With the academic year drawing to a close and exams looming, cleaning rotas in student houses (if they ever existed) tend to go out of the window. Even though research has shown that a clean, tidy environment helps concentration and lowers stress, its understandable that many students will feel the need to focus on revision at this time.
Landlords, however, aren’t always so sympathetic, and if your student house isn’t looking spick and span when it’s time to move out, they are entitled to hold on to your deposit to cover cleaning costs. That’s a big chunk out of summer budget straight away!
To help make sure you get your deposit back, we’ve put together a quick guide to cleaning your student house to the standards your landlord will require.
Out of sight should not be out of mind
A hasty run-around with a mop before you leave just won’t cut it. Your landlord will look under carpets, behind sofas and in all the other hard to reach places. Take the time to turn your rooms upside down – wipe the dust from behind the fridge, hoover behind radiators and under beds. Who knows, you might even find that set of keys you thought you’d lost about a year ago!
This sofa looks clean – but is it clean underneath?
Deal with damp
Putting the kettle on, preparing dinner and showering all create condensation which can cause mould to grow on walls and ceilings. This is a really common one in student houses but if left it will spread and can cause health problems. It’s a key thing that landlords look out for when inspecting student properties, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. Wipe the mould away with a mixture of water and mild detergent then remove the moisture with a towel or dry cloth. Be careful not to brush the mould as this can release the spores.
Focus on food
No need to hide it – we all know that student fridges aren’t always the most hygienic of places. Landlords especially know this, and you can bet that the fridge is one of the first things they’ll check in a house inspection. It’s important to make sure that your fridge isn’t just looking clean, but smelling clean too – otherwise you might find yourself bearing the costs for a more thorough clean, or even a new fridge! The best thing for this is hot water mixed with a disinfectant specifically designed for use in the kitchen.
Keep your landlord happy with a sparkling kitchen.
Make your floors shine
A great way to really bring the colour back into any student property is with a thorough clean of the floors. Generally, older houses are fitted with carpets that will collect huge amounts of dust and dirt over the year. You can get rid of most of this with a powerful hoover but for a real wow-factor it could be worth investing in a steam cleaner. Many hardware stores will hire these for reasonable rates.
Don’t forget the windows
Clean windows can make a huge difference to how a property looks from the inside. The glass loses that dirty, streaky feel and more light gets in – showing your landlord what a great job you’ve done cleaning the rest of the property!
Clean windows add a great finishing touch
A deep clean of your student house before you leave is very often the last thing you want to do when exams are over and the sun is shining. But putting aside a day or two with your housemates to really tackle the dirt that has built up over the last year will be the difference between getting your deposit back and not.
Student?
If a deep clean really feels like one job to many after all those exams, we offer a full end of tenancy service to get your house sparkling before inspection.
Landlord?
Previous tenants not left your house up to standard? Give us a call and we can make sure your student property is looking great for your next tenants.