End of Lease Cleaning Checklist: What Your Landlord Expects in NSW

Moving out of a rental in NSW is stressful enough without the worry of losing your bond. In NSW, the average bond is four weeks of rent, for many Sydney tenants, that's thousands of dollars at stake.

The good news? Getting your full bond back comes down to one thing: leaving the property as clean as it was when you moved in, accounting for fair wear and tear.

What NSW Law Says About End of Lease Cleaning

Under the NSW Residential Tenancies Act 2010, tenants are required to leave a property in the same condition as when they moved in, minus fair wear and tear. Importantly, landlords cannot automatically require professional cleaning, however, if the property was professionally cleaned before your tenancy, you must return it to that standard.

The best protection you have is a thorough condition report from when you moved in. Compare it to the property's current state, and clean to match.

The Complete Cleaning Checklist

Kitchen

• Oven: degrease inside, clean racks, wipe door glass
• Rangehood: clean filters, wipe exterior and underside
• Stovetop: remove and clean burners, degrease surfaces
• Microwave: inside and outside
• Sink: descale, clean plughole, polish taps
• Benchtops and splashback: wipe down thoroughly
• Cupboards: clean inside and outside including doors and handles
• Fridge (if remaining): clean inside and outside
• Dishwasher: run a cleaning cycle, clean filter
• Sweep and mop floor

Bathrooms

• Toilet: scrub bowl, clean seat, cistern exterior, base
• Shower: remove soap scum from tiles, screens and glass
• Bath: scrub all surfaces
• Sink: descale and polish
• Taps and showerhead: descale thoroughly
• Mirrors: streak-free clean
• Vanity inside and outside
• Exhaust fan cover: remove and wash
• Mop floor

Bedrooms

• Walls: remove marks and scuffs
• Carpet: vacuum thoroughly, consider steam cleaning
• Hard floors: sweep, mop
• Windows: clean inside
• Sills and tracks: wipe down
• Wardrobes: vacuum inside, wipe down shelves
• Light switches and power points: wipe clean
• Ceiling fans: dust blades
• Skirting boards: wipe all around

Living Areas

• Walls: wipe marks
• Floors: vacuum or mop
• Windows: interior clean
• Blinds or curtains: dust or wash as appropriate
• Light fittings: dust and clean
• Air conditioning filters: remove and clean
• Skirting boards: full perimeter

Laundry

• Washing machine exterior
• Dryer exterior
• Tub: clean and dry
• Floor: sweep and mop

Balcony and Outdoor Areas

• Sweep and wash balcony floor
• Clean balcony glass and railings
• Remove all rubbish and personal items

Garage

• Sweep entire floor
• Remove all personal items and rubbish
• Clean any oil stains (our pressure washing service can help)

Tips to Get Your Full Bond Back

1. Take photos on move-out day. Document every room thoroughly before you hand back the keys. Timestamp your photos.

2. Don't skip the oven. It's the most common reason for bond deductions. A thorough oven clean is worth the time.

3. Check your ingoing condition report. You're only responsible for damage or cleaning beyond the state the property was in when you moved in.

4. Book professional cleaners early. Same-day appointments fill up fast around month-end when most leases turn over.

5. Consider carpet steam cleaning. While not automatically required, carpets that are visibly dirty or stained must be returned to their original condition. Professional steam cleaning is the most reliable way to achieve this.

Why Professional End of Lease Cleaning Makes Sense

For most tenants, the cost of a professional end of lease clean is a fraction of the bond at risk. A professional team knows exactly what property managers look for, follows a real estate-approved checklist and can complete the job faster and to a higher standard than a DIY approach.

At ShineMasters, our end of lease clean includes a 100% bond-back guarantee, if your property manager identifies any cleaning issues from our work within 36 hours, we return and fix them at no extra cost.