When you move into a new house, you need to pay attention to a couple of things to ensure a better future. Some of these things include the cleanliness of the house and the damages that are already there, for example, a wall stain or broken items. These things should then be noted down and most of the time, are written as a document and may be in form of an inventory.
All these are important because they will all contribute to whether or not your home deposit will be returned in full. Moving out can be done years later therefore if one solely depends on memory, it may lead to losses in terms of the landlord taking advantage of the situation and forcing you to perform his/her responsibilities. At the time of moving out, one will therefore be required to perform an End of Tenancy Cleaning and the question asked is whether your landlord has the right to demand professional cleaning during this period. This article gives information regarding this.
What is End of Tenancy Cleaning?
When you move into a new home for the first time, in most cases, the house is usually very clean and hygienic. This is a right for you as a tenant as you start occupying the property. Over the time spent in this home, it is your responsibility to ensure that the property remains clean and well maintained. This although is hardly ever the case because many occupants are tasked with busy schedules that may most often hinder the thorough cleaning required for their properties.
As a result, the cleaning work accumulates, becoming more complex. At the end of your time on the property, the task must still be performed and this is where the end of tenancy cleaning was invented. In most cases, the tenants will find it difficult to clean the property to the same level as when they first moved in because of the bulk of the work and the difficult stains that may need removal. This is also bearing in mind that you will also be faced with the task of moving into a new house.
This is when the option of professional cleaning help becomes a more likely choice and the popularity of this choice might have blurred the answer to the question at hand, whether a landlord can force professional cleaning.
Can Professional Cleaning be Forced?
Having noted the importance of end of tenancy cleaning, it would be unfair to the landlord to leave your property at a lower level than when you found it without paying for the damages because the backlash would be felt greatly. It would also be quite unfair for the landlord to put additional costs to you as a tenant for their responsibilities.
The documentation during moving in therefore plays a huge role to counteract any disputes that may be brought up. About 56% of disputes between a tenant and a landlord regarding the deposit are centered around insufficient cleaning. The move-in inventory report gives an account of the level of cleanliness and hygiene that should be achieved and if professional cleaning is mandatory or not.
In most cases, the decision on how cleaning is achieved is often left to the occupant as long as it is effective and the result is what is expected of them. The landlord can therefore not force you to hire professional cleaning services if it is not your preferred choice. In the cases where professional cleaning was agreed upon, the landlord will have the authority to demand professional cleaning.
Professional Cleaning
This can be expensive especially if you consider the fact that you also have to move into a new home. It is important to ensure that you check with different companies and ensure that they have a return to rectify policy in the event that there are issues afterward.
The landlord can also just require professional cleaning in certain parts such as the oven or carpet. Therefore, to maximize resources and minimize costs, the inventory should be carefully analyzed.
Deep cleaning will require a lot of time set aside and should be well planned. A checklist will be efficient to ensure all areas are covered.
The process of moving out of your home should be a peaceful one where you and your landlord part ways in good terms. This can only be possible if the terms are agreed upon initially and if both parties hold their end of the agreement. Forcing professional cleaning is therefore not possible unless agreed upon in the inventory.