Vacate Tips

Tips and tricks on what to clean before your final inspection

Make Moving Out a Smooth Process with these Tenant Guidelines

As one of our valued tenants, we want to ensure that, if you choose to vacate your rental property, you can do so quickly and smoothly.

Primarily, your lease makes you responsible for the property’s overall condition. This means that you need to return it in the same state as it was presented to you in at the start of your lease.

On this page, you’ll find checklists covering everything you need to know about your responsibilities when moving out.

Your Checklist for Leaving the Property

Before you vacate the property, run-through this checklist to make sure you’ve got everything covered:

  • Redirect your mail
    This is easy to do via Australia Post.
  • Sort out your electricity
    This can be done online or over the phone, but it’s essential that you close or transfer your synergy connection before moving out.
  • Close your gas
    When moving, don’t forget to close or transfer your Alinta account either online or by phone.
  • Disconnect phone lines
    To avoid unnecessary charges, please disconnect your phone lines when you vacate your property.
  • Return pay TV hardware
    As per any contracts you may have signed, please remember to disconnect and return applicable TV hardware to your provider.

Examples of Fair Wear and Tear

Special considerations will be given to you for instances of fair wear and tear. These can often include:

  • Curtains faded from sunlight
  • Worn carpets
  • Locks broken due to age
  • Flaking paint as a result of age

Not Deemed As Fair Wear and Tear

Unfortunately, we can’t deem the following as fair wear and tear:

  • Curtain tears from pets
  • Stains or burns on carpets
  • Broken locks or doors because of lost keys
  • Mold build-up as a result of poor ventilation
  • Chipped and marked paint
  • Cobwebs
  • Holes in flyscreens
  • Insects in light fittings
  • Dirty window, robe and door tracks
  • Chipped tiles or stained grouting

So we can offer future tenants the same high quality experienced that you’ve hopefully enjoyed, we need to ensure that the property is returned to us in the best possible condition. As a result, you should take the above into account when preparing to move.

Your Checklist for Cleaning and Maintenance

When you vacate the property, please ensure that you’ve worked your way through the following checklist:

  • Clean your exhaust fans and remove any dust and grime
  • Clean air vents to remove any build-up
  • Remove dust and insects from ceiling fans
  • Clean and remove dust from split system air conditioning filters
  • Remove dirt and dust from blinds, with all vertical blind cords and strings secured to the blinds
  • Curtains and windows carefully or professionally cleaned and left in their original state
  • Clean and remove insects and dust from light fittings
  • Hose, brush and refit any flyscreens
  • Remove cobwebs both on the interior and exterior of the property
  • Mop and clean all floors, with no cleaning product residue left behind
  • Clean skirting boards to remove dust and grime
  • Clean walls with sugar soap to remove hand marks and stains
  • Remove hooks, nails, stickers, and other wall accessories and ensure wall is left in original condition
  • Patch and repair chips and marks to paintwork
  • Wipe door frames, doors, cupboards and wardrobes, ensuring that they’re left unmarked as per the property condition report
  • Clean mirrors to remove hand marks or smudges
  • Clean windows, tracks and sills to remove any residue
  • Balconies must be cleaned where accessible and should be free of cleaning products

Carpet cleaning

Throughout the property, carpets must be professionally cleaned. A receipt must be taken for the services and presented to our offices alongside the return of your keys. In order to avoid the costs recleaning, we advise that you use one of our recommended suppliers.

Tile and Grout Cleaning

As with carpets, all tiles and grouting in the property also needs to be professionally cleaned, with a receipt for the work presented to our office alongside the return of your keys. Once again, using a preferred contractor is recommended.

Cleaning the kitchen

To make sure that your kitchen is up to standard, please follow the below checklist. If you’re unsure of the condition that the kitchen was presented in, please refer to the photos in your property condition report:

  • Oven, grill, drip tray and racks to be free from grease or cooking residue. We recommend professional oven cleaning if you cannot remove built-up grease.
  • Free standing upright stoves to be gently pulled away from space to allow for cleaning behind
  • Stove tops to be free from grease and cooking residue, with glass tops left unmarked
  • Benches to be cleaned, including corners where dust could build up
  • Cupboards, including tops, shelving and doors to be wiped over and left free from cleaning residue
  • Splash backs, tiled areas and walls to be clean and free from grease or cooking residue
  • Range hoods to be thoroughly cleaned, including filter pads
  • Dishwasher to be cleaned, thoroughly drained, with no debris or water left at the base
  • Fridge to be carefully defrosted, and thoroughly cleaned, including shelves and crisper
  • Please turn-off at wall and leave door ajar
  • Gently remove fridge from space and clean behind and underneath fridge
  • Grouting and floors to be thoroughly cleaned

Cleaning the bathroom and en-suite

Please observe the following checklist when cleaning any bathrooms and en-suites within your property:

  • Shower recess to be scrubbed clean of any soap residue, mildew or mould
  • Shower screen to be cleaned and free from calcium, soap scum or cleaning residue
  • Tile grouting to be cleaned and free of any soap scum or mould
  • Plugholes to be cleaned and free of debris or hair
  • Basins to be cleaned and tap hardware polished
  • Mirrors to be cleaned and left mark free
  • Drawers, cupboards and doors to be wiped clean
  • Toilet to be thoroughly cleaned including bowl, cistern, lid, seat and behind toilet
  • Floors including grouting to be thoroughly cleaned

Cleaning the Laundry Facilities

Please pay particular attention to this checklist for cleaning any laundry facilities within your property:

  • Remove excess moisture from the front loaders and clean the soap dispensers to remove any product build-up
  • Wipe-over clothes dryers, ensure they’re free from lint and empty any water collectors
  • Clean both the inside and outside of any cupboards
  • Ensure covers on built-in ironing boards are replaced if damaged

Cleaning external areas

This checklist contains everything you need to take care of regarding your gardens and parking areas. If you’re unsure of the condition these areas were presented in when you moved in, take a look at the photos in your property condition report:

  • Ensure lawns are returned to their original state, including mowing, weeding and edge-trimming.
  • Gardens beds, pebbled areas and grounds must be free from weeds, leaves, debris including cigarette butts and rubbish
  • Mulch the garden beds if freshly mulched at commencement of your lease
  • Reticulation heads must be free from sand, debris and overgrown grass, with damaged heads being replaced
  • All bins, including council supplied bins must be emptied and washed clean
  • Driveways, carports, storerooms and garages must be swept and hosed-down
  • All paved areas must be swept clean and free from weeds and moss
  • Cobwebs to be removed from eaves, awnings, and ceilings

Cleaning your swimming pools

To speed-up the return of your bond, please ensure that the pool apparatus is in good working order and arrange for a pool contractor to produce a report on the condition of the pool.

Please supply a receipt for any work carried out upon returning your keys. All fencing surrounding the pool should also be cleared prior to moving out.

Cleaning sheds and storerooms

Any sheds and storerooms on your property must be swept clean from any rubbish. All light globes should be in good working order and storerooms within complexes should be secured appropriately to avoid dumping of rubbish.

Cleaning furnished and equipped properties

If you’ve lived in one of our furnished and equipped properties, it must be left in the following condition. If need be, refer to your property condition report for guidance and consult the recommended contractors list should any professional cleaning or repairs be required:

  • All furniture items must be returned to their original position
  • Soft furnishings such as cushions, lounge suites and dining chairs must be professionally cleaned
  • All linen items (even items not used during the course of the tenancy)
  • Doonas and Bed covers must be washed or dry-cleaned in accordance with fabric requirements
  • Sheets, towels, bath mats and similar items must be washed, neatly folded and put away
  • Doona covers, bed covers and pillow cases must be ironed or professionally pressed and beds re-made
  • Mattress protectors must be replaced, with receipts supplied with keys handover
  • All equipment and appliances including irons must be thoroughly cleaned with any damaged, marked or stained items replaced
  • Outdoor furniture and cushions must be clean and free from cobwebs, spiders, dust and dirt

Still have questions? Get in touch

Still left with questions regarding your property’s condition? Our team will be happy to help you. Get in touch with your dedicated property manager now for specific advice on the state of your property.

Enquire now