Ask three cleaning companies for an end of tenancy quote and you can end up with three quite different numbers, which makes it hard to know whether any single quote is fair. Having a realistic sense of the UK market range, and what actually drives the price up or down, makes it much easier to spot a reasonable quote from an overpriced or suspiciously cheap one.
This matters more than it might seem, because cleaning-related deductions are consistently one of the most common reasons a deposit dispute happens in the first place. Knowing what a fair price actually buys you, not just what number to expect, is what turns a cleaning quote from a guess into an informed decision.
Typical prices by property size
Industry pricing data from trade platforms like Checkatrade and MyJobQuote consistently puts UK average end of tenancy cleaning costs somewhere in this range:
- Studio flat: roughly £150 to £220
- One-bedroom property: roughly £150 to £270
- Two-bedroom property: roughly £220 to £340, with £260 commonly cited as a UK average
- Three-bedroom property: roughly £300 to £420
- Four or more bedrooms: £400 and upward, depending heavily on size and number of bathrooms
London prices generally run 20 to 30% above the UK average, reflecting higher labour costs and, in some cases, parking or congestion charges that get passed through to the customer. A two-bedroom flat costing around £200 outside London might reasonably cost £240 to £340 within it.
What a typical price should actually include
A fair quote should cover the full property to what’s generally called check-out or inventory standard: kitchen including appliance interiors, bathrooms fully descaled, all rooms dusted and vacuumed, internal windows, and skirting boards and switches wiped down. Oven cleaning is one of the most commonly excluded items in cheaper quotes, so it’s worth confirming specifically whether it’s included as standard or charged as an add-on, since a thorough oven clean can otherwise add £30 to £60 on its own.
Carpet cleaning is very commonly priced separately rather than bundled into the base end of tenancy price, and it’s one of the most frequent sources of confusion when comparing quotes. Budget roughly £40 to £80 per room for professional hot-water extraction if your tenancy specifically requires it, or if the carpets show visible staining that a standard vacuum won’t address.
What pushes the price up
Property condition. A property that’s been kept reasonably clean throughout the tenancy costs less to bring up to standard than one with months of built-up grease, limescale or general neglect. Companies that quote a fixed price sight-unseen, without asking about condition, are either building in a wide margin or risking an unpleasant surprise on the day.
Number of bathrooms. Bathrooms take disproportionately longer than other rooms because of descaling and mould treatment, so a property with two or three bathrooms costs meaningfully more than one with a single bathroom, even at the same total square footage.
Access and timing. Properties requiring same-day or next-day turnaround, or with restricted access such as no parking nearby, sometimes carry a premium reflecting the logistical difficulty.
Add-ons. Carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, and sometimes exterior window cleaning are the most common extras, and their exclusion from a headline price is the single biggest reason two quotes for what sounds like the same job end up looking very different.
Is paying for it actually required?
No. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a landlord or letting agent cannot make professional end of tenancy cleaning a mandatory condition of your tenancy, and they can’t require you to use a specific company even if the clause exists. What remains true regardless is your contractual responsibility to return the property in a comparably clean state to how you found it, allowing for fair wear and tear. If it isn’t, the landlord can recover reasonable cleaning costs through a deduction from your deposit.
That’s the framing worth keeping in mind when weighing whether to pay for a professional clean: it’s not a legal obligation, but a way of managing the risk of a deposit deduction that, based on typical dispute data, often lands in a broadly similar range to the cost of the clean itself. For many tenants, particularly those short on time before a moving date, that makes it a reasonable trade rather than an unnecessary expense.
How to compare quotes properly
Don’t compare headline prices alone. Ask exactly what’s included, specifically whether oven cleaning, appliance interiors, and internal windows are part of the base price or charged separately, and whether the price is fixed once confirmed or subject to change on the day depending on condition. It’s also worth asking whether a re-clean guarantee is included if a landlord or agent flags an issue after the initial clean, since this is increasingly standard among reputable companies and offers real protection if something is missed.
A company that gives a fixed end of tenancy cleaning prices quote after understanding your property’s size and condition, rather than a vague estimate over the phone with no questions asked, is generally a better sign than the cheapest number you can find. The lowest quote on paper isn’t much of a saving if it excludes the oven, doesn’t cover carpets, and leaves you rebooking a second clean before your check-out.
Setting a realistic budget
For most single tenants or couples moving out of a typical UK flat, budgeting somewhere between £150 and £300 for a professional end of tenancy clean is a reasonable starting point, adjusted upward for London, for additional bathrooms, or for carpets that need separate treatment. Getting two or three quotes based on the same accurate description of your property, rather than accepting the first number you’re given, remains the simplest way to confirm you’re paying a fair market rate rather than either end of the spectrum. And if a quote seems unusually low compared to everything above, it’s worth asking directly what’s been left out before assuming you’ve found a bargain.
