at check-in, beyond fair wear and tear
- There’s evidence to prove it — ideally a dated check-in inventory with photos, and a matching check-out report
Miss either one and the deduction doesn’t stand up. A landlord who says “the flat needed cleaning” without a before/after comparison has nothing. A landlord with a signed check-in inventory showing a spotless oven and a check-out report showing heavy grease has a strong case.
The deduction amount must also be reasonable. That means roughly what it would cost to clean the affected areas — not a round £400 plucked from thin air. Deposit scheme adjudicators consistently reject unevidenced round-number deductions.
When Your Landlord Absolutely Cannot Charge You
Here are the situations where any charge is banned outright, regardless of what your contract says.
Mandatory Professional Cleaning Clauses
Your tenancy agreement might say “the tenant must have the property professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy.” That clause is void.
The Tenant Fees Act 2019 abolished mandatory professional cleaning clauses. Shelter’s guidance is explicit: a landlord cannot require you to use a specific cleaning company, produce a receipt, or pay a flat cleaning fee.
The clause can still sit in the contract because old templates are still in circulation. It is not enforceable.
Flat Cleaning Fees Added to Your Final Bill
If you get a final statement with a line item like “end of tenancy cleaning — £250” as a direct charge rather than a deposit deduction, that’s a banned fee under the Act.
The penalty for the landlord is significant: up to £5,000 for a first offence, up to £30,000 for a repeat. Local authorities enforce this.
Charges Without Proof the Property Was Clean at Check-In
If your landlord never gave you a check-in inventory — or the one you got is undated, has no photos, or just says “property clean” with no detail — they can’t credibly claim the property is now less clean.
The deposit scheme adjudicator’s first question is always: “What did the property look like at check-in?” No check-in evidence, no deduction.
Cleaning Charges During Your Tenancy
A landlord cannot send you an invoice mid-tenancy because they think the flat isn’t clean enough. Routine cleanliness during the tenancy is your responsibility, but enforcement comes at the end — through a deposit deduction, not a bill.
The only exception is if cleaning is needed to resolve a specific breach of contract that’s causing damage, such as cleaning required after a pest infestation you caused through misuse. Even then, they need to follow due process.
”Admin Fees” or “Check-Out Fees” for Arranging Cleaning
Charging you for the time spent booking a cleaner, or tacking on a percentage fee for managing the process, is a banned fee. The deduction (if valid) can only reflect the actual cost of cleaning, not the administrative overhead.
Five Common Scenarios, and What’s Actually Legal
These are the situations we see most often. The legal position in each is clearer than most tenants realise.
| Scenario | Legal? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Landlord deducts £200 from deposit with photos showing a dirty oven | Yes — valid if oven was clean at check-in | Compare against your check-in report; accept if fair |
| Final bill includes “£300 professional cleaning fee” as a direct charge | No — banned fee | Refuse in writing, cite Tenant Fees Act 2019 |
| Contract says “carpets must be professionally steam cleaned” | Clause is unenforceable | Ignore the clause; clean to check-in standard |
| Landlord demands a receipt from a specific cleaning company | No — banned | Refuse; choose your own method or company |
| Deposit deduction claimed with no photos or check-in report | No — insufficient evidence | Dispute through your deposit scheme |
The second column is where tenants often capitulate when they shouldn’t. A request that’s framed politely can still be unlawful.
How to Respond to a Cleaning Charge You Think Is Unfair
You have more leverage than you think. The process works in your favour when you use it properly.
Step 1: Ask for Itemised Evidence, in Writing
Reply to the charge with a short, calm email requesting three things:
- An itemised breakdown of the cleaning required
- Photos from the check-in and check-out reports showing the areas in dispute
- A copy of the cleaning invoice or quote that supports the deduction amount
Keep the tone professional. This is a paper trail that the adjudicator will read if it goes to dispute.
Step 2: Compare Check-Out to Check-In, Line by Line
Pull out your check-in inventory and compare it against the check-out report the landlord has provided. For every item flagged in the check-out, check how it was recorded at check-in.
If the check-in said “oven — clean, no grease” and the check-out says “oven — heavy grease buildup”, the landlord has a case. If the check-in said “oven — some grease residue” and the check-out says the same, they don’t.
Also check the age of the property features. A carpet marked “good condition” at check-in three years ago is not the same baseline as “new” — natural wear over a multi-year tenancy is fair wear and tear, not a deduction.
Step 3: Reply in Writing With a Clear Position
If the evidence doesn’t support the deduction, respond with something like:
Thank you for the breakdown. Having reviewed the check-in inventory dated [date] against the check-out report, I don’t agree that the property was returned below check-in standard. [Specific point: e.g., the oven was recorded as “some grease present” at check-in and the check-out notes the same condition.] I’d like to propose that no cleaning deduction is made. If you disagree, I’ll raise the matter with the deposit protection scheme for adjudication.
Short, factual, no emotion. Refer to specific entries, not general principles.
Step 4: Escalate to Your Deposit Scheme
If the landlord won’t back down, raise it with whichever scheme holds your deposit — TDS, DPS, or mydeposits. All three offer free dispute resolution.
The adjudicator reviews evidence from both sides and makes a binding decision, usually within 20 working days. According to TDS data, tenants win roughly two-thirds of disputed cleaning claims when they submit photographic evidence and a written response.
You don’t need a lawyer. You don’t pay to use the scheme.
Red Flags That the Charge Probably Isn’t Legitimate
Any of these should make you push back before paying:
- The charge is a direct invoice, not a proposed deposit deduction
- The amount is a round number (£200, £300, £400) with no itemised breakdown
- There are no check-in photos, only a written inventory or nothing at all
- The landlord refers to a contractual clause requiring professional cleaning
- You’re asked to pay a specific company the landlord has nominated
- The deduction includes “admin” or “management” fees on top of the cleaning cost
- The landlord adds charges after you’ve already agreed a settlement
We’ve seen every one of these in real disputes. Each one is a reason to ask for evidence before accepting anything.
What a Reasonable Cleaning Deduction Actually Looks Like
Based on TDS adjudication data and our own invoices from London lets, genuine cleaning deductions usually fall in these ranges:
| Scope of clean needed | Typical reasonable deduction |
|---|---|
| Oven only (heavy grease) | £45 - £80 |
| Bathroom descale and mould treatment | £60 - £120 |
| Kitchen appliances (fridge, hob, extractor) | £70 - £140 |
| Full property re-clean (one-bed) | £150 - £220 |
| Full property re-clean (two-bed) | £220 - £320 |
If the deduction you’re facing is much higher than these ranges and the landlord can’t show quotes from multiple cleaning companies to justify it, that’s grounds to dispute.
Our own end of tenancy cleaning prices sit within these ranges, and come with a 72-hour re-clean guarantee — which is often what distinguishes a defensible deduction from an excessive one.
Can a Landlord Charge You During the Tenancy?
Generally, no. Cleaning during your tenancy is your responsibility, but your landlord can’t bill you for not meeting their standards mid-tenancy.
The narrow exception is where your actions have caused a specific hazard — a blocked drain from misuse, pest problems caused by food waste left out, or biohazard cleaning required after a breach of the tenancy agreement. Even then, the landlord must give you written notice, opportunity to rectify, and use the proper notice process before claiming costs.
A monthly “cleanliness check” with follow-up fees is not enforceable. If you receive one, ask for the contractual basis and the evidence.
How to Stop the Dispute Happening in the First Place
The strongest position at check-out is walking in with evidence that makes the deduction unnecessary. In practice this means:
- Photograph everything on move-out day with your phone’s default camera so metadata records the date
- Keep the check-in inventory safe from day one
- Follow a thorough cleaning process — our end of tenancy cleaning checklist covers every area inventory clerks actually inspect
- Get a receipt if you hire a professional cleaner (a guarantee-backed clean is the strongest evidence)
- Attend the check-out inspection if your agent allows it
If you’d rather skip the dispute risk entirely, a professional clean with a re-clean guarantee removes most of the uncertainty. Get a free quote for eco-friendly end of tenancy cleaning or call us on 07383 435 879. We cover all London boroughs and include the re-clean guarantee on every job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal for a landlord to charge for cleaning in the UK?
Charging a separate cleaning fee is illegal under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, with penalties of up to £5,000 for a first offence. Proposing a deposit deduction for cleaning is legal — but only with evidence that the property is below its check-in standard, after accounting for fair wear and tear.
How much can a landlord reasonably charge for cleaning?
There is no fixed cap, but adjudicators expect deductions to reflect actual cleaning costs, not punitive amounts. TDS data shows average disputed cleaning deductions run £150 - £350. Deductions materially above this range need quotes or invoices to justify them, or they’re likely to be reduced on adjudication.
Can a landlord keep my whole deposit for cleaning?
Only if the entire deposit is genuinely needed to return the property to check-in standard, with evidence to prove it. A full-deposit cleaning claim is rare and almost always reduced by the adjudicator. If your landlord is proposing this, ask for the full breakdown and dispute the amount through your deposit scheme.
What if my tenancy agreement says I must pay for professional cleaning?
That clause is unenforceable under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. A landlord cannot require you to hire a specific company, provide a receipt, or pay a fixed cleaning fee, regardless of what the contract says. You can ignore the clause, but you must still return the property to check-in standard to avoid deposit deductions.
Can a landlord charge me if I didn’t leave the property professionally cleaned?
Not as a direct fee. They can deduct from your deposit if the property genuinely isn’t clean to check-in standard, but the deduction must reflect the actual cleaning required, not a flat “professional clean” charge. If you cleaned thoroughly yourself and the property matches check-in condition, no deduction is valid.
What’s the difference between a cleaning fee and a cleaning deduction?
A cleaning fee is a direct charge — banned under UK law. A cleaning deduction is money taken from your protected deposit to restore the property to check-in condition — legal if evidenced. The difference matters: a banned fee triggers local authority penalties, while a valid deduction is enforceable through the deposit scheme.
Last updated: 17 April 2026
