Professional Cleaning Dilemma

I don’t know how to reasonably get my property Professionally Cleaned:

In the past I have used companies to perform the Inventory, and as a result I know that it can take a lot of effort to get the property cleaned to the level where an Inventory company says it has been professionally cleaned - for instance, they will check for dust everywhere (behind radiators, all around lampshades…)

I don’t think it is reasonable to expect a tenant to bring a property to a level where the inventory says “professionally cleaned”. No matter how hard they try, they are still likely to miss areas.
Also I don’t think it is reasonable to expect tenants to pay for professional cleaning if they have worked hard to clean the property themselves.

However I would like the Inventory to say “Professionally cleaned”.

Is there any point the tenant cleaning, if I’m going to pay full amount for Professional Cleaning? And no matter what cleaning the tenants do, I still end up paying the same price for Professional Cleaning.

Other landlords: what do you do to achieve Professional Cleaning without unnecessary effort or unnecessary costs?

I ask the tenants to return it to the condition it was cleaned
That is to a professional standard
The contract lists exactly what is required ( architraves, skirting etc)
I go in and check what they have done and if a lot needs addressing I give them time to return to do it ( eg oven or bathroom not done properly)
We do the cleaning ourselves so I would rather them do as much as possible because it saves me a lot of time and then I know exactly what requires attention ( breakages etc)
We do have the carpets professionally washed
If the tenant has cleaned the property well it would be unreasonable for a company to charge the rate when it is left in a state but they do have a base rate

I have used a companies a couple of times but the work has always been below standard and I have had to go back in and clean after them

I don’t know how you can achieve a professional level of cleaning without effort or without costs.

You imply you believe the costs would be the same whether a tenant cleaned or didn’t clean.

Surely a professional clean would be more for a filthy place than for a place that was basically clean, due to the time needed.

I wouldn’t be telling a tenant not to clean as in my experience they only ever clean to a basic standard anyway.

If you don’t believe a tenant should have to pay for it then you would have to do so yourself or raise the rent very slightly to cover it.

I think Professional Cleaners quote on the size of the property (at least, the ones I’ve used have) - and so you’ll be paying the same no matter the condition beforehand… although this could be me mis-remembering! And maybe the companies have smallprint that if it is extra dirty, they’ll charge extra.

The question is how to achieve it without paying a lot to clean a property that is already pretty clean.

I think I need to review the policies of some of the cleaning companies.

My preference is also to use a single company that does cleaning and inventory, because then they can guarantee that the cleaners will do what is necessary so that the inventory says “Professionally Cleaned” (and they will return if necessary) - although my limited experience of this approach hasn’t been great.

Hi

I’m a tenant but also I own a cleaning and property maintenance company

I find slot of the cleaning companies are expensive and don’t offer a deep clean with carpet cleaning
This is one of our services

But I shop around and make sure your getting value for money

If you need any advice feel free to contact me

For whatever reason, all of my tenants have employed an agency for an end of tenancy ‘professional clean’. In all the years, only one has come close to that standard and despite me giving tenants as much advice as possible and a list of areas that they should focus on and others that often get missed. I’ve used the same inventroy clerk for years. He is totally unbiased and I respect that. He has never noted the standard of cleanliness at checkout as ‘professional’. I always end up having to do additional cleaning to get the flat up to a standard that is beyond a good/acceptable standard ie. how I would want to recieve it if I was renting the flat - spotless. The issue is, the standard is a very subjective measure. Also, the one time the cleaning was quite good was the one time the tenant actual oversaw the work (I tell them to do this but they never do). You have to understand, that it is often the case that the person sent to do the cleaning is underequipped, underpaid and on a tight schedule.

My tenancy agreement says they must pay for a professional clean when they leave. They do. Then I go in and clean it myself, better than the professionals.

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That would be illegal and is a breach of the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
You can advised it is cleaned to a professional standard or returned in the condition it was provided to them ( in which case you need to provide evidence you had it professionally cleaned before their tenancy commenced to expect them to return it as such).
I would advise you revise your contract.

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was that aimed at me?
what I do is, I go in AFTER the professionals.

and in any case, the Tenant Fees Act only applies in England. I think. It actually says that you cannot insist on a professional clean. In Scotland, it can be, and is included in the PRT.

I do not need to ‘revise my contract’, which is exactly standard template as provided by the Scottish Government.
Please remember when quoting ‘law’ to state which legislation you refer to.

Maybe the best way forward is to create a very detailed itemised checklist for the tenants to follow when they are cleaning.

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I do all my own cleaning, as it’s reliable and done to a very high standard (show home standard) I have used once and only once a professional cleaning company and it was not to the high standard I myself do. In fact it was most unacceptable. I think a tenant should be able to leave it pristine, it’s hardly rocket science is it. Especially if they move in with it clean. They all love to move into these lovely fresh beautiful properties but very seldom do they want to leave it as they found it. I don’t expect betterment just a very good clean. I have no objection to doing the odd thing that may have been overlooked but perhaps you should start doing your own inventories or a company that clearly can see it’s a professionally clean. From my experience an inventory company don’t need a receipt to see it’s to a very high level of clean and would Mark it down as such, they just a good pair of eyes. Also when a professional clean is noted a tenant does not have to agree if it is not, they have the ability to change anything on an inventory so it fairly reflects what they find.

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My understanding is if you provide receipts to show it has been professionally cleaned prior to the start of their tenancy and request this when they vacate and it is all documented (with dated receipts) on the inventory and the terms agreed on the tenancy agreement then this it is perfectly legal.

I have just attended the Landlord law course. You cannot write it is to be returned professionally cleaned into contract. All the legal speakers were unanimous and have been so on this point since the TFA was introduced.

As I said you can ask that it be returned in the condition provided.
We detail a list of what is required. We ask the carpets are returned in the condition provided. I provide the tenants with receipts to demonstrate it was done professionally but do not write it into contract.
If you are not sure you may want to speak to the NRLA, your solicitor and or your deposit provider.

The law course is well worth the investment.

Please remember that this does NOT apply in Scotland. It IS a permitted to include such a clause in the PRT agreement.