What Letting Agents Really Look For at End of Tenancy Inspections
If you want your deposit back without drama, you need to think like a letting agent. Checkout inspections aren't subjective — they're a comparison exercise. What condition was it in at check-in? What condition is it in now? Is any difference fair wear and tear, or something you're expected to fix?
Most tenants clean what they notice day to day. But inventory clerks are paid to find what you missed — and they inspect under strong lighting, from low angles, behind appliances, and inside places you haven't opened since you moved in.
The good news: different agencies publish guidance on what they emphasise. Understanding your agency's focus areas — whether that's Foxtons' descaling specification, haart's evidence-first approach, or KFH's inventory comparison process — means you can prepare smarter, not just harder.
The Standard Every Agency Uses
Return the property to the same condition and cleanliness level as the start of the tenancy, allowing for fair wear and tear.
Every London letting agency uses this as the baseline. Foxtons states it explicitly in their tenant support guidance. KFH writes it into their AST contracts. Hamptons, haart, and Dexters all frame their checkout process around it.
In practice, this means the checkout inspection is a three-step comparison: find the check-in baseline (inventory report plus photos), compare it against the property's current state, and determine whether any differences are fair wear and tear or something the tenant should address.
What changes between agencies isn't the rules — it's the emphasis. Some are heavy on cleaning standards and publish detailed specifications. Some are heavy on process and attendance. Some focus on documentation and evidence. That difference is exactly what makes this page useful.
Agency-by-Agency: What They Emphasise
Select your letting agency below to see what they specifically focus on at checkout — based on their publicly available tenant guidance. If your agency isn't listed, the room-by-room breakdown covers what every professional inventory clerk checks regardless of which agency manages the property.
What Does Your Agency Emphasise?
The legal standard is the same everywhere — return the property to check-in condition, allowing for fair wear and tear. But each agency has different emphasis areas based on their processes and common dispute patterns. Select yours to see what they focus on.
Foxtons
Cleaning standards
haart
Documentation & process
KFH
Attendance & inventory comparison
Hamptons
Attendance, receipts & deposit process
Dexters
Logistics & anti-delay coordinationFoxtons: "Here's the spec. Follow it."
Foxtons treats end of tenancy cleaning as a measurable standard. They publish a detailed cleaning specification and explicitly tell tenants to match the cleanliness level recorded in the check-in report. Their guidance is the most prescriptive of any major London agency.
What Foxtons puts extra weight on→
Descaling is explicitly called out
Their cleaning spec specifically mentions descaling shower screens, wall tiles, baths, basins, taps, and toilets. In London's hard water areas, this is one of the most common Foxtons-specific flags. See our guide.
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Mould removal from grout
Not just 'clean the bathroom' — Foxtons specifically mentions removing mould from grout lines. If your bathroom grout has gone black, they expect it addressed before checkout. See our guide.
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Light bulbs must be working
If bulbs were working at check-in, they must be working at checkout. This is a small thing tenants forget that appears explicitly in Foxtons' tenant responsibility guidance.
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Wall fixings from pictures and TVs
Holes from hanging pictures, TVs, or brackets must be filled and repaired. You're responsible for returning walls to their original condition.
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Unwanted items = disposal charge
Anything left behind may be disposed of at your expense. Foxtons flags this specifically because disposal costs are an easy, undisputable deduction.
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Garden and outdoor spaces
If you're responsible for a garden or terrace, it needs to match check-in condition. This catches tenants who forget outside areas exist on the inspection.
Key takeaway
Foxtons is spec-driven. Download or review their cleaning specification through My Foxtons and treat it as a literal checklist. Their inspections compare against that standard, so if descaling and grout cleaning are mentioned, they'll be checked.
Room-by-Room: What Gets Photographed
Regardless of which agency manages your property, inventory clerks follow a standardised process. They work room by room, photographing and noting the condition of every area listed below. The kitchen and bathroom are consistently the highest-risk zones — they account for the majority of deposit deductions across all agencies.
Room-by-Room: What Inspectors Photograph
Inventory clerks follow a standardised process. These are the specific areas they check and photograph in every room — regardless of which agency manages the property.
Kitchen
Oven interior and racks
The single most inspected appliance. Grease, burnt residue, and carbon buildup on racks, door glass, fan cover, and seals. → Cleaning guide
Behind fridge, cooker, and washing machine
Inspectors pull appliances out. Grease, dust, food debris, and mould behind appliances are routinely photographed. → Cleaning guide
Extractor hood and filters
Grease-clogged extractors are a top deduction trigger. Filters should be clean or replaced (£5–15).
Sink, taps, and draining board
Limescale around taps, staining in the sink bowl, food debris in the drain trap.
Inside cupboards and drawers
Crumbs, spills, and staining inside cabinets. Inspectors open every door.
Worktops and splashback tiles
Grease film, staining, and gaps between worktop and wall where food accumulates.
Bathroom
Limescale on taps, shower screen, and showerhead
Foxtons specifically calls this out. London hard water makes this the most common bathroom flag. → Cleaning guide
Mould on grout, sealant, and ceiling
Black grout and mouldy silicone sealant are checked in every bathroom inspection. Condensation mould is tenant responsibility. → Cleaning guide
Toilet bowl and behind toilet base
Waterline staining, limescale under the rim, and dust/grime at the toilet base.
Extractor fan
Dust-clogged fans are checked — remove the cover and clean the blades.
Bath and basin plug holes
Hair and soap buildup in drain traps. Pull out the plug and clear it.
Tile grout condition
Grout between tiles shows discolouration from soap scum and mould. Foxtons' spec specifically mentions grout cleaning.
Carpeted Rooms
Visible stains
Wine, coffee, pet urine, food — any stain that wasn't in the check-in report. → Cleaning guide
Odour (especially pet)
Inspectors notice smell immediately. Pet urine odour that's soaked into underlay is the easiest deduction to justify.
High-traffic discolouration
Grey pathways in hallways and between furniture — ground-in dirt that regular vacuuming doesn't fix.
Under-furniture areas
Once furniture is removed, marks and stains underneath become visible for the first time.
Carpet edges and skirting boards
Dust and debris accumulation along edges shows whether deep cleaning was done or just a quick vacuum.
Living Room & Bedrooms
Walls — holes from pictures, TVs, brackets
Foxtons explicitly flags this. Any holes or fixings must be filled and made good.
Light switches and sockets
Fingerprints, scuff marks, and discolouration around switches.
Window sills and frames
Dust buildup, mould on window frames (especially in bedrooms with poor ventilation).
Skirting boards
Dust and scuff marks along skirting boards throughout every room.
Light bulbs
Foxtons guidance: if bulbs were working at check-in, they must work at checkout. Replace any blown bulbs.
Behind radiators and furniture
Dust and cobwebs behind radiators, under beds, and in corners.
Hallways & Stairs
Carpet condition on stairs
High-traffic wear and staining on stair carpet is checked from multiple angles.
Walls at shoulder height
Scuff marks from moving furniture, bags, and everyday contact.
Door frames and doors
Marks, scratches, and chips on internal doors — especially near handles.
Cupboard under stairs
Often used for storage and forgotten during cleaning. Inspectors check inside.
Outside & Admin
All keys returned
Every agency mentions this. Unreturned keys = lock-change charges deducted from your deposit.
Meter readings photographed
Foxtons specifically tells tenants to photograph meters on the last day. Prevents utility disputes.
Garden/terrace/balcony
If the outdoor space is your responsibility, it must match check-in condition. Often forgotten.
Bins emptied and cleaned
Rubbish left behind is an easy deduction — removal costs are added to the checkout report.
Items removed
Nothing left that wasn't there at check-in. Foxtons flags disposal charges as an easy deduction.
How to Prepare: The Smart Approach
Start with your check-in inventory
This is the document that determines everything. Review it, check the photos, and note what condition each room was recorded in. If anything was already marked as worn, stained, or damaged — that's your defence. For more on using your inventory strategically, see our deposit-back guide.
Identify your agency's focus areas
Use the agency selector above to see what your specific agent emphasises. If you're with Foxtons, descaling and grout are priorities. If you're with haart, your evidence pack matters more than your mop.
Clean the high-risk zones first
Kitchen and bathroom are always the highest-priority areas. Oven, behind appliances, limescale, and mould account for the majority of deductions. See our step-by-step cleaning guides for each.
Document everything before handover
Photos in good lighting, close-ups of treated areas, and a video walkthrough. This is your evidence if deductions are proposed. Remember: dark photos help landlords, not you. See what landlords can legally deduct.
Attend the checkout inspection
KFH and Hamptons explicitly recommend it. Being present means you can answer questions, locate items, and address observations immediately rather than disputing a finalised report you've never seen.
Pre-Inspection Checklist
Covers every area that inventory clerks check — regardless of which agency manages your property. Run through before key handover.
Reviewed check-in inventory and photos — know your baseline
Oven cleaned inside: cavity, racks, door glass, seals
Bathroom descaled: taps, shower screen, showerhead, toilet
Mould treated on grout, sealant, and ceiling where present
Carpet stains treated and fully dried — no damp patches
Behind fridge, cooker, and washing machine cleaned
Extractor hood filters cleaned or replaced
Inside all cupboards and drawers wiped clean
Wall holes from pictures/TVs filled and made good
All light bulbs working — replacements fitted
Garden/terrace/balcony tidied to check-in standard
All personal items removed — nothing left behind
Bins emptied and cleaned
Keys collected and ready to return to branch
Meter readings photographed on last day
Wide-angle + close-up photos of every room taken
Video walkthrough recorded in good lighting
Forwarding address provided to letting agent
Utility providers notified of move-out date
Receipts kept for any professional cleaning or repairs
When Professional Cleaning Is the Smarter Move
If your check-in inventory says "professionally cleaned" and the checkout compares against that standard, matching it yourself is difficult. Foxtons notes that their professional end of tenancy cleaning takes 3–6 hours with a 2–3 person team using specialist equipment — that's 12–18 person-hours of work that most tenants underestimate.
The economics are straightforward: if you don't clean to standard, your landlord hires their own cleaners and deducts from your deposit at whatever price they pay. By booking your own professional end of tenancy clean, you control the cost and the standard — and with our 72-hour re-clean guarantee, if the agent flags anything, we come back and fix it at no extra charge.
For pricing, see our London cost guide. For the full breakdown of what's included, see our cleaning checklist.
Professional End of Tenancy Cleaning
We clean to inventory inspection standard — every area that agents check, from oven interiors to behind appliances. 72-hour re-clean guarantee if anything is flagged at checkout.
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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