Landlord advice
End of Tenancy Clearance Checklist for Manchester Landlords
What to do before, during and after a tenant leaves: the inventory, deposit timing, cleaning standards, left-behind belongings and getting the property ready to let.
· Handyman Manchester
The days between one tenant leaving and the next moving in cost you rent. A short checklist keeps that gap small and helps you follow the deposit rules. This is general information, not legal advice. If a tenant leaves goods behind or a deposit is disputed, check the position for your tenancy.
Before the tenant leaves
- Find the check-in inventory and photos from the start of the tenancy. You will compare the property against them.
- Book the check-out inspection for the last day of the tenancy, ideally with the tenant present.
- Give your clearance and repair contractors a date range now, so the property is not empty longer than it needs to be.
Deposit rules to keep in mind
GOV.UK says a landlord or letting agent must put a tenant's deposit into a protection scheme within 30 days of getting it, and must return the deposit within 10 days of both sides agreeing how much is going back. If you disagree about deductions, the money stays protected in the scheme until the dispute is settled.
What tenants must leave
Citizens Advice says tenants should clean the property and leave it in the same condition as when they moved in, apart from fair wear and tear. Compare the check-out against the check-in, photograph anything you plan to deduct for, and keep the inventory.
If belongings are left behind
Do not bin them straight away. Schedule 1 of the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 describes two written notices. The first tells the owner the goods are ready to collect and says where they are held. A later notice of intention to sell gives a sale date, must give the owner a reasonable time to collect, and goes by registered or recorded post. If money is owed to you, that period must be at least three months. Whether and how the Act applies to a particular tenancy is a question for a solicitor or a landlord body such as the NRLA.
Clearance day
A house clearance team empties the property, removes rubbish and cleans up. On our jobs we also send before and after photos, so you have a record that the property was returned in a lettable state. Ask any contractor whether they do the same.
- Full or partial clearance of furniture, appliances and rubbish, including loft, garage and garden waste.
- Deep cleaning and making good after removal.
- Securing the property: boarding windows and doors, replacing broken glass, changing locks and doors, replacing damaged switches and sockets.
Getting it back on the market
Small snags can put tenants off, so fix them before you advertise. Our landlord services cover repairs, painting and a written property assessment with photos, so you can decide what to fix before the next tenancy starts.
Have a property to turn around? Send us the address and dates and we will quote a fixed price for the clearance.