The renter’s guide to end-of-lease cleaning

The last thing you want to think about when you’re moving house is the cleaning. But if you want your bond back, you’re going to have to exert some elbow grease – or save your time and energy and get someone else to do the end-of-lease cleaning for you.

You’ll forgo your bond unless you leave your rental property spick and span for the next tenant. Bond money is normally equivalent to a full month’s rent, so it is worth cleaning for! It will no doubt come in handy at the moving time due to the long list of moving expenses.

End-of-lease cleaning costs

Sometimes, you need to spend a little in order to save, and this is definitely the case when it comes to hiring professionals to do your end-of-lease cleaning.

End-of-lease cleaners on ServiceSeeking.com.au start from just $35 per hour.*

What do you get for your money?

You’ll get an average-sized two-bedroom place scrubbed from top to bottom – including that all-important toilet, oven and stovetop.

In addition to the “basics,” this amount typically includes your doors, walls and windows spot cleaning, as well as carpet steam cleaning.

Quotes obviously vary according to the size of the house and the extent of the work needing to be done. For a larger three-bedroom house expect to pay around the $400 mark.

And don’t be frightened into thinking you’ll be forking out for a complete two days of work for an end-of-lease clean. While it may take you that long to get your place in order, a professional will power through it in a fraction of the time.

Be careful not to underestimate the hard work required.

Why use professional end-of-lease cleaners?

You may be confident that you can handle the cleaning yourself, but be careful not to underestimate the hard work required.

End-of-lease cleaning is much more involved than your typical fortnightly cleaning. You’re often dealing with fixtures and appliances that have never been cleaned – just picture those disgusting insect-filled light fittings!

Rather than spending your weekend knee-deep in dust and grime, it makes sense to leave the demanding task in the hands of a professional cleaning company.

End-of-lease cleaners not only work harder but smarter. They know exactly what real estate agents and landlords are looking for in a clean and make sure they deliver.

Money back guarantee

Most end-of-lease cleaners offer some type of bond refund guarantee. If you fail to get your full bond back due to a cleaning issue, they’ll happily return to the property and rectify the problem.

At the very least, your cleaner should provide you with a tax receipt to present to the real estate agent as proof you’ve had the place professionally cleaned. This will hopefully lessen the likelihood of any nit-picking.

A professional end-of-lease clean allows you to focus on your move and new home without being dragged back to scrub your old one.

You will actually end up strides ahead financially. Once you’ve settled the cleaning bill, you shouldn’t have to open your wallet again. Instead, you can get busy spending your re-claimed funds on moving expenses – and then pocket the rest!

List your end-of-lease cleaning job now.

*Pricing data updated on 21 November 2023.