How Much Can a Landlord Charge for Cleaning? (UK Guide)

There's no fixed legal amount a landlord can charge for cleaning in the UK — but that absolutely does not mean they can pick a number. Any cleaning deduction from your deposit has to reflect the actual, reasonable cost of returning the property to the standard of cleanliness recorded at check-in, and it has to be backed by evidence. Here's how that works in practice, and what to do when the figure looks inflated.

What counts as a reasonable cleaning charge

Deposit scheme adjudicators judge a proposed deduction against three questions: was the property genuinely dirtier at check-out than at check-in, does the amount match what cleaning at that level actually costs, and can the landlord evidence both? A useful benchmark is what professional cleaning really costs — a full fixed-price end of tenancy clean starts from around £100 for a studio and £180 for a four-bedroom house, so a £400 deduction for 'cleaning' on a one-bed flat should ring alarm bells.

• Partial cleaning: if only the oven and bathroom were below standard, the charge should cover the oven and bathroom — not a whole-property clean
• Real costs: an itemised quote or invoice from a cleaning company carries far more weight than a round number with no paperwork
• Check-in standard, not perfection: if the property wasn't professionally cleaned when you moved in, you can't be charged to have it professionally cleaned when you leave

Typical cleaning deduction amounts

Because deductions must track real cleaning costs, they tend to fall in line with professional prices. As a guide, our own fixed prices — which adjudicators would recognise as market-typical — look like this: individual appliances from £10 (a single oven is £15), carpets from £18 per room, a studio flat from £100, a one-bed from £120, a two-bed from £140, a three-bed from £160 and a four-bed from £180. You can see the full breakdown in our 2026 end of tenancy cleaning price list. A deduction far above these levels, for a property that only needed a touch-up, is worth challenging.

Can a landlord charge for carpet cleaning?

Only on the same basis as everything else: if the carpets are dirtier or more stained than the check-in report records. If the inventory says carpets were 'professionally cleaned' at check-in and you return them marked and grubby, a per-room carpet cleaning charge (typically from around £18 per room professionally) is likely to be upheld. But flattened pile, gentle fading and the ordinary traffic marks of living there are fair wear and tear — a landlord cannot charge you to freshen up carpets that simply aged while you lived on them.

When a landlord is withholding your deposit for cleaning

A landlord can't simply keep your deposit and go quiet. If your deposit is protected — as it legally must be for an assured shorthold tenancy in England or Wales — any amount you dispute stays locked in the scheme until you either agree or an adjudicator decides. Ask for an itemised breakdown of the proposed deduction, with the check-in and check-out reports and any cleaning invoice. If they can't produce them, that usually tells you how strong their case is.

1. 1Ask for the deduction in writing, itemised, with the supporting evidence
2. 2Compare it against your check-in inventory and your own photos from moving day
3. 3Negotiate first — many landlords drop or halve a charge when challenged with evidence
4. 4If you can't agree, raise a dispute with your deposit scheme's free resolution service
5. 5Submit your photos, the inventories and any cleaning receipt — then let the adjudicator decide

The full process, including what evidence wins disputes, is covered in our guide to getting your full deposit back. And if you want to remove the argument entirely, a professional clean with an itemised invoice does exactly that — see our guide on whether a landlord can charge for cleaning at all for where the legal line sits.

The bottom line

No cap exists, but the 'reasonable cost' rule does the same job: a cleaning charge should look like a real cleaning bill for the work actually needed, and nothing more. Keep your check-in report, photograph the property when you leave, and don't be shy about disputing a number that doesn't add up — the adjudication service is free, and the burden of proof sits with the landlord.