End of Tenancy Clean, Start to Finish: An Illustrative 2-Bed Dublin Apartment

This article is an illustrative walkthrough of a typical end of tenancy clean, not a customer story. It describes how a two-bed, one-bath Dublin apartment is cleaned from arrival to handover, using an example apartment and example timings. Real jobs vary with the condition of the oven, the bathroom and how much furniture stays.

What does the example apartment look like?

The example is a two-bed, one-bath apartment in a 2000s block, the kind found across Dublin from the Docklands to Citywest. It has an open-plan kitchen and living room, a balcony, laminate floors in the living area and carpet in both bedrooms. The tenant has moved out and the inspection is the next morning.

The apartment is empty apart from the landlord’s furniture: beds, a sofa, a table and wardrobes. The oven was used through a two-year tenancy and never deep cleaned. The shower screen has some soap scum and the extractor filter is greasy.

That profile matches a standard 2-bed end of tenancy clean on our price list, from €210. Our end of tenancy cleaning service confirms the fixed price from photos of the oven and bathroom before the day.

How does an end of tenancy clean start?

An end of tenancy clean starts with a walk-through, not a cloth. The team checks each room, notes the oven, limescale and any marks, and confirms the hot water and electricity are on. Then the work order is set: the dirtiest, slowest jobs first, floors last. If the tenant has a check-in inventory, it is used as the standard.

In the example, the oven racks and extractor filter go into a soak straight away. That way they soften while the rest of the kitchen is cleaned. The team brings its own products and equipment, including HEPA vacuums, so nothing is needed from the tenant.

What is the order of work in an end of tenancy clean?

The order is kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, living area, then floors throughout. Working top to bottom in each room means dust and drips fall onto areas not yet cleaned. Floors go last so nobody walks over finished work, and the vacuum picks up everything dropped earlier.

These times are examples for this illustrative apartment. Bark’s 2026 survey puts a two-bed deep clean at about 6 hours of work for one person, which is in line with the plan above.

What happens in the kitchen and bathroom?

The kitchen and bathroom take more than half the time, because agents inspect them most closely. In the kitchen that means degreasing the oven inside and out, the hob, extractor and filter, then every cupboard inside and out, the fridge and the sink. In the bathroom, limescale and grout get the attention.

In the example, the oven is the single longest task. A heavily used oven can take well over an hour on its own, which is why it is soaked first. If the oven is very bad, a separate oven cleaning service from €75 can be booked alongside.

In the bathroom, the shower screen, taps and tiles are descaled and the grout scrubbed. The extractor fan cover comes off for cleaning, and the toilet is cleaned including the base and behind the pedestal. Mirrors and chrome are dried to avoid streaks.

What happens in the bedrooms and living area?

Bedrooms and the living area are about detail rather than heavy dirt. Wardrobes are cleaned inside, including the top shelf and rails. Skirting boards, door frames, light switches, sockets and window sills are wiped. Marks on walls are spot cleaned where the paint allows.

In the example, the sofa is vacuumed, including under the cushions, and the balcony door track is cleared of grit. Carpets are vacuumed; if the lease requires a professional carpet clean, hot water extraction is added as a separate item.

How does the end of tenancy clean finish?

The clean finishes with a room-by-room check against the checklist, ideally with the tenant walking through for the last few minutes. Anything missed is cleaned before the team leaves. The tenant then takes dated photos of every room, which help if the agent raises an issue at the inspection.

The RTB says a landlord cannot ask for a deposit of more than one month’s rent, and lists leaving a property in an unhygienic or unsafe condition as damage beyond normal wear and tear. A clean does not decide the deposit, but it removes the most common reason for a cleaning deduction.

Before booking, the full end of tenancy cleaning checklist shows every item covered, and the deposit-ready check helps you spot gaps before the inspection.