The 7 rooms that lose deposits (and the 23 spots inside them)

We log every line item that comes back on a checkout inventory we cleaned. Over the last 18 months that came to 380 inspections across Hertford, St Albans, Watford and Stevenage. I cut the data by room and by spot. The 7 rooms below carry 96 percent of all deposit deductions. The 23 spots inside them carry 84 percent of those.

If your cleaner only has time for the spots on this list, the inventory will still pass. Anywhere else is a tidiness exercise.

Room 1: The kitchen (4 spots)

• Extractor filter, housing, and the duct lip behind it
• Oven door glass, including the inside of the inner pane
• Hob: under the burner crowns and the chrome trim
• Silicone strip behind the sink where the tap meets the worktop

The kitchen is 41 percent of all deductions in our data. The four spots above are 89 percent of the kitchen line. Spend 45 minutes here even on a fast clean.

Room 2: The main bathroom (4 spots)

• Extractor fan cover, blades, and housing
• Shower screen at the seal and the tray-to-glass joint
• Silicone around the bath and basin (mould, not staining)
• Toilet base where the porcelain meets the floor

Room 3: Bedroom 2, the spare room (3 spots)

• Skirting boards along the back wall, top edge especially
• Inside of the wardrobe, including the floor and the back of the door
• Top of the window frame and the silica gel pocket at the bottom

Room 4: The ensuite or downstairs WC (3 spots)

• Tap base and the silicone seal at the basin
• Behind the WC and the pipe-to-floor seal
• Mirror at the very top edge where toothpaste mist settles

Room 5: The hallway and stairs (3 spots)

• Carpet on the stair edge, especially the nosing of every third tread
• Skirting at the bottom of the stairs where shoes scuff
• Inside the front door at the kick area and the letterbox flap

Room 6: The living room (3 spots)

• Behind and under the sofa (dust, crumbs, the occasional remote)
• Top of the TV unit and the cable entry at the wall
• Windowsill at the corners where the frame meets the wall

Room 7: Outside spaces and bins (3 spots)

• Inside the wheelie bins and recycling bins
• The path or driveway edge where weeds emerge
• Letterbox area and any external light fittings with cobwebs

Outside spaces are often missed entirely by inventory clerks, but the bin smell on the day of the checkout will tank the whole report. Five minutes with a hose and a kitchen spray solves it.

What this means for the clean

Print the 23 spots, hand them to the lead cleaner, and walk them through the property in the order above. A standard 3-bed end of tenancy will spend 8 of its 10 hours on this list alone. The remaining 2 hours are the visible tidying that makes the agent feel the property has been looked after.

A 5-step plan that targets the deductions

1. 1Print the 23-spot list and tape it inside the kitchen cupboard for the cleaner.
2. 2Photograph each spot before cleaning starts. The photos defend any later dispute.
3. 3Work in room order 1 to 7. Kitchen and bathroom first carry 64 percent of risk.
4. 4Use a torch on the silicone joints in both bathrooms. Agents do.
5. 5Walk the property with the cleaner at the end. Anything missed gets a second pass while the kit is still out.

What to watch in the rest of 2026

TDS rolls out its standardised photographic inventory template in October. That will tighten the spot-by-spot scoring agents already do informally. Expect the kitchen extractor and the silicone strip behind the sink to become the two most cited single items in 2027 disputes.