TENANT LEFT SMELL
IN MY PROPERTY
— WHAT TO DO

Step 1: Assess and Document the Situation

Before doing anything else, document the odour condition of the property thoroughly. This is essential for deposit recovery and sets a clear baseline if further issues arise.

• Take detailed written notes describing the smell, which rooms are affected and your assessment of severity
• Take dated photographs of any visible evidence — nicotine staining on walls and ceilings, pet staining on carpets, mould growth
• If the tenancy agreement specified no smoking or no pets, note the specific clause and how it has been breached
• Cross-reference with the check-in inventory — if the property was odour-free at the start of the tenancy, this establishes before and after

Step 2: Identify the Odour Type

Different odour types require different treatment approaches and affect what package is appropriate. The most common situations landlords deal with:

• Tobacco smoke: Yellow-brown nicotine staining on walls and ceilings, particularly above radiators and around light switches. Strong, distinctive smell. Common in long tenancies.
• Pet odour: Characteristic dog or cat smell, often concentrated in carpeted areas. Look for staining with UV light (black light) to identify urine deposits invisible to the naked eye.
• Cooking odour: Grease build-up in kitchen, smell throughout the property especially in soft furnishings and curtains. Strong spice smells often indicate curry-heavy cooking.
• Mould and damp: Musty smell, often accompanied by visible mould growth particularly in bathrooms, behind furniture or around window frames.
• General habitation: A general stale, lived-in smell without a specific identifiable source. Common after long tenancies.

Step 3: Your Options

• Wait and ventilate: Rarely effective for established odour. May improve light habitation smell slightly over weeks. Not recommended where the property needs to let quickly or where smell is moderate to heavy.
• DIY cleaning: Can address surface residue and light smell. Insufficient for established embedded odour. Risks wasting time if the smell remains noticeable after cleaning — which is the most common outcome for moderate-to-heavy contamination.
• Professional odour removal: The most reliable and time-efficient approach. Typically completed in one day, with the property ready for viewings the following morning. Cost is usually recoverable from the deposit if caused by tenant behaviour.

Step 4: Professional Treatment

We can typically attend within 24 hours of your enquiry. The process:

1. We assess the property and recommend the appropriate package
2. Treatment is carried out — 4 to 24 hours depending on property size and package
3. We confirm safe re-entry and provide ventilation guidance
4. The property is ready for cleaning, photography and viewings

Package recommendation depends on the odour type and severity:

• Light habitation smell: Advanced package (from £695 + VAT)
• Moderate smoke, pets or cooking: Advanced package (from £695 + VAT)
• Heavy smoke, pets, long tenancy: Complete package (from £1,350 + VAT)

Step 5: Recovering Costs from the Deposit

Professional odour removal costs are recoverable from a tenant deposit where the odour was caused by behaviour that breaches the tenancy agreement or constitutes damage beyond fair wear and tear. To support a deposit claim:

• Check-out inventory documenting the odour condition
• Written evidence of the tenancy clause breached (no smoking, no pets)
• The treatment invoice clearly specifying what was carried out
• Our written treatment record (available on request)

Proportionate, evidenced claims for genuine odour damage are routinely upheld by TDS, DPS and MyDeposits adjudicators.

Cost of Treatment

• Advanced (fogging + ozone): from £695 + VAT
• Complete (surface treatment + fogging + ozone): from £1,350 + VAT

Full pricing guide →