Article Summary
Deposit deductions for cleaning are among the most common tenancy disputes in Ireland. This guide gives you the exact room-by-room checklist letting agents inspect against, explains how Irish hard water and carpets affect your clean, and shows 2026 prices: a professional end of tenancy clean typically costs €150–€350 depending on property size. Photograph every room after cleaning and keep your receipt — both are strong evidence in a deposit dispute.
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Why the Final Clean Decides Your Deposit
In Ireland, cleaning is one of the most common reasons landlords deduct money from deposits — and cleaning-related deductions come up again and again in disputes brought to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). Most tenancy agreements require the property to be returned in the same condition it was let, allowing for normal wear and tear. In practice, that means the property must be returned professionally clean if it was professionally cleaned before you moved in.
Having cleaned hundreds of rental properties across Dublin, Cork, Galway and the rest of Ireland since 2017, our team sees the same pattern at final inspections: agents go straight to the oven, the shower screen, the extractor hood and the carpet. Get those four right and you are most of the way to a full deposit return.
Room-by-Room End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist
Work through this list in order — top to bottom, back of the property to the front door — so you never walk dirt through a finished room.
- Kitchen: degrease the oven (racks, glass and rubber seals), hob and extractor hood; clean inside and behind the fridge and freezer (defrosted and switched off, doors left open); wipe all cupboards inside and out; descale the sink and taps; clean the washing machine drawer and door seal; empty and wipe the dishwasher filter.
- Bathrooms: descale shower screens, tiles, shower heads and taps; disinfect the toilet including behind the base; clear and deodorise plugholes; polish mirrors; wipe the extractor fan grille.
- Bedrooms and living areas: dust all surfaces including skirting boards, light fittings, lampshades and curtain rails; clean inside wardrobes and drawers; wipe doors, handles and light switches; remove cobwebs from ceiling corners.
- Floors: hoover and mop every hard floor including under and behind furniture; professionally clean carpets if stained or if the lease requires it (many Irish leases do).
- Windows: clean inside glass, sills, frames and handles; outside glass where safely reachable.
- Walls and doors: spot-clean marks and scuffs; fill picture-hook holes if the lease requires reinstatement.
- Outside areas (houses): empty all bins, sweep the yard or balcony, clear leaves from the door threshold and check the gutter line.
- Final pass: replace blown light bulbs, air every room, and photograph everything.
Kitchen: The Room Letting Agents Check First
The kitchen fails more final inspections than every other room combined. Baked-on oven grease is the number-one deduction we see, which is why a standalone professional oven clean in Ireland costs around €80 and is worth every cent if your oven has been neglected. Pull out the fridge and washing machine if it is safe to do so — dust and food debris behind appliances is a classic inspection catch. Limescale on the sink and draining board responds well to a 50/50 white-vinegar solution left for ten minutes.
Bathrooms, Limescale and Irish Hard Water
Much of Leinster and the midlands sits on limestone, so Irish tap water is often hard — and hard water leaves cloudy scale on glass, chrome and tiles. Letting agents run a finger down the shower screen at almost every inspection. Use a dedicated descaler or citric acid solution, let it dwell, then squeegee. Blackened silicone sealant is treated as a cleaning issue too: a targeted mould treatment overnight usually restores it; permanently stained sealant may need replacing.
Carpets, Floors and Windows
If your lease says the carpets were professionally cleaned at the start of the tenancy, you are normally required to return them the same way — keep the receipt as proof. Professional carpet cleaning in Ireland averages about €45 per room. Hard floors should be hoovered then damp-mopped with a pH-neutral cleaner (never soaking-wet on timber). Interior window cleaning is part of every end of tenancy clean; streak-free glass is one of the first things an agent notices when they walk in, because the light catches it.
How Much Does End of Tenancy Cleaning Cost in Ireland? (2026)
Based on our 2026 pricing across all 26 counties, a professional end of tenancy clean typically costs €150–€350 including VAT, depending on the size and condition of the property.
| Property size | Typical price (incl. VAT) | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed apartment | €150–€200 | 3–4 hours |
| 2-bed apartment or house | €200–€260 | 4–6 hours |
| 3-bed house | €250–€300 | 5–7 hours |
| 4-bed+ house | €300–€350 | 6–9 hours |
| Add-on: oven deep clean | €80 | 1–1.5 hours |
| Add-on: carpet cleaning | €45 / room | 30–45 min per room |
Prices are Irish market averages including VAT, correct as of July 2026. Every property is quoted individually — condition matters more than size.
DIY or Professional Clean: How to Decide
A DIY clean can absolutely pass inspection if the property is in good shape and you have a full day (or two) to do it properly. Choose professional cleaning when: the oven or bathroom has heavy build-up, the lease requires professional carpet cleaning with receipts, you are handing back keys on a deadline, or the deposit at stake is a multiple of the cleaning cost — which, with typical Dublin deposits, it almost always is. A reputable company works to a checklist agreed with letting agents and will return free of charge if the agent flags anything at inspection.
Want it done for you? Our end of tenancy cleaning service covers this entire checklist with a fixed, guaranteed quote — available in Dublin and all 26 counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I legally have to hire professional cleaners when moving out in Ireland?
No law requires it, but your lease can require the property to be returned professionally clean — especially carpets. Check your tenancy agreement; if it mentions professional cleaning or receipts, keep proof of the clean you book.
How long does an end of tenancy clean take?
A studio or 1-bed apartment usually takes 3–4 hours for a two-person team; a 3-bed house takes 5–7 hours. Heavily soiled ovens or carpets add time, which is why cleaning after your furniture is out is always faster and cheaper.
What do letting agents check most at final inspection?
The oven, the shower screen and bathroom limescale, the extractor hood, inside kitchen cupboards and the carpets. Timestamped photos of each of these after cleaning are your best protection in a deposit dispute.
Should I clean before or after removing furniture?
After, whenever possible. Empty rooms are dramatically faster to clean, and inspections cover the areas under and behind furniture — the exact places a furnished clean misses.
Uğur Tutuş
Founder — Ireland Cleaning Services (est. 2017)
Uğur founded Ireland Cleaning Services in Dublin in December 2017 and has led thousands of residential and commercial cleaning projects across all 26 counties. Every guide on this blog is written from field experience by our team and personally reviewed and fact-checked by Uğur before publication.
