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The Ultimate End of Lease Cleaning Checklist

End of lease cleaning is also known as bond cleaning, end-of-tenancy cleaning, or exit cleaning. It is a cleaning process that a tenant is required to conduct at the end of their tenancy by the homeowner or the law for them to receive their house deposit back. When renting a house or office space, the landlord will always ask for money to serve as the bond deposit.

In case you move out without performing the end-of-lease cleaning and restoring the house to a state close, if not exactly, to its original form, then the bond deposit is not refunded. End-of-lease cleaning can also be done by the landlord or homeowner before a new tenant moves into the building.

Moving out is not an easy task. It involves many tasks such as finding dependable movers, sorting, organising and packing your items, among many other tasks. At the end of the moving process, you could end up feeling exhausted both physically and mentally with no energy or willpower left to do the end-of-lease cleaning.

You can do the cleaning yourself or hire a professional company to do the work for you. End of lease cleaning is thorough; it is not only cleaning the normal spaces but also cleaning even the hard-to-reach areas. Doing unsatisfactory work could result in your bond deposit being defaulted.

Therefore, if you do not intend to or cannot do a thorough job, hire a professional cleaning company to do the work for you. To help you know the spaces that will be checked by the homeowner before you get your refund back, below is the ultimate end-of-lease cleaning checklist:

General cleaning

General cleaning involves thoroughly cleaning up the house’s general spaces. These areas include:

  • clearing out different animal and insect patterns, cobwebs and removing nests on both the interior and the exterior of the house
  • dusting and wiping the light switches and light fittings
  • mopping hard floors and vacuuming carpets and rugs
  • keenly cleaning windows on the inside and the outside
  • cleaning and vacuuming exhaust fans, filters and air conditioners
  • wiping and cleaning the kitchen surfaces, including countertops
  • cleaning the hard-to-reach areas in the kitchen, not forgetting spaces behind the counters and spaces above the kitchen shelves and cabinets

Deep cleaning in the bathroom and laundry area

  • mopping the floor, wiping the tiles, towel rails and mirrors
  • cleaning off moulds, wiping cobwebs and dust in the bathroom walls and laundry area
  • getting rid of soap deposits in the laundry tab, glasses and bathroom walls
  • thorough clean-up of cupboards, drawers and shelves, both inside and outside, bathroom and laundry area
  • sterilising showers, bathtubs and sinks in the bathroom
  • thoroughly cleaning the toilet bowl – making sure to unclog the toilet of any debris or stains
  • using specified cleaning solutions to disinfect and remove colour pigment in the toilet and toilet seats
  • removing soap residue and cleaning the washing machine, not forgetting spaces under and around the machine
  • cleaning and removing dust and grime from the exhaust fan filter

Deep cleaning in the kitchen

  • cleaning both the inside and outside of shelves, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave and other electrical appliances in the kitchen
  • removing persistent pigments on stovetops
  • thorough clean-up of the oven; removing grease and grime on oven trays, barbeque grill and trays, doors and glass
  • sanitising the kitchen sinks and drainage holes
  • mopping the floor and hard-to-reach areas
  • removing dust and smoke particles from the hood range and exhaust fan filter

Other key areas

Apart from inside the house, you also need to check that the garage is free from dust, nests and cobwebs gutters are clean with no debris. And finally, balcony railings and patio are cleaned as well during the end-of-lease clean up.

End-of-lease cleaning should be done thoroughly compared to your general normal cleaning. The homeowner or landlord will use the checklist above to determine if it is worth refunding your deposit. Get specialised cleaning products to help you remove stubborn stains. After the end of lease cleaning, the house or office space should be left smelling clean and fresh.

Sarah Ann

Sarah Ann

Sarah Ann is a Digital Content Writer for Paul's Rubbish Removal. Sarah is a huge advocate for recycling, environmental sustainability, health and well-being and has a genuine love for all sea animals. Keep up with Sarah by following Paul's Rubbish Removal blog!

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