Arguably the most stressful part of renting a property comes in trying to get your deposit back at the end of the rental agreement.

To maximise your returns, unless specified in the tenancy agreement, you are going to want to tackle this job yourself. Below, we share our top tips to maximise your chances of getting your full deposit back.

Clear the cleaning space

Before cleaning the rental property, it would be advised to clear out your possessions, ideally into the property you are planning on moving into.

It is difficult to do a deep clean of the property if much of the damage is covered by pictures frame, large furniture and just about anything else in the property. Doing a deep clean and importantly returning the property to the same state as when you moved in will be far easier with your belongings out of the picture.

Remove any marks

It’s pretty much a certainty that after a thorough inspection of the walls and counters that you will find grubby marks and stains that you have caused at some point whilst living in the property.

This is something that can make a surprising dent on your deposit, with most landlords inflating the costs required to remedy the scuffs or marks.

Make sure to isolate marks and scuffs and take the necessary steps to remove these. From a new lick of paint to the innovative ‘magic erasers’ that can be purchased online for a cheap price, a good starting point is to remove these marks.

Start with the kitchen and bathroom

The kitchen and bathroom are perhaps the most daunting rooms of a property when it comes to cleaning. In particular, the oven can appear an almost impossible task to get to the condition than when you moved in.

Make sure to research products that will help to clean the appliances and other stubborn areas in these rooms. Using an oven cleaner will get the oven looking spotless and requires very little labour, you can also purchase products and sprays that will leave the kitchen and bathroom sinks sparkling.

Limescale can build on tiles and the taps in a bathroom and will require both product and tools to get these shining also.

The grouting around the shower or bath may also need replacing. By first removing this, you can then replace the grouting to make the bathroom look like new. By going above and beyond by replacing or repairing areas to a standard greater than when you moved in will cover your back either way.

Clear out the drains

Perhaps less of an issue as it is not immediately obvious, given how easy it is to clear the drains in the property, it is well worth doing.

Ensuring that water is draining correctly in the property will increase your chances of getting that deposit back. On top of the conventional way of using a plunger, there are some fantastic products on the market that can clear your drains by simply pouring them in.

Doing this also ensures no unwanted smells come from the drains. Be careful though, when using a standard drain cleaner, the smell and fumes let out when initially using it are strong, a mask and gloves is advised.

The toilet will need some attention

This is probably going to be the worst job you tackle, feel free to leave this one until you are ready to get in there and clean this.

Invest in some good quality gloves that are highly durable, use some bleach and scrub until the toilet is spotless. This is one of the most common areas a landlord or agent will check and will need doing.

Get the floors cleaned

Tenants often forget to give the floors a good clean when moving out. It takes no time at all to fill up a bucket with warm water and a little floor cleaner and do a once over of the property.

Not only will the floor look great, but it will smell clean to. The smell will probably be the first impression when the property is checked so is certainly worth doing.

Neaten up the outdoor space 

Once the house is looking up to speed, it is time to tackle the garden and other outdoor areas.

If you or someone you know owns a power washer, this is a great way to get the outside areas looking fresh. If not, there are many companies that will loan you one for the day. This is great for not only make outdoor flooring cleaner but also gets into the cracks between.

If the garden had plants or other outdoor furniture that has been damaged, you will need to replace these also. Making sure the outdoor area is looking as good as the inside is something to aim for.