How to choose a professional property cleaner
Being a landlord and renting out property can be a highly profitable endeavour, providing you with an ongoing revenue stream that can be treated either as part of your income or used to pay off a mortgage - or both. But it doesn't come without its headaches, and one of the major difficulties at the start and end of any tenancy is the cleanliness of a property.
That's because all too often, tenants leave a property in an incredibly filthy state and just don't care about it because it's not their problem and they're moving on. But with new tenants about to move in, how do you give your dirty property the proper scrub it needs so it's up to standard and won't put people off? The answer, for growing numbers of landlords, lies in the services of professional cleaners. So how do you choose one that can do the job properly for you?
A big mess
First, let’s look at what needs to be done. There's no getting away from the fact that the cleanliness of a property continues to be the main reason for disputes between landlords and tenants. The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks, which works with landlords and letting agents, says the problem has become so chronic that there's been a "sharp rise" in the amount of flats and houses that have to be professionally cleaned at the end of a tenancy.
It's quite common for some tenants never to clean the property they're renting, and for those that do, the place can still be filthy when they're moving out. Cookers and ovens, for example, are frequently left in a bad state as repeated cooking and baking causes a build-up of grease and other stubborn materials that are hard to remove – and costly to professionally clean, at upwards of £80 a time.
Other common issues are stains on flooring and carpeted areas that can sometimes be hidden or disguised by departing tenants by covering them with furniture or a rug. Curtains can be damaged, and mattresses and sofas can also need expert cleaning attention. Lots of dust on windows, on furniture and around the edges of ceilings is something that needs to be dealt with before the next tenants move in, and it all requires a thorough cleaning so the place is sparkling like new.
DIY or call in the pros?
Many landlords, especially those that are new to letting out their properties, initially have a go at cleaning – after all, they say, how hard can it be? But there's a reason a professional cleaning company does a far superior job: not only are they much quicker, saving you time and money, but they're experienced in all kinds of cleaning tasks, and have the tools and materials to do it right. Erasing grubby stains is not always easy.
If you’re considering a professional cleaning service for your property, talk to them about what you need doing and how often, and find out how well and swiftly they can do it for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for references so you can get a first-hand account from other property owners about how a cleaning service has worked for them.
