End of tenancy

End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist for Students in Newcastle

Moving out of a student house in Newcastle? This checklist covers everything landlords and letting agents check at inspection, room by room. Use it to make sure nothing gets missed before your check-out date.

Before you start

Do these things before you clean anything:

• Empty all cupboards and remove every piece of food from the kitchen, fridge and freezer
• Strip all beds and remove personal belongings from every room
• Take the bins out
• Locate your original check-in inventory — anything flagged there needs extra attention
• Book the clean for the day before your check-out inspection, not a week before

Dust settles and surfaces pick up smudges quickly. Cleaning too far in advance means the property will not look as fresh by the time the landlord or agent walks through.

Kitchen checklist

The kitchen is the most scrutinised room at any check-out inspection. Landlords know this is where tenants cut corners.

• Oven: interior walls, racks, door glass, seal, and hob burners or rings
• Extractor fan: filter cleaned or replaced, fan blades wiped down
• Fridge and freezer: defrosted, shelves and drawers wiped inside and out, door seals cleaned
• Cupboards: interior shelves and doors, inside and outside — remove all crumbs and residue
• Worktops: entire surface including edges, behind taps, and around the hob
• Sink and taps: limescale removed, plughole cleared, underneath the rim cleaned
• Splashback tiles: grease and food splatter removed
• Floor: swept and mopped, edges and corners included
• Bin area: bin emptied and wiped inside and out

The oven gets the most attention at inspections. Grease and burnt food are easy to photograph and straightforward for a landlord to claim as damage beyond normal wear and tear. Do not skip it.

Bathroom checklist

Limescale builds up faster than most people notice. After a full tenancy in Newcastle's hard water, shower screens and grout will show it clearly. It all needs removing before inspection.

• Shower: screen or curtain, tray or floor, taps, showerhead
• Bath: inside and rim, taps, overflow cover
• Toilet: seat and lid, bowl including under the rim, cistern top and sides, base
• Sink and taps: limescale off taps, plughole cleared
• Tiles: limescale, soap scum, and grout discolouration
• Mirror: smear-free
• Extractor fan: dust off the cover
• Floor: mopped including edges and behind the toilet
• Shelves and surfaces: any product residue removed

Bedroom checklist (each room)

• Wardrobe and drawers: empty and wiped inside, handles cleaned
• Skirting boards: dust and scuff marks wiped off along the full length
• Light switches and sockets: fingerprints and grime wiped off
• Door and door frame: marks around the handle area, top of the door frame
• Window sill and window: inside of the glass, sill wiped, dead insects removed
• Curtain rail or blind: dusted
• Floor: vacuumed right to the edges, under the bed if accessible
• Walls: scuff marks removed where possible (do not scrub painted walls hard)

Living room and hallway checklist

• All surfaces dusted including any shelving, TV stands, and windowsills
• Skirting boards and light switches wiped down
• Sofa and chairs vacuumed (if furnished)
• Floor vacuumed and/or mopped throughout
• Hallway and entrance mat area cleaned
• Under stairs area if applicable — cobwebs cleared, floor cleaned

Stairs and landings

• Bannisters wiped down
• Each stair vacuumed including the riser
• Landing floor vacuumed or mopped
• Any light fittings dusted

Throughout the whole property

These apply to every room and are often missed:

• Cobwebs removed from all corners and ceiling edges
• Light fittings and bulb covers dusted
• Radiators wiped down — top surface and between the fins if possible
• Any communal outdoor areas left tidy if your tenancy covers them

What to do if you spot a problem

If you notice damage or mould that was not there when you moved in, check your original inventory. Anything noted at check-in is not your responsibility. Photograph before and after you clean. If a dispute comes up later, the photos are your evidence.

If there is mould in the bathroom or kitchen that you have not been able to shift, flag it to the landlord or agent before the inspection rather than hoping it goes unnoticed. Most landlords understand that some mould is a property issue, not a tenant failure — especially in older terraced houses in Jesmond and Heaton.