In today’s rental market deposits are taken to ensure that any damage to a property by the tenant is covered thanks to this up front retainer. When you leave a property, you obviously want it back, but many agencies and landlords are looking for obvious reasons why they shouldn’t give it all to you.

It isn’t just damage that that security deposit covers – if the landlord needs to hire a cleaner to sort out the property after you leave then this comes out of your money. So don’t give them the opportunity to raise an eyebrow in any way, by handing back keys to a property that is in as good a state as you inherited it.

To do the place will need a good clean once you have removed all your furniture – it is a fact of life that dust settles and those impossible-to-reach places get dirty. In terms of getting your newly-vacated property cleaned you have two main options:

1.    Roll up your sleeves and do it yourself

This is the only option available to the majority of people on the move, but obviously it puts a lot on your shoulders. You would probably rather spend the time settling into your new abode, but are incredibly reliant on the safe return of your security binder in order to pay your next month’s rent. The good news is that if the property is empty, and end of tenancy clean shouldn’t take all that long, and there are a few important things to remember when you start to go about it. The most important areas are the kitchen and bathroom, so make sure there are no traces of any mould, limescale or mildew; all the furniture (sinks, bath etc) has been cleaned and shine, and make sure anything that could provide a sparkle does indeed sparkle (think taps, mirrors, kitchen appliances such as the toaster and/or kettle and NEVER leave water marks on the shower cubicle). In terms of the rest of the house, clean the windows and wipe down the window sills, this tends to be a prime place for dust to deposit. Dust everything, including door frames, banisters, picture rails and skirting boards so that every part of the house is clean, before vacuuming through and emptying bins. This should be enough to ensure a safe return of monies, as long as there is no major damage and all minor repairs (picture hooks etc) have been safely completed.

2.    Call a professional cleaning company

End of tenancy cleaning services are offered by most domestic cleaning companies. They tend to be fast, efficient and surprisingly affordable, and you have the peace of mind that professionals, who hopefully know exactly where and what to clean to get the best results, are raising the cleanliness of your old home to perfect so you don’t have to. So while you also have peace of mind with regards to your deposit, you also have more time to spend settling into your new home that would otherwise have been spent knee-deep in dusters and cleaning products.

They can be especially useful if you are moving the day your tenancy ends – for some there is only a few hours between vacating the premises and having to hand back the keys, so getting in the professionals can be a sure-fire way to solve a logistical problem of needing to be in two places at once.