When you come to the end of your lease and you’re ready to move out, it’s important to make sure your rental property is thoroughly cleaned and in the same condition it was when you rented it.
If your landlord or agent feels like the property has not been satisfactorily cleaned, they may retain all or part of your bond to pay for professional cleaning costs, or as compensation for any damage caused.
Professional end of lease house cleaning in Melbourne can be expensive, so many tenants opt for a DIY approach, but is this a good strategy or are you risking your bond money?
Advantages of Professional End of Lease Cleaning in Melbourne
If you have a busy lifestyle and you don’t have time to clean your property thoroughly when you move out, hiring a professional can be a good option.
Professional cleaners also have access to heavy duty cleaning equipment and supplies to obtain the best cleaning result that can be costly or difficult for individuals to obtain.
Most importantly, many professional cleaning companies offer a bond refund guarantee, which means they will clean to the standard required by the landlord and return to do any additional cleaning tasks needed for your bond to be returned.
To summarise some of the advantages of a professional end of tenancy cleaning in Melbourne:
- Saves you time
- Ensures a better cleaning result as professionals know exactly what’s required for this type of cleaning and will ensure all areas are covered that you may have missed such as cleaning light fittings and air vents
- They have access to premium cleaning supplies and equipment
- Ensure your bond is returned in full, which can save you money.
Of course, the main disadvantage of hiring a professional cleaning company is that it is more expensive than doing the cleaning yourself.
If you’re on a tight budget and you have the time to ensure a thorough cleaning job, or your bond is relatively small and it wouldn’t be worth the cost of hiring out professional cleaners, DIY cleaning is probably the way to go.
Tips for DIY End of Lease Cleaning
If you’ve decided to clean your rental property yourself when your lease comes to an end, it’s important to be methodical and thorough to ensure every inch of your house or flat is clean and your landlord has no reason to retain your bond money.
General wear and tear is acceptable but you’re expected to let your landlord know if anything needs fixing or replacing during your tenancy.
Go through the property room by room and write a comprehensive list of every cleaning task that needs to be completed. It’s helpful to do this in a clockwise fashion starting to your immediate left as you walk in the door, to make sure nothing is left out.
You should also clean from top to bottom working down from the top floor down to the ground floor and ceiling to floor.
Make sure everything is on your list including:
- Dusting walls, light fittings and vents
- Cleaning light switches
- Wipe down all window ledges, skirting boards, picture rails, and doors
- Clean out cupboards and shelving
- Clean ceiling fan blades and light fittings
- Clean and dust blinds
- Wash curtains
- Thoroughly clean all appliances such as oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, and washing machine – don’t forget the soap dispenser drawer and filters.
- Clean all plugholes and drains
- Remove limescale from taps and shower heads
- Clean all mould from grout – use a toothbrush dipped in bleach
- Clean all windows and mirrors
- Spot clean any scuff marks from the walls
- Move all large appliances and clean underneath
- Vacuum and sweep all floors.
If your rental property has carpet, you should definitely consider hiring a professional carpet steam cleaner to thoroughly clean all carpeted areas. This may even be specified in your rental agreement. You can also hire a carpet cleaner yourself and give it a go if you have the time, this would definitely be a cheaper option. Bunnings offer 24 to 48 hour rental on Britex cleaners in stores from Port Melbourne to Narre Warren and everywhere in between.
When you’ve finished cleaning, make sure you attend the final inspection with your landlord and agent. This gives you a chance to point out the cleaning tasks you’ve done, and immediately deal with any disputes. Bring your cleaning equipment in case you need to do any last minute cleaning tasks on request.
If for some reason it’s not possible for you to be at the final inspection, make sure you take plenty of photos of the condition of the property after you have cleaned it so you have proof in the event of a dispute.
Need an End-Of-Lease clean in Melbourne? Get in touch today.