How to Pass a Hamptons Checkout Inspection
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The agency that's about to inspect your oven started as a furniture shop in 1869
They furnished the RMS Queen Mary, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, The Dorchester, and the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1952. They auctioned the fittings of the RMS Aquitania. They sold the Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea for the Ministry of Defence. And now, 150 years later, someone from that company is going to photograph the inside of your oven and decide whether you get your deposit back.1869
FoundedConnells Group
Owner90+
UK branches74% Level 3
PM team qualified7 years
Avg PM experienceTDS
Deposit schemeOver 150 years of heritage, owned by the Connells Group — the UK's largest estate agency network — operating across 90-plus branches from prime central London to the Home Counties, and somehow still the agency that sponsors a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. If you've been renting through Hamptons, you probably chose well. But the checkout doesn't care about brand heritage or garden awards. It cares about what the check-in report says and whether your flat matches it.
Here's the thing about a process run by a team that's 74% Level 3 qualified with an average of seven years' experience: the rules are knowable. That's actually good news. When the process is systematic and documented, preparation works. The tenants who lose money aren't the ones who damaged the property — they're the ones who didn't read the check-in report, didn't attend the checkout, or left belongings behind because moving day ran over. None of that needs to be you.
How the Hamptons Checkout Works
Independent inventory clerk, check-in comparison, TDS protection. The structure is the same as other major London agents — but a few Hamptons-specific details are worth knowing before you start.
Independent inventory clerk compares against the check-in report
An APIP-accredited independent clerk — not a Hamptons employee — inspects the property on the final day and documents every discrepancy against the check-in report and photographs. Hamptons' own guidance is explicit: inventory items should be in their original position. Attend in person, bring your check-in report, and raise pre-existing conditions by page reference in the room where they appear.
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Access your check-in inventory via the MyHamptons tenant portal before the checkout. Read it all. The portal also holds your lease agreement and tenancy documents — review the specific end-of-tenancy requirements in your agreement before you start preparing.Checkout report shared — read it the same day
The report goes to both you and your landlord. Don't let it sit. Read it line by line the day you receive it, comparing each finding against the check-in report. Any discrepancy you intend to challenge should be put in writing to Hamptons immediately. Acting on the day creates a contemporaneous record. Waiting a week diminishes your position.
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Hamptons often manages properties on behalf of overseas landlords. Communication can be slower when decisions require landlord approval. Document every step in writing and follow up within stated timelines — this creates a clear trail that matters if you escalate to TDS.Agree deductions — or hold your position with evidence
The undisputed portion of your deposit is returned once both parties agree on the split. The disputed amount is held. If you're challenging a deduction, your evidence is everything: check-in vs checkout comparison, post-cleaning photographs, professional cleaning receipts, and independent quotes for inflated costs. Hamptons coordinates between landlord and tenant — but they are not an adjudicator.
TDS adjudication if agreement can't be reached
You don't need Hamptons' agreement to raise a TDS dispute — you have the right to escalate directly. The adjudication is free, independent, and binding. The adjudicator works from documents alone. Hamptons is Propertymark Protected and part of Connells Group — if agency conduct during the process fell short of professional standards, Propertymark is an additional complaint route.
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Items left behind — Hamptons' explicit warning
Hamptons' own tenant guidance states that any items left in the property once you've returned the keys may be disposed of by the landlord. And you could be charged for the cost of removal. This isn't a vague warning — it's a defined outcome. Clear everything, every space. If you genuinely can't remove something by the checkout date, arrange it with your property manager before the appointment, not after.
The Recommended Cleaner Question
Hamptons' tenant guide includes a line worth paying attention to: if you're required to get a professional clean and unsure who to use, you can ask the branch for a recommendation — and by doing so, you can be sure the service will cover the expected standard. This is practical advice, not a mandate. You're free to use any cleaner you choose, including cleaning the property yourself. What matters is the result.
But here's the reality of it. If the check-in report says "professionally cleaned throughout" and you clean the property yourself, you're betting that your version of thorough matches the standard an inventory clerk with seven years of experience is trained to assess. Some tenants make that bet and win. Others lose £200–£400 from their deposit on cleaning deductions — which is often close to what a professional clean would have cost. Use the calculator below to see how the numbers compare for your property.
DIY vs Professional Clean — Cost Comparison
Hamptons' own guide raises this question. Use the calculator to see whether professional cleaning makes financial sense for your property.Studio / 1-bed
2-bed flat
3-bed flat
3-bed house
4-bed house
5+ bed house
Under 1 year
1–2 years
2–4 years
4+ years
Carpets (steam cleaning)
+£80
Garden / outdoor space
+£60
Specialist oven clean
+£55
Interior window clean
+£40
70% — Moderate confidence
£220
Includes receipt for the inventory clerk · 72-hr re-clean guarantee£66–£126
Estimated range based on your confidence level · actual outcome depends on check-in standard📋
DIY may work — if your confidence is justified
Your confidence score puts expected deductions below the professional clean cost. But this only holds if your cleaning genuinely matches the check-in standard. One missed oven base or unaddressed grout line can shift the equation.
Professional cleaning — with a receipt for the inventory clerk
72-hour re-clean guarantee on every job. If anything is flagged at your Hamptons checkout, we return at no cost.
What Hamptons Tenants Get Caught On
These patterns come from Trustpilot, allAgents, GetAgent, and property forums. Five issues come up repeatedly across Hamptons' London portfolio.
Tap any card to see what happened and what to do differently.
Cleaning
Very common
Deductions where tenant felt the property was clean but clerk disagreed
Tenant cleaned thoroughly — sometimes hiring a general cleaner — but the checkout still flagged areas that didn't match the 'professionally cleaned throughout' check-in standard. The consistent shortfalls: oven interiors, extractor fan housings, bathroom grout, and behind kitchen appliances. Hamptons' property management team average seven years' experience. The clerk knows what 'professionally clean' looks like — and the gap between a careful domestic clean and a professional standard is exactly what they're trained to identify.
Read the check-in cleaning description before doing anything. If it says professionally cleaned, match that standard — not 'clean enough'. Keep your cleaning receipt and provide a copy when deductions are proposed. Hamptons' own guide notes that tenants unsure of who to hire can ask the branch for a recommendation — not because you must use them, but because the branch's recommended cleaner will know the standard the clerk will apply.
Avoidable — match the documented standard and keep the receipt
Inventory position
Common in furnished lets
Furniture not in original position — flagged even when condition was fine
Hamptons' tenant guidance explicitly states that all inventory items should be in their original position so they can be easily found. Tenants who rearranged furniture during the tenancy — moved the sofa to a different wall, relocated the bedside table, shifted the dining chairs — found these repositioned items flagged as discrepancies at checkout. The clerk compares what they see against the check-in photographs. A sofa in a different position is a documented discrepancy, even if its condition is perfect.
Pull up the check-in inventory photographs at least 48 hours before the checkout and physically walk every room. Return everything to its documented position. For furnished short-term lets — where Hamptons' inventories can run to dozens of pages — this walk-through is as important as the cleaning itself. It takes an hour. It prevents avoidable disputes.
Entirely preventable — 60-minute inventory walk saves the dispute
Abandoned items
Recurring forum issue
Charged for removing items left in the property after handover
Hamptons' own guidance states clearly: items left in the property once keys are returned may be disposed of by the landlord, and the cost of removal can be charged to the tenant. Several forum posts describe charges for furniture, bags, plant pots, and boxes left behind because the moving day ran over. The property was handed back before everything was out — and the clock started ticking from the moment the keys were in.
Clear absolutely everything before the checkout. Every cupboard, every storage space, the loft if accessible, the garden shed, behind the boiler, inside built-in wardrobes, under the stairs. If moving circumstances mean you genuinely cannot remove something in time, speak to your property manager before the checkout date — not on the day, not after. Make arrangements in advance or arrange a separate collection date.
Completely avoidable — clear everything, or arrange it in advance
Deposit timeline
Reported on allAgents and Trustpilot
Delays in deposit return — especially with overseas landlords
Hamptons manages a significant number of properties on behalf of landlords who live overseas. Communication that requires landlord approval — including agreeing deductions — can be slower when the landlord is in a different timezone. Some tenants reported weeks of delay before the deposit return process moved forward, even where deductions were relatively minor.
Document every communication in writing from the moment the checkout report arrives. Follow up within the timeframes set out in your tenancy agreement. If the process stalls beyond 10 days after the checkout and deductions remain unresolved, you have the right to raise a dispute directly with TDS — without needing Hamptons to initiate it. Don't wait. Act within the statutory timeframes.
Know your TDS rights — you can escalate directly without the agent
Walls
Common
Wall fixture deductions — Rawlplug holes and mismatched paint
Small picture hook pin holes were accepted as fair wear and tear. Rawlplug holes from TV brackets and shelving were not — and in premium-decorated properties (Hamptons' portfolio includes high-specification central London stock), a visible patch of mismatched white filler on a bespoke-painted wall was sometimes considered worse than the unfilled hole. Both generated deductions.
Fill and sand Rawlplug holes before checkout. For premium-decorated properties, ask your Hamptons property manager for the paint specification before you apply any touch-up. If you can't match the shade reliably, discuss with your property manager whether the landlord would prefer a professional to repaint the area. A mismatched repair that requires professional redecoration is more expensive than the original hole.
Ask before repainting — shade accuracy matters in premium properties
Your Hamptons Pre-Checkout Checklist
Starts with the MyHamptons portal — where your inventory and tenancy documents live. Includes the furnished inventory walk and the abandoned items clearance check.
Hamptons Pre-Checkout Checklist
Includes the inventory position check and abandoned items warning — both specific to Hamptons' process.💻
Start on the MyHamptons portal
Do this first
Log in to MyHamptons and download the full check-in inventory — photographs and all pages, not just the text summary
CRITICAL
Review your tenancy agreement's specific end-of-tenancy obligations — some agreements include professional cleaning or carpet cleaning clauses
CRITICAL
Note exactly how cleanliness was described at check-in: 'professionally cleaned throughout' sets a different bar from 'domestically clean'
CRITICAL
Photograph every inventory item's current position — compare against check-in photos and identify anything that needs moving back
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Inventory walk — furniture and items
Furnishings-specific
Walk every room with check-in photographs open — return every item of furniture to its documented position
CRITICAL
For furnished short-term lets: the inventory can run to dozens of pages — treat this as a separate task requiring 60–90 minutes
CRITICAL
Treat any staining on upholstery with appropriate cleaner before checkout and photograph after treatment
Check curtain condition: no new stains, hanging correctly, all rings or hooks present and undamaged
Confirm all inventory items are present — not just positioned correctly but actually still in the property
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Kitchen — consistently highest deduction risk
High risk
Oven interior: base, ceiling, back wall, door glass (inner and outer panel), racks, seals — every surface
CRITICAL
Extractor fan: remove filter, soak and clean, wipe the housing interior, reinstall
CRITICAL
Behind the fridge and under the washing machine — pull out and clean floor, wall, and appliance sides
CRITICAL
Inside all cupboards and drawers: every shelf, every hinge, every drawer interior
Hob: degrease between burner rings, under hob trim, and around control panel
Dishwasher drum, filter, and rubber door seals — inside and out
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Bathroom — second highest risk
High risk
Grout: scrub every tile line with a grout brush — discolouration is one of the most commonly noted bathroom findings
CRITICAL
Silicone sealant: treat mould growth. If penetrated deeply, consider replacing sealant before checkout
CRITICAL
Shower screen: limescale, soap scum, water marks — both faces of the glass
CRITICAL
Taps and showerhead: descale thoroughly — Hamptons covers hard-water areas across South and West London
Toilet: limescale under the rim, inside the bowl, cistern exterior, base seal at floor level
Extractor fan cover: remove, wash, refit
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Walls, fixtures and clearance
Medium risk
Rawlplug holes: fill, sand flush. Contact property manager for paint specification before touching up — wrong shade may be flagged
CRITICAL
Skirting boards: wipe the full length of every room including sections blocked by furniture
Light switches, plug sockets, and door handles: grime accumulates around edges and is inspected
Clear ALL belongings: every cupboard, the loft (if accessible), garden shed, garage, behind the boiler, inside wardrobes
CRITICAL
Items left behind can be disposed of by the landlord at your cost — Hamptons' own guidance states this explicitly
CRITICAL
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Final steps before handing back
Don't forget
Take dated, comprehensive photographs of every room, surface, appliance, and piece of furniture after cleaning
CRITICAL
Attend the checkout — bring your check-in inventory with pre-existing issues bookmarked by page number
If you paid for a professional clean: bring the receipt to hand to the inventory clerk at the checkout appointment
CRITICAL
Return all keys to your Hamptons office in person — get written confirmation. Do not post or leave in the property
CRITICAL
Provide Hamptons with a forwarding address for deposit return correspondence
If Deductions Are Proposed
Don't accept the first proposal automatically. The tenancy deposit can be saved until the landlord proves they need to pay for something like cleaning out of it. Compare the checkout against the check-in — with page references — and provide your evidence before accepting any deduction.
Compare checkout vs check-in — page by page
If the issue existed at check-in, it was already documented. Reference the specific page and description. This is your strongest argument and costs nothing to make — the work was done at the start, not now.
Submit your post-cleaning photographs
Date-stamped photographs of every room and surface after cleaning. Submit them alongside any challenge to the proposed deductions. TDS adjudication is document-based — no site visit. Your photos are the adjudicator's view of the property.
Challenge inflated costs with independent quotes
If the cost proposed for cleaning or repair seems disproportionate, get an independent quote for comparison. See our London end-of-tenancy cleaning pricing
Escalate to TDS — you can do this directly
You don't need Hamptons to initiate the TDS dispute. If you've paid any undisputed amount and can't agree the rest, raise it with TDS directly. Hamptons is Propertymark Protected — if agency conduct was an issue, Propertymark is an additional complaint route. Deposit return timeline guide
What can Hamptons actually deduct? The same rules apply as every London agent. See our guide on what landlords can legally deduct from your deposit and the Tenant Fees Act 2019 cleaning rights.
Hamptons Areas — What to Know for Your Borough
Hamptons covers a wide arc from prime central London through to South West London and the Home Counties. Here's what to focus on by area.
Related Pages
Renting through Hamptons across London?
We cover Hamptons' full London patch — from Chelsea and Knightsbridge to Clapham and Canary Wharf. Professional end-of-tenancy cleaning in London, backed by a 72-hour re-clean guarantee. We provide receipts for the inventory clerk.
Deni is a seasoned professional with over 10 years of experience in content marketing and vast knowledge in the cleaning business. He specializes in creating engaging content that drives growth and builds brand identity. Passionate about innovation, Deni believes in delivering value through impactful messaging and providing value to readers in a concise and comprehensive manner.
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