What is Void Property Cleaning?
Void property cleaning is a thorough clean of a vacant rental between tenancies, often booked by housing associations and large landlords.
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Definition
Void Property Cleaning — Void property cleaning is the clean carried out on a vacant ('void') property between tenancies. It is the social housing and large-portfolio equivalent of end of tenancy cleaning, often combined with minor repairs and inspections.
What void property cleaning typically covers
- Full kitchen, including appliances
- Bathrooms descaled and disinfected
- All floors hoovered and mopped
- Inside cupboards and built-in storage
- Removal of left-behind items
- Cleaning report and photos for housing officers
What void property cleaning costs
A void clean in Derby costs £100 to £250 and takes 4 to 8 hours, charged at £25 per hour with products and equipment included. A one-bed flat is usually at the lower end; a four-bed house left in poor condition sits at the top.
- One-bed flat, reasonable condition: 4 hours, around £100
- Three-bed house: 5 to 6 hours, £125 to £150
- Four-bed or heavily soiled property: 8 to 10 hours, £200 to £250
- Clearance of items left behind and a photo report are included
- Portfolio landlords and housing providers can be invoiced monthly
What a void property is
A void property is a rental home standing empty with no tenant in it. The void period runs from the day the keys come back to the day the next tenancy starts, and it covers everything that has to happen in between: inspection, repairs, decoration, cleaning, marketing and viewings.
Landlords and housing associations track void days closely because an empty property earns nothing and still costs money. Once a property is empty the owner picks up the council tax, the standing charges and any service charge, on top of losing the rent. On a £750 a month Derby rental that is roughly £25 a day before bills.
That is why void cleaning is scheduled as tightly as it is. The clean is not a luxury at the end of the process, it is the thing that lets the property be photographed, viewed and let again. A £100 to £250 void clean that shortens the empty period by a week has already paid for itself.
How long a void clean takes
Void days cost money, so the clean is usually scheduled the morning after the keys come back. A standard three-bed void is a single day for two cleaners.
| Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Walk round and clearance | 30 to 60 minutes | Items left behind bagged and removed, damage photographed before anything is touched. |
| Kitchen | 1.5 to 2.5 hours | Oven, hob, extractor, fridge, freezer and inside every unit. |
| Bathrooms | 45 minutes each | Descaled, disinfected, grout scrubbed, extractor cleared. |
| Rooms, floors and windows | 2 to 3 hours | Full wipe down, inside storage, inside windows, then floors. |
| Report and photos | 15 minutes | Room-by-room photographs sent the same day for the housing officer's file. |
Who books void property cleaning
Housing associations
Book voids in volume against a re-let target. The clean has to meet the lettable standard before the property can be allocated.
Portfolio landlords
Book to shorten the void period. Every extra day empty costs more than the clean does.
Letting and managing agents
Instruct on the landlord's behalf, usually alongside minor repairs and a gas or electrical check.
Executors and probate sales
Book a void clean to get an inherited property ready to photograph, value and sell.
Void property inspection checklist
Run this before you sign the property off as re-lettable. These are the items that most often bounce back from an inspection.
- 1Photograph the property before anything is removed, so damage is separated from mess.
- 2Check the oven, grill pan and extractor filter, not just the hob.
- 3Open the fridge and freezer. A defrosted freezer left closed for a week is the most common void complaint.
- 4Check under the sink and inside the airing cupboard for left-behind chemicals and rubbish.
- 5Look for mould in the bathroom sealant and behind wardrobes on external walls.
- 6Clear the loft hatch area and any outbuilding or bin store, which are routinely missed.
- 7Confirm bins are empty and pulled back in, then check the garden for bagged waste.
- 8Keep dated photographs of every room in the property file for the next tenancy dispute.
When void property cleaning is used
- 1Housing association turnover
Required between social tenants to meet allocation standards.
- 2Portfolio landlord changeovers
Standardised clean for large portfolios with multiple void days.
- 3Inheritance or executor sales
Used to prepare an empty property for sale or re-letting.
Void Property Cleaning: common questions
Who pays for void property cleaning?
The property owner pays, not the outgoing tenant. Housing associations, councils and portfolio landlords budget void cleaning as part of the turnaround cost between tenancies, because the clean has to bring the property to a lettable standard regardless of what the previous occupant left behind.
How long does void property cleaning take?
A one or two-bedroom void property typically takes four to eight hours, and a larger or heavily soiled property can take a full day or more. Properties needing clearance of left-behind belongings, or with grease, mould or pet contamination, take substantially longer than a standard changeover clean.
What is included in a void property clean?
A void clean covers the full kitchen including appliances, descaled and disinfected bathrooms, inside all cupboards and built-in storage, all floors hoovered and mopped, removal of items left behind, and a written cleaning report with photographs for the housing officer or property manager.
What is the difference between void cleaning and end of tenancy cleaning?
The work overlaps heavily. End of tenancy cleaning is usually paid for by the outgoing tenant to protect a deposit, and is measured against the original inventory. Void cleaning is paid for by the landlord or housing provider to bring an empty property up to a re-letting standard, and often runs alongside repairs.
What is a void property?
A void property is a rental home standing empty with no tenant in it, either between tenancies or while repairs, decoration and re-letting are arranged. Housing associations and landlords measure the void period in days because every empty day is lost rent, which is why cleaning and repairs are scheduled tightly.
How much does a void period cost a landlord?
The cost is the daily rent plus council tax, which the owner becomes liable for once the property is empty. On a £750 a month Derby rental that is roughly £25 a day in rent alone, so a void clean at £100 to £250 usually pays for itself if it shortens the empty period by a week.
How soon after a tenant leaves should a void clean happen?
As early as possible in the void period, and after any repairs or decorating rather than before. Cleaning first and then plastering or painting means paying twice. Most housing providers schedule the clean as the final task before the new tenancy starts, so the property is handed over fresh.
Void properties to turn around in Derby?
Derby Cleaners handles void and between-tenancy cleans for landlords, agents and housing providers across Derby, including clearance of items left behind and a photo cleaning report for your records.
Have questions?
We are happy to help. Call us or send an enquiry and we will get back to you.