End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist: Room by Room for Dublin Rentals

An end of tenancy cleaning checklist turns a vague instruction, “leave it clean”, into tasks you can tick off. The Residential Tenancies Board asks tenants to leave the home “in a similar condition to when you moved in, except for normal wear and tear”. The list below goes room by room, in the same order our end of tenancy cleaning team follows.

What does the RTB expect at the end of a tenancy?

The RTB expects the home to be clean, emptied and in a similar condition to the start of the tenancy. Its move-out checklist for tenants has eight points, and only one is about cleaning. The others cover notice, rent, meter readings, belongings, rubbish, photos and the inventory.

Cleaning still matters most for the deposit. The RTB lists “leaving the property in an unhygienic or unsafe condition” as a reason a landlord can keep money. Our guide on whether a landlord can keep your deposit covers the rules in full.

The RTB also recommends that landlords arrange a pre-move-out inspection 3 to 4 weeks before the end date. Ask for one. It turns a guessing game into a written list.

What is on an end of tenancy cleaning checklist for the kitchen?

The kitchen takes the longest and gets checked first. Rentals on leases under 10 years must have a four-ring hob, oven, grill, microwave and fridge freezer, according to the RTB’s minimum standards. Each needs cleaning inside and out.

• Oven: racks, trays, door glass, inner walls and grill pan degreased.
• Hob and extractor hood: rings, knobs and filters soaked or replaced.
• Fridge and freezer: emptied, defrosted, shelves and seals washed, doors left ajar.
• Microwave: turntable, roof and walls wiped.
• Cupboards and drawers: inside, outside, handles and tops.
• Sink, taps and splashback: descaled and polished.
• Worktops, bin, washing machine drawer and door seal, dishwasher filter.

A heavily used oven can take longer than the rest of the kitchen together. If yours has years of carbon on it, a dedicated oven cleaning service dips the racks and strips the glass separately.

What goes on the bathroom end of tenancy checklist?

Bathrooms are judged on limescale, mould and the toilet. Clean from the top down so dirty water never lands on a finished surface.

• Shower screen, tray, bath, taps and shower head descaled.
• Wall and floor tiles washed, grout lines scrubbed.
• Toilet bowl descaled, seat hinges, base and behind the pedestal wiped.
• Sink, mirror, cabinet inside and out, light pull and extractor fan grille.
• Sealant lines checked for mould.

Limescale is worse in some parts of Dublin than others. South Dublin County Council reports water from the Leixlip plant at 150 to 300 mg/l of calcium carbonate, against about 50 mg/l from Ballymore Eustace. Uisce Éireann explains that heated hard water forms a white calcium deposit, which is what builds up on screens and taps.

What does the end of tenancy cleaning checklist cover in bedrooms?

Bedrooms and living rooms are mostly about dust and the places furniture hid. Agents check under beds, inside wardrobes and along skirting boards.

• Wardrobes and drawers emptied and wiped inside.
• Skirting boards, door frames, doors and handles wiped.
• Light switches, sockets and radiators cleaned.
• Window glass, frames, sills and runner tracks inside.
• Curtain rails dusted; blinds wiped slat by slat.
• Floors vacuumed edge to edge, hard floors mopped.

The RTB treats worn flooring as normal wear and tear but lists “excessive stains on the carpet” as damage. If a carpet is marked, a professional carpet cleaning visit is usually cheaper than a deduction for replacement.

Which end of tenancy checklist jobs do tenants miss most?

The jobs most often missed are the ones out of eye line. These are the spots an inspector checks that a quick tidy never reaches.

How do you prove the property was left clean?

Take dated photos of every room as soon as the clean is finished. The RTB tells tenants to photograph the property at the start and end of the tenancy as proof of its condition.

Shoot the same angles as your move-in photos. Open the oven, fridge and cupboards and photograph inside. Keep the check-in inventory to hand and tick each item as present and undamaged.

The RTB’s evidence guide lists inventories, photos, bank statements and cleaning invoices as evidence in a deposit retention case. Store them together, by date, with a short cover note.

When should you book an end of tenancy clean?

Book the clean for after your belongings are out and before the check-out inspection. Bark suggests booking one to two weeks ahead, as demand rises around common lease-end dates.

A professional team works from a list like this and brings its own products; ours also uses HEPA vacuums. If you prefer to do it yourself, a printable copy is on our resources page.