There’s a lot to organize if you’re moving out of a property, end-of-lease checklists can help you stay on top of all the little jobs that need doing.
Don’t let yourself get snowed under with the mountain of work you’ll need to do if you want to get your full deposit back – just follow our handy end-of-lease checklist!
When you move out of a rental property, there will inevitably be a big clean up.
From the mould growing in the bathroom that you’ve convinced yourself doesn’t exist, or the stains on the hall carpet from when you forgot to wipe the mud off your shoes, end-of-lease clean ups can be overwhelming.
So, before you get stuck into ticking off the boxes, here are a few tips to get yourself ready to move.
Plan and schedule
Rather than trying to get all the cleaning done in one hit, plan and make a schedule so that you’re not trying to complete the clean-up in one day.
Regular cleaning while you were still living at the property would have been a great start, but it’s probably too late for that now!
Instead, while you’re going about your work and life, find a spare ten minutes each day to do a little bit of cleaning.
Ten minutes is quite a long time – you could easily achieve small tasks like dusting the doorways of cobwebs, cleaning behind the toilet and under the vanity or cleaning the oven.
Clean your property room by room
Clean out one room at a time, rather than running around and cleaning here and there. If you have a spare room, that’s a great place to start. Box it up, clean it from top to bottom and then use that room to stack all your boxes as you continue to clean out the rest of the house.
Go from top to bottom
Your floors and walls might feel like the best place to start, but in reality, you’re just doubling your work. Start by using a long-handled duster to eliminate dust build-up and cobwebs from the ceiling and ceiling fans, then work your way down to the floors.
In wet rooms like the kitchen and bathroom, that also means scrubbing down the appliances thoroughly before you get to cleaning the floors.
Your 2022 end-of-lease checklist
Try to have a positive can-do attitude to the cleaning work. Having an organized, methodical approach is a great way to ensure the work is done with a minimum of fuss. Create a thorough checklist so that you can be sure that you haven’t missed anything. Here’s our end-of-lease checklist.
Organise your move
Before you begin, think about whether you’ll be doing the bulk of the work yourself or whether you plan on hiring a removalist service. Not only will hiring a removalist give you the peace of mind of knowing that your possessions will be carefully transported, but you’ll give yourself a definitive date for when you need to have your packing done.
Kitchen
Stove/oven
- Wipe the stovetop, clean knobs and burners;
- Clean inside the oven; and
- Thoroughly remove any oil and dust build-up inside or around the rangehood.
Sinks
- Remove all food residue from the drain;
- Scrub the interior of the sink; and
- Clean taps and spout.
Dishwasher
- Scrub the inside of the dishwasher, including all racks;
- Check the filter for food build-up;
- Wipe down the outside of the dishwasher; and
- Clean underneath and behind the unit.
Backsplash and tiles
- Scrub all tiles and backsplash with a tile or glass cleaner.
Cupboards
- Empty and wipe out all cupboards and shelves.
Benchtops
- Wipe down all surface areas and walls.
It’s also important to note that if there have been any pest infestations such as ants or mice during your tenancy, it is your responsibility to have them removed.
You will likely see evidence of an infestation in your kitchen first, so, while cleaning, keep an eye out for ant trails or any evidence of mice such as droppings or holes in your food packets.
If you find indications of pest infestations, you will need to call a professional pest removal service to remove the infestation house before handing back the keys.
Bedrooms/Dining room/Livingroom/Hall
Doors/Walls/Skirting boards
- Wash down and scrub for stubborn stains.
Door Frames/Wardrobe tracks
- Vacuum thoroughly and wipe with a damp cloth.
Wardrobe/Drawers/Shelving units
- Vacuum and wipe down with a damp cloth. Spot scrub any stains if needed.
Windows/Screens
- Dust all sills and tracks;
- If possible, remove any screens to thoroughly wash; and
- Use a window cleaning product to ensure a streak-free shine.
You may find that some windows prove too high/tricky to reach yourself. In this case, you may need to hire a professional window cleaner.
Light fittings
- Dust thoroughly; and
- If necessary, remove light fittings to wash in warm soapy water.
Curtains/Blinds
- Vacuum or dust thoroughly; and
- If possible, remove curtains to wash, checking for laundering instructions. Dry cleaning might be necessary.
Floor
- Vacuum carpets; and
- Mop tiles and floorboards.
Many agents will require you to employ a professional carpet cleaner, so it may be worth organising this as a final step for when you have completed the rest of the cleaning work.
Light switches
- Wipe with a damp cloth.
Bathrooms and laundry
Mirrors
- Clean all mirrors; and
- Remove wipe marks.
Toilet
- Scrub and disinfect; and
- Pay close attention to under the seat and around the side of the bowl.
Shower
- Clean glass to remove soap scum;
- If necessary, deep clean your shower curtain in a washing machine on a warm cycle;
- Scrub and rinse taps and showerhead; and
- Use a brush to scrub any mould from the grout.
Vanity
- Clean basin;
- Wipe down all benchtops;
- Clean tiles, scrubbing grout to remove mould; and
- Clean and rinse taps.
Extras
- Wipe down soap holders, towel rails, toilet paper holder and ceiling fan.
Outside
Balcony/Deck
- Hose down and scrub the decking;
- Dust away spiderwebs; and
- If necessary, clean the barbeque.
Windows
- Dust away cobwebs; and
- Wash and dry windows with a squeegee to achieve a streak-free finish.
Yard
- Mow lawn;
- Weed garden beds;
- Trim trees and shrubs if necessary;
- Sweep paved areas; and
- Remove any garden waste that you are responsible for. If you can’t fit all the garden waste into your fortnightly green bin, you might need to hire a skip bin to remove the debris.
Pets
- Clean and sanitise any pet toilet areas;
- Assess the property for any pet mess and clean accordingly; and
- Fix any pet damage. If the damage involves broken fence posts, decking boards or structural damage to the house, you may need to call in a handy person to make professional repairs.
Garage
- Clear your clutter. You must remove your own waste before you move out; otherwise, your landlord may take the cost of waste removal out of your deposit. If you have a build-up of rubbish such as cardboard boxes and old household appliances, this might be another occasion where you need to bring in a skip bin.
- Clean any oil marks from the garage floor; and
- Remove cobwebs and dirt.
This is a big list. But, by doing a small amount of work every day, you’ll knock these chores out in no time!
Don’t forget, if you don’t have the time to complete these chores yourself, you can always call in professional help.
Speak to your local cleaning service and explain that you are doing an end-of-lease clean-up – they’ll know what to do!
If you would like to outsource any of these end-of-lease jobs and would like a quote on any of the services mentioned in this article, contact Jim’s Group on 13 15 46 today.
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