Tenancy ending — property to turn around? Three quotes for the changeover.
FixQuotes briefs end-of-tenancy refurbishment to local trades and returns comparable quotes covering the same scope — clean, decorate, carpets, garden, snagging. Free for UK landlords, letting agents, and property managers.
- Local trades — single contractor or coordinated package
- Like-for-like scope: cleaning standard, paint spec, carpet grade, snag list
- Deposit-deduction-friendly — quotes priced as betterment vs fair wear-and-tear
- Free for landlords and agents — pay nothing to FixQuotes
What end-of-tenancy actually covers
End-of-tenancy refurbishment sits between two extremes. At the lighter end is the changeover clean — a deep professional clean, carpets shampooed, gardens tidied, the property handed over in re-let condition without painting or material works. At the heavier end is the full refurbishment — full repaint, new flooring, kitchen or bathroom tweaks, fixture replacement, suitable for a property that's seen 4–6 years of tenancy or major condition issues. Most end-of-tenancy work sits in the middle: deep clean, touch-up paint to the worst affected rooms, carpet steam clean (replacement only where needed), and a small snag list of repairs.
FixQuotes briefs are scoped to whichever band fits — tell us the property condition (light, mid, heavy) and the brief asks contractors to quote against a defined cleaning standard, a defined paint spec, and a defined carpet grade so quotes come back comparable.
Cleaning to a standard, not 'a deep clean'
Most disputes between landlords, agents, and tenants over cleaning come from the word 'clean' having no defined standard. The professional end-of-tenancy cleaning industry has settled on a fairly consistent specification — kitchen including oven interior, hob, extractor, fridge, freezer, and cupboard interiors; bathrooms including limescale removal on tiles and grout; full carpet shampoo or steam clean; window cleaning internal; appliance pull-out where access permits; full skirting, switch plates, and door tops dust-and-wipe. Anything more invasive (carpet replacement, tile re-grouting, oven element replacement) is a refurbishment item, not a clean.
The brief FixQuotes sends references this professional spec explicitly so 'deep clean' means the same thing across all three quotes. It also helps with deposit disputes — a tenant whose paperwork shows a £180 quote against the same spec they were given is on weaker ground than one shown an undocumented £400 invoice.
Decoration, carpet, and the 'betterment' rule
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 and the established deposit-protection scheme guidance (TDS, DPS, mydeposits), a landlord can deduct from a tenant's deposit only the cost of remedying damage beyond fair wear and tear, on a depreciated basis. That means the deduction can't bring the property to a better condition than at the start of the tenancy — known as the 'betterment' rule.
In practice, that affects how end-of-tenancy quotes should be scoped. A 4-year tenancy where a wall was scuffed shouldn't be deducted at the cost of full repaint; the standard approach is to quote the touch-up against the existing wall, with depreciation applied. FixQuotes briefs include the property's last paint date (where you have it) and the affected rooms so contractors can quote both options — full repaint and touch-up — letting you pick the path that matches your deposit position.
Carpet is similar. A tenant who's caused defined damage (burn, deep stain, pet damage) can be charged the depreciated cost of replacement for that room, not the full new-carpet price. The brief asks contractors to break carpet pricing into 'replace fully' vs 'spot-replace damaged area' where that's a credible option.
Single contractor vs coordinated package
Two patterns work for end-of-tenancy delivery. A single contractor package is one trade (typically a general builder or a turnover specialist) who handles everything — clean, paint, garden, snags — usually with subcontracted help on cleaning and gardening. Single-contractor packages are simpler to manage and usually cheaper because of bundled labour, but the cleaning standard can suffer if the contractor's primary craft is decorating or general building.
A coordinated package uses separate trades — a dedicated end-of-tenancy cleaning company, a decorator, a gardener, a carpet specialist — coordinated by the agent or landlord. Coordinated packages typically deliver higher-quality cleaning but cost 10–20% more in total because each trade has their own callout and minimum-fee structure.
FixQuotes can source quotes against either model. Tell us which delivery pattern you want and the brief reflects it.
What a comparable quote includes
Every quote we return for this job type uses the same template, so you can compare like-for-like. You’ll see:
- Deep cleaning to professional end-of-tenancy spec (kitchen, bathroom, carpets, windows, appliances)
- Touch-up vs full repaint pricing where wall damage is partial
- Carpet shampoo / steam-clean vs replacement (full or spot) pricing
- Garden tidy — mow, edges, hedge trim, weeds — defined to a standard
- Defined snag list with itemised costs (not bundled into a single 'repairs' line)
- Public liability insurance level and policy expiry
- Photo documentation of pre-and-post condition (useful for deposit disputes)
- Turnaround time — most jobs delivered in 2–5 working days
Deposit schemes, the Tenant Fees Act, and what you can actually deduct
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, no landlord or letting agent can deduct from a tenant's deposit beyond the cost of remedying actual damage on a depreciated basis. The three TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme), DPS (Deposit Protection Service), and mydeposits adjudication services consistently enforce this — landlords whose deductions exceed depreciated-cost-of-remediation lose at adjudication. None of this is legal advice — for specific cases consult a solicitor or your deposit scheme's free adjudication guidance. End-of-tenancy quotes through FixQuotes are scoped to support the deduction position, not just to do the work.
Where works require legally regulated qualifications (for example Gas Safe registration for gas works, or Part P competence for fixed electrical work), users should verify the contractor's credentials directly before authorising the work.
Common questions
How much does end-of-tenancy refurbishment usually cost?
For a typical 1- to 3-bed flat or house, a 'mid' end-of-tenancy package — deep clean, touch-up paint to worst rooms, carpets cleaned, garden tidied, light snagging — usually quotes in a £400–£900 range. A 'light' changeover-only clean is £180–£350. A full refurbishment with decoration of every room and new carpets typically runs £1,500–£3,500 depending on size. London rates are 15–25% above these figures.
Should I use a single contractor or coordinate trades myself?
Single contractor is simpler and cheaper but the cleaning standard can suffer. Coordinated trades (dedicated cleaning company, separate decorator, separate gardener) cost 10–20% more but typically deliver higher-quality cleaning. FixQuotes can quote either — tell us which delivery model you want.
What can I deduct from the tenant's deposit?
Only the depreciated cost of remedying actual damage beyond fair wear and tear, under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. The deduction can't bring the property to better-than-original condition. The end-of-tenancy quote should support this — touch-up vs repaint pricing, spot-vs-full carpet replacement — so the deduction is defensible at deposit-scheme adjudication.
Can the work be done while the tenant is still in the property?
Some elements (deep clean, full repaint) require the property to be empty. Others (garden tidy, exterior decoration, minor snagging) can be done with notice during the tenancy. The brief asks contractors to flag any items that need vacant possession so you can sequence accordingly.
Do you handle photo documentation for deposit purposes?
Yes — most end-of-tenancy contractors include before/after photos as standard, and the brief specifies this. Time-stamped photos are the strongest single piece of evidence at deposit adjudication.
How quickly can the work be done between tenancies?
Most end-of-tenancy packages deliver in 2–5 working days, depending on scope. Same-day clean-only is sometimes possible for simple changeovers. The brief asks contractors for a realistic completion window so you can plan the new tenancy start date.
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