A bond clean is not judged on whether the place looks clean. It is judged against the property manager's exit checklist and the entry condition report, item by item, and the items renters most often miss are the ones agents check first: the oven, the window tracks, the shower screen.
This checklist covers every room in the order professionals work them, the carpet cleaning obligation many leases carry, and how to decide between doing it yourself and paying someone with a bond-back guarantee.
Before you start: get the paperwork out
Two documents define what clean means for your property: the entry condition report you signed at the start of the tenancy, and the agency's exit or vacate checklist, which most property managers will email on request.
The condition report matters because you are only required to return the property to its condition at the start of the lease, allowing for fair wear and tear. If the oven had baked-on grime in the entry photos, you are not obliged to hand back a showroom oven. The exit checklist matters because it is literally the list the agent will walk through at final inspection, so cleaning to any other standard is guesswork.
Kitchen: where bonds are won and lost
The kitchen takes the longest and attracts the most inspection attention. Work top down and leave the floor until last.
- Oven: racks out and soaked, interior degreased, glass door cleaned inside and between the panes if accessible. This is the single most flagged item in bond disputes
- Rangehood: filters removed and degreased or replaced, underside and light covers wiped
- Cooktop: burners, trivets and control knobs cleaned, no grease ring around the perimeter
- Cupboards and drawers: emptied, crumbs vacuumed out, wiped inside and out, shelf liners removed
- Sink and taps: descaled, drained and polished, dish rack marks removed
- Splashback, benches and dishwasher (filter, door seals, exterior) all wiped down
Bathrooms: descale, not just wipe
Bathrooms fail inspection on mineral buildup rather than dirt. Soap scum on shower screens, scale on tapware and mould in silicone all read as uncleaned even after a fast wipe-over.
Descale the shower screen, tiles and tapware, scrub grout lines, clean the exhaust fan cover, wipe out vanity drawers and cabinets, clean the toilet including behind the pedestal and under the seat hinges, and polish mirrors. If the silicone is blackened with mould that will not scrub out, tell the agent rather than painting over it; failed cover-ups cost more goodwill than honest wear.
Every room: the items renters forget
The living areas and bedrooms are quicker, but the misses hide at the edges of each room rather than the middle.
- Windows cleaned inside (and outside where safely reachable), sills wiped and tracks vacuumed then wiped: tracks are a classic re-clean trigger
- Flyscreens brushed or rinsed
- Walls spot-cleaned for scuffs and marks, plus light switches and door handles
- Skirting boards, door frames and picture rails dusted and wiped
- Ceiling fans, light fittings and air conditioner filters cleaned
- Wardrobes empty and wiped, mirror doors polished, top shelves dusted
- Hard floors vacuumed and mopped as the final job in each room
Carpets: check what your lease actually says
Many Australian leases require carpets to be professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy if they were professionally cleaned at the start, and pet clauses often add a specific carpet or flea treatment obligation. Check the special terms of your lease rather than assuming either way.
Where it applies, book hot water extraction (commonly called steam cleaning), keep the receipt, and hand it to the agent at inspection. Do the carpets after all other cleaning is finished so nobody walks dirt back across damp carpet, and allow drying time before the final inspection.
DIY or professional? A straight comparison
Doing it yourself costs a weekend and perhaps $50 to $100 in products and equipment hire. It suits small, well-kept properties and tenants with the time to work through the checklist properly. Budget a full day for a unit and closer to two for a family house.
A professional end of lease clean typically costs $250 to $600 or more depending on bedrooms and condition, and the real product is the bond-back guarantee: most established bond cleaners return free of charge to fix anything the agent flags within a set window, usually 72 hours to 7 days. Get that guarantee in writing, book the clean after the furniture is out (cleaners cannot clean under a bed that is still there, and guarantees often exclude furnished properties), and schedule the final inspection promptly so any re-clean happens inside the window.
Frequently asked questions
When should I book the end of lease clean?+
After all furniture and boxes are out, and as close to the final inspection as practical. Cleaning around furniture voids most bond-back guarantees, and a property that sits empty for a week after cleaning collects dust and dead insects that can be flagged at inspection.
Can the agent demand professional cleaning receipts?+
In most states an agent cannot insist the whole property be professionally cleaned, only that it be returned to its entry condition allowing for fair wear and tear. Carpets can be an exception where the lease has a valid special term, particularly with pets. What matters at inspection is the result, not who achieved it.
What does an end of lease clean cost?+
Typically $250 to $600 or more, driven by the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the condition of the property, and extras like carpets, walls needing heavy washing, blinds and garages. A one-bedroom unit in good condition sits at the bottom of the range; a neglected four-bedroom house with carpets exceeds the top.
What if the agent is still not happy after the clean?+
Ask for the specific items in writing, then use the re-clean guarantee if you hired professionals, or fix the items yourself if you cleaned DIY. Agents must identify genuine cleaning shortfalls against the condition report; they cannot hold a bond over fair wear and tear, and every state has a tribunal path if agreement fails.