How to Pass a KFH Checkout Inspection
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Started managing buildings in 1977. Didn't open an estate agency until 1984.
Philip King and Lee Watts co-founded Kinleigh — a portmanteau of King and Lee — in 1977. Their first contract was 95 co-ownership flats across four blocks in Putney, Watford, Brentwood, and Finchley. Lee Watts was 22. He made £138 profit in his first year. Their first estate agency branch opened in West Putney in 1984. They acquired Folkard & Hayward out of receivership in 1992, forming KFH. Today: over 800 staff, 60-plus branches, and a property sales value projected at £2.5 billion. The head office is still in Wimbledon. Every branch is inside the M25.1977
Founded1984
First agency60+
London branches800+
Staff14,000+
Active tenanciesLondon only
CoverageTDS
Deposit schemeEvery other agency in London started by selling houses. KFH started by managing buildings. In 1977, Philip King and Lee Watts founded Kinleigh — the name is a portmanteau of King and Lee — as a specialist property management company. Their first contract was 95 co-ownership flats across four blocks in Putney, Watford, Brentwood, and Finchley. They didn't open their first estate agency branch until 1984. That block management heritage isn't a footnote: it changes how your checkout works.
KFH is London, full stop. Every one of their 60-plus branches is within the M25. Their lettings book spans from Wimbledon to Islington, Battersea to Hammersmith, Putney to Bromley. Over 14,000 active tenancies — and a significant proportion are in purpose-built blocks where KFH manages both the flat and the building. In those properties, your checkout isn't just about the flat. It's about the flat's relationship with the building.
What Type of KFH Property Are You Leaving?
KFH's portfolio spans three genuinely distinct property types — and the checkout risk profile, cleaning priorities, and communal area considerations are materially different for each. A Victorian conversion checkout is not the same exercise as a new-build BTR checkout. Select your type to see what the clerk focuses on, what the unique risks are, and what to prepare specifically.
Period conversion
🏛️ Select for your risk profilePurpose-built block
🏢 Select for your risk profileNew-build / BTR
🏗️ Select for your risk profileSelect your property type above to see your specific checkout risk profile, cleaning priorities, and communal area considerations
How the KFH Checkout Works
Independent clerk, check-in comparison, TDS protection — the structure is standard. What's different is the context: 60-plus London branches, 14,000-plus active tenancies, and a property management team that knows London housing stock with a depth that agencies built from sales don't have.
Independent inventory clerk compares against check-in — room by room
KFH strongly advises landlords to use a professional, impartial inventory clerk for both check-in and checkout. This clerk is your evidence base — photographing every room, surface, appliance, and piece of furniture, comparing each against the check-in report. You can attend and you should. Bring your check-in report printed with pre-existing conditions bookmarked. Raise any discrepancy by page reference in the room where it appears before the clerk moves on.
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If you're in a purpose-built block managed by KFH, the property manager may be aware of any communal area issues from your tenancy before the checkout clerk even starts. Address anything in shared spaces before the final day.Checkout report shared — read it the same day
Both you and your landlord receive copies. Don't let it sit. Read it line by line against the check-in, the same day it arrives. If the landlord is overseas — common with KFH's investor-landlord book — the deposit return process can be slower while landlord agreement is obtained. Acting immediately on the checkout report creates a contemporaneous record and prevents delays from compounding.
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KFH's client liaison team can be reached at [email protected] for checkout process complaints. Log this address now, before you need it.Agree deductions — or hold your position with evidence
The undisputed portion is returned within 10 days of both parties confirming the amount. For the disputed portion: compare checkout against check-in page by page, provide your post-cleaning photographs, supply your professional cleaning receipt if applicable, and get independent quotes for any costs that seem disproportionate. KFH coordinates between landlord and tenant — but they're not the adjudicator.
TDS adjudication if agreement can't be reached
KFH uses TDS for AST tenancies. You can engage TDS directly — you don't need KFH's agreement to initiate. The adjudicator works from documents alone: check-in report, checkout report, photographs, receipts, and any written correspondence. No site visit. No instinct. Just evidence. KFH is also a Property Redress Scheme (PRS) member — a separate complaint route if agency conduct fell below professional standards.
Professional cleaning adapted to your property type
Period conversion, purpose-built block, or new-build BTR — different properties need different approaches. 72-hour re-clean guarantee. Receipt for the inventory clerk.
What KFH Tenants Get Caught On
Five patterns from Trustpilot, allAgents, and property forums — including one issue that's unique to KFH's block management structure and appears nowhere else in the London lettings market.
Tap any card to expand.
Cleaning
Very common
DIY clean didn't match the 'professionally cleaned throughout' check-in standard
Tenant cleaned carefully but the checkout clerk identified areas that fell short of the 'professionally cleaned throughout' description in the check-in report. The recurring shortfalls across KFH properties: oven interiors, extractor fan housings, bathroom grout, behind kitchen appliances, and inside cupboards. In period properties, add high ceiling corners, cornicing, sash window channels, and behind cast iron radiators. In new-builds, the gap between the tenant's cleaning and a professional clean is even more visible against fresh surfaces.
Read the check-in cleaning description before you start. 'Professionally cleaned throughout' is a documented standard you must match — not approximate. Keep your cleaning receipt and be ready to provide it to the checkout clerk or submit it to TDS if deductions are proposed. Our end-of-tenancy cleaning covers every area the KFH clerk will inspect, adapted to your property type, with a 72-hour re-clean guarantee.
Avoidable — match the documented standard and keep the evidence
Communal areas
KFH-specific risk
Communal area damage reaching the same property manager as the checkout
In a KFH-managed block, the property manager handling the flat's checkout is often also responsible for the building's communal areas. Marks on shared corridor walls from moving furniture out, items forgotten in communal storage, damage to the building's shared entrance door, or complaints from the freeholder about the tenant's use of communal spaces — all land on the same desk. Some tenants were surprised to find the checkout process became more complex because of building-level issues they hadn't directly connected to the tenancy.
Before checkout day: check the shared corridor outside your front door for any marks. Clear any communal storage space allocated to your flat. If you're moving large furniture out on checkout day, protect the communal hallway walls. Return any building access fobs, intercom handsets, or parking permits assigned to your flat — these are consistently overlooked. Address any outstanding building-related issue with your property manager before, not after.
Unique to KFH's block management structure — address it before the clerk arrives
Deposit timeline
Reported on Trustpilot and allAgents
Deposit return delayed — particularly with overseas investor-landlords
KFH manages a significant number of properties owned by investor-landlords, including overseas owners. The deposit return requires landlord agreement — and when that landlord is in a different timezone or slow to respond, the deposit sits in limbo beyond the expected 10-day window. Some tenants on Trustpilot and allAgents describe chasing KFH for extended periods, with the property manager citing awaiting landlord confirmation as the reason for the delay.
Document every communication in writing from the moment the checkout report arrives. Follow up by email (not phone) within stated timelines. The undisputed portion of the deposit should be released promptly — if it hasn't arrived within 10 days of agreement, write to your property manager and copy KFH's client liaison team at [email protected]. If that fails, you can raise a dispute with TDS directly without waiting for KFH's agreement. See our detailed guide on what makes TDS adjudication evidence persuasive — so you're ready if it comes to that.
Know the TDS route — you can escalate directly without the agent's involvement
Non-Housing Act
Applies to higher-value lets
NHA tenancy fee structure catches tenants off guard at checkout
KFH's own guidance is explicit: for Non-Housing Act tenancies (annual rent over £100,000, property not the tenant's main home, or the tenant is a company), the deposit is generally six weeks' rent and tenants pay agent fees including reference checks, inventory check-in, and tenancy agreement charges. Some tenants in this category were caught off guard by checkout-adjacent fee structures they hadn't fully reviewed from their original tenancy agreement.
If your tenancy is an NHA, re-read your agreement before the checkout. Confirm with your KFH property manager which fees apply at checkout under your specific agreement terms. NHA tenancies operate under different rules from ASTs — deposit protection, dispute routes, and fee structures all differ. Knowing this before checkout day, not during it, is the preparation that matters.
Check your agreement type before the checkout — NHA rules are different
Furnished inventory
Common in furnished and corporate lets
Corporate let inventory discrepancies — items moved or soft furnishing condition
KFH's Corporate Services team manages furnished and relocation lets where the inventory is granular — every item documented and photographed. Tenants who naturally rearranged furniture during a two-year tenancy (moved the sofa, relocated the dining chairs, put the bedside table on the other side) found these discrepancies noted at checkout. In a well-furnished corporate flat, the replacement costs for upholstery staining or furniture in wrong positions can be significant.
Pull up the check-in inventory photographs 24 hours before the checkout. Walk every room and return every item of furniture to its documented position. Treat any new upholstery staining with appropriate cleaner before the inspection and photograph after treatment. Corporate Services lets through KFH can have very detailed inventories — treat the furniture positioning as a separate task from the cleaning.
Entirely preventable — 60 minutes of inventory comparison before checkout day
Your KFH Pre-Checkout Checklist
Starts with property type identification, then the communal area check unique to KFH's block management properties, then the standard and type-specific preparation.
KFH Pre-Checkout Checklist
Includes the communal area check unique to KFH's block management properties, and type-specific cleaning priorities.🏢
Identify your property type first
Start here
Use the property type selector above — your checkout risk profile, cleaning priorities, and communal area checklist depend on whether you're in a period conversion, purpose-built block, or new-build
CRITICAL
Download and read the full check-in inventory from the KFH tenant portal or request a copy from your branch if you don't have one
CRITICAL
Check your tenancy type: AST or NHA? NHA tenancies have different deposit amounts, fees, and dispute routes
CRITICAL
Note exactly how cleanliness was described at check-in — 'professionally cleaned throughout' sets the required return standard
CRITICAL
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Communal areas — KFH block management check
KFH-specific
Check the shared corridor outside your front door for any scuffs or marks from furniture — KFH's property manager sees the building and the flat
CRITICAL
Clear any communal storage space allocated to your flat — every item left can be treated as abandoned
CRITICAL
Return all building access fobs, intercom handsets, and parking permits assigned to your tenancy — consistently overlooked
CRITICAL
If moving large furniture on checkout day, protect communal hallway walls with removers' pads or blankets
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Kitchen — highest deduction risk
High risk
Oven: base, ceiling, back wall, door glass (inner and outer panel), racks, seals. In new-builds: the oven was likely documented as 'new' — professional clean strongly recommended
CRITICAL
Extractor fan: filter removed, soaked and cleaned. Housing interior and underside of the unit
CRITICAL
Behind fridge, under washing machine/dishwasher — pull out, clean floor, wall, and appliance sides
CRITICAL
In new-builds: composite or quartz worktops — check every edge and corner for chips. Use appropriate cleaner only
Inside all cupboards and drawers — every shelf, every hinge, every drawer base
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Bathroom
High risk
Grout: scrub every tile line — period conversions with older grout discolour more visibly than new-build bathroom tiling
CRITICAL
Silicone sealant: treat mould or replace if deeply stained
CRITICAL
Shower screen: limescale and soap scum on both faces
CRITICAL
In new-builds: taps and fittings were brand new at check-in — limescale on a 2-year-old tap is clearly attributable, descale thoroughly
Toilet: under the rim, inside bowl, cistern exterior, floor seal
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Property-type specifics
Check your type
Victorian / Edwardian: ceiling corners and cornicing throughout — look up in every room
CRITICAL
Victorian / Edwardian: sash window channels, sills, and any condensation damage in frames
Victorian / Edwardian: behind cast iron radiators — dust accumulates significantly
Purpose-built / mansion block: balcony or terrace surfaces — clean to check-in condition
CRITICAL
New-build / BTR: check every wall at eye level along the surface in natural light — scuffs are invisible from directly in front
CRITICAL
New-build / BTR: engineered or vinyl flooring — check every panel for scratches before cleaning
CRITICAL
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Final steps
Before you close the door
Take dated, comprehensive photographs of every room, surface, appliance, and furniture item — these are your TDS evidence
CRITICAL
Clear every space completely — cupboards, loft hatch, airing cupboard, balcony, allocated communal storage
CRITICAL
Attend the checkout — bring check-in report printed with pre-existing conditions bookmarked by page number
If you paid for a professional clean, bring the receipt to hand to the inventory clerk
CRITICAL
Return all keys — flat keys, building fobs, intercom handsets, parking permits — get written confirmation of return
CRITICAL
If Deductions Are Proposed
Don't accept the first proposal without examining it against the check-in report. The system — when properly engaged — works in the tenant's favour.
Compare checkout vs check-in — page by page with references
If the condition was already documented at check-in, it's pre-existing — not chargeable. Reference the specific page, the description, and the photograph in your written challenge. A thorough check-in report from an experienced KFH-instructed clerk will have documented pre-existing issues that protect you.
Submit your post-cleaning photographs
Your dated photographs are the TDS adjudicator's only view of the property — no site visit, no instinct, just documents. Upload clearly labelled photographs of every surface, appliance, and room. For purpose-built blocks: include the corridor outside your front door and any balcony.
Challenge inflated costs with independent quotes
Deductions must reflect market-rate loss. If proposed costs seem disproportionate — especially for specialised repairs in a period conversion or new-build flat — get an independent contractor quote before accepting. See our London end-of-tenancy cleaning pricing
Use TDS — directly, without needing KFH's agreement
KFH uses TDS for AST tenancies. You can raise a dispute directly without the agent's involvement. TDS adjudicators assess evidence — not the landlord's expectations or how long the tenancy lasted. Our guide explains exactly what evidence TDS finds persuasive and what commonly fails when adjudicators review contested cleaning deductions. What TDS adjudicators actually find persuasive →
KFH client liaison team
For complaints about the checkout process itself: [email protected]. KFH is also a Property Redress Scheme (PRS) member — if agency conduct fell below professional standards, PRS is a separate complaint route from the deposit dispute. See also: what landlords can legally deduct.
NHA tenancies
If your rent exceeds £100,000/yr, the property isn't your main home, or the tenant is a company, your tenancy is an NHA. Deposit is generally six weeks' rent, agent fees apply, and AST protections don't cover you in the same way. Check your agreement before the checkout. See: Tenant Fees Act 2019 and what it covers.
KFH Areas — What to Know for Your Borough
KFH's roots are South and South West London — Wimbledon, Putney, Balham, Clapham, Wandsworth — but the 60-plus branch network now spans the full London spread.
Related Pages
Renting through KFH across London?
We cover KFH's full South and South West London patch — Balham, Clapham, Wimbledon, Wandsworth and beyond. Professional end-of-tenancy cleaning in London, adapted to your property type, with a 72-hour re-clean guarantee.
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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