The inspector's clipboard

UK letting-agent inventory clerks work to the AIIC (Association of Independent Inventory Clerks) standard. The clipboard is the same in High Wycombe as it is in Manchester. The inspection takes 30–60 minutes and they grade by room.

The 12 items they check first

In rough order of severity (severity = pound-value impact on your deposit):

Oven interior — including the door glass, racks, top of the inside cavity, extractor filter. Single biggest deduction line. Average flag: £80–£120.
Limescale — taps, showerhead, shower screen. Average flag: £30–£60.
Toilet — under the rim, behind the bowl, the seal between bowl and floor. Average flag: £25–£40.
Skirting boards. Wiped tops and edges, not just visible faces. Average flag: £25–£40.
Behind movable appliances. Fridge, washing machine, oven (if free-standing). Average flag: £30–£50.
Inside cupboards and drawers. Empty, wiped, handles degreased. Average flag: £20–£35.
Window interiors and tracks. Tracks especially — the dust traps under the sliding sashes. Average flag: £25–£40.
Light switches, sockets, radiator covers. Hand-marks and dust. Average flag: £15–£25.
Cobwebs. Ceilings, light fittings, corners. Trivial to clean, easy to miss. Average flag: £15–£25.
Bins. Empty, washed. Bin lid hinges checked. Average flag: £15–£25.
Carpets. Vacuumed thoroughly, including behind furniture. Stains photographed. Average flag: £40–£200 depending on stain.
Mattress flips and bed bases. Underside, wheels, headboard back. Average flag: £25–£40.

A bad flag list across all 12 items can take £400–£600 off a deposit. A clean inspection costs nothing extra.

What automatically fails the inspection

These are the no-discussion automatic-fail items the clerk does not negotiate:

Oven with visible carbon on the inside glass.
Fridge or freezer not defrosted (or worse, still on).
Bins overflowing inside or in the external receptacle.
Black mould visible in bathroom silicone.
Pet hair in carpets.
Smoke staining on walls or ceilings (separate non-cleaning issue but flagged).

What clerks do NOT check (or do not care about)

Useful to know what to skip when time is short:

Outside windows.
Garden tidiness (different inspection).
Upholstery interiors.
Loft and outhouses (unless explicitly in inventory).
Curtain dry-cleaning (unless tenancy specifies).

How to read your inventory before the clean

Find the original move-in inventory document. The clerk will compare against it. Three useful columns:

Cleanliness condition at move-in — "professionally cleaned to a high standard" is the bar to match.
Items noted as damaged or worn — these are pre-existing and you cannot be deducted for them.
Photos — every photo is a benchmark.

If the move-in says "clean to professional standard", a self-clean to "wiped and tidied" almost certainly fails.

Self-clean vs professional — the honest math

For a 2-bed flat:

Self-clean: ~16–20 hours of your time, £30–£60 in products, ~30% pass-first-time rate (industry average). Failed inspection deduction average £200.
Professional EOT clean: £265–£315, 5–6 hours during which you do other things, ~95% pass-first-time, 48-hour re-clean if anything is flagged.

For a 3-bed house:

Self-clean: 24–30 hours, £50–£80 in products, ~25% pass-first-time. Failed deduction average £350.
Professional EOT clean: £315–£395, 6–7 hours, ~95% pass-first-time, 48-hour re-clean.

When to call a professional

The tenancy specifies "professional cleaning" — the clerk asks for the receipt.
The property has been lived in for 18+ months without a deep clean.
Pets have been on site.
The deposit at risk is more than 4× the professional cleaning cost.

Otherwise, work the 12-item list above and budget 16+ hours.

Booking

If you want it done by a team that works to the AIIC standard with a 48-hour re-clean guarantee in writing, call 07377 506669 or request a quote — same-day and next-day slots usually available across HP, SL, HP6, HP9, SL6, SL7, SL8, SL9.

How to pass a letting agent cleaning inspection (Bucks 2026)