What Does a Comprehensive End of Lease Cleaning Checklist Include?

It is crucial to clean the property to hand over it and end the lease. Sadly, tenants and homeowners are mostly unsure about the end of lease cleaning checklist, as News Com AU reported. The checklist includes cleaning the kitchen, living, bed, and dining space.

Yet, during landlord inspection, owners may claim to remove mould and discolourations. Many landlords even ask to clean the ceiling. Such claims create disputes between tenants and landlords. A comprehensive list of end-of-lease cleaning can save you from such disputes. It will set a clear boundary between both parties. The checklist helps the tenants understand their cleaning responsibilities.

What Is End of the Lease Cleaning Checklist?

When people move out of a home, they must end the tenant agreement, which is called the end of the lease. For this, the tenant must return the property in an appropriately cleaned and maintained state. So, the term “end-of-lease cleaning” evolved. It is also known as bond cleaning and move-out cleaning. The checklist will help in performing the cleaning tasks effortlessly and quickly.

With the checklist in hand, tenants know all the cleaning tasks they must perform. So, it becomes easy to clean all the rooms and spaces and hand over the property in perfect condition.

Why Do You Need a Move-Out Lease Cleaning Checklist?

When tenants rent a property, they sign lease agreements with the landlord. The agreement has many clauses. One of the clauses of a property lease is its maintenance and cleaning. According to it, the tenant is obliged to return the property in the condition in which he received it.

Removes confusion

Ending a lease on a home or apartment and moving to a new destination is challenging. Without the checklist, tenants might be confused about their cleaning responsibilities. This might also cause confusion between landlords and tenants. At the worst, both parties may even engage in legal disputes.

When there’s a move-out cleaning checklist, both parties will know their responsibilities and boundaries. Plus, you can maintain their rental properties better. They can hire cleaning companies for the task. Once the company starts the task, you can follow the checklist for proper completion. 

Return of security deposits

The lease agreement provides for the return of security deposits. Tenants must fulfil these conditions to receive a refund for their deposit bonds. The cleaning checklist at the end of the lease is beneficial for this.

They can perform the cleaning tasks following the checklist. The checklist will cover the kitchen, carpets, etc., space with adequate instructions. It makes the cleaning tasks easy. It assists in property maintenance and gets a full refund of the lease bonding.

Saves time and money

With the house cleaning checklist, you know the tasks. You can prepare for them and perform better. This will make the cleaning effort faster and save time. All you need to do is clean all the spaces following the checklist.

Plus, it offers peace of mind since you don’t need to worry about mistakes. The checklist assists in hiring professional cleaning services and getting the job done. The professional property cleaners will wash the property. You can then quickly check it. If you find any missing space, ask the team to clean it. It is vital for cleaning deposit return.

The checklist helps in bargaining, too. You will know precisely what the cleaning team will do. So you can negotiate the pricing. It saves you from hidden tasks that many cleaning professionals charge.

You can even submit the end-of-leasing cleaning checklist to multiple vendors. Then, compare their pricing to get the best quotations.

What Does a Comprehensive End of Lease Cleaning Checklist Include?

You now know the essentiality of a proper checklist for cleaning before ending the lease agreement. So, what’s included in it? It includes dusting, sweeping the floor, and washing all spaces.

General Cleaning

General cleaning for rental properties begins with dusting, vacuuming, and mopping. Dust the floor, corners, tops of furniture, and picture frames. Be careful of the ceiling corners and light fixtures when dusting. Dust them off gently.

Next, vacuum all carpet areas thoroughly. This includes under furniture and edges along the corners. Use a steam cleaner for carpets and upholstery. Get a crevice tool to clean corners and baseboards.

Use a suitable cleaner to mop hard floors. Choose the cleaner depending on the type of wood, tile, or laminate floor you have. Also, don’t leave streaks or residue behind.

Besides the floor, wash the window panel. Also, wash the sills and tracks. Wipe out dust from curtains and blinds. Maintain the cleaning standards for all parts of the rental property.

Kitchen cleaning

Begin with the sink and countertops. Check for stains and crumbs to remove them. Also, disinfect the sink and cabinets. Disassemble faucets, clean and polish them. If there’s any leak, fix it.

Wipe down the interior and exterior of the cabinet. Look for any food residue or sticky spots to wipe and remove them. The handles and knobs may be sticky and loose. So, be careful about the knobs.

Once you clean the kitchen surface, floor, cabinet, and fixtures, focus on the kitchen appliances.

• Clean the refrigerator, including shelves, drawers, and door seals.
• Clean the microwave, oven, stovetop, and stand.
• Clean the surface and filters of the range hood.
• Clean the dishwasher. If there’s a smell, use lemon or lime. Remove debris from the filters. Wipe off the door and control.
• Remove grease and food splatters from the appliances.

Ensure you perform the tenant cleaning responsibilities for the kitchen accurately. It will improve your image.

Bathroom

You must scrub and disinfect the toilet bowl, seat, lid, and exterior. Look around the base and behind the toilet for stains. If there are any yellow stains, use a stain remover to wash them. Next, wipe the sink and clean the vanity area. Pay attention to drawers and shelves for debris and smell.

Clean tiles, grout, shower doors or curtains. If there’s any hair, soap scum and mould, remove it. Polish faucets and fixtures. Use a drill to remove small objects from the bathroom drainpipe.

Carefully wipe and wash the bathroom mirrors. For this, use streak-free cleaner. 

Bedrooms and Living Areas

For deep cleaning tasks in living areas, spot-clean the walls. It removes marks or stains. Dust and wipe down baseboards, floor and carpet areas. Also, do the following:

• Windows and Sills: Clean windows, their sills and tracks. The blinds or curtains should be dust-free.
• Closets: Empty closets to vacuum shelves. Also, sweep the closet doors and handles.
• Lighting and fixtures: Dust all the exposed bulbs, including the fixtures and ceiling fans. Plus, clean the switch plates.

Exterior Areas (if applicable)

Many rental agreement compliances require you to clean exterior areas, too. So, check your lease agreement requirements for it. If necessary, clean the balcony and patio space. Use a hose to wash the balcony and patio. Remove cobwebs and dust from the outdoor furniture.

Remove all your items from the garage. Use high-pressure water to wash the entire garage.

Additional Considerations

Rental property cleaning is a challenging task. So, don’t leave any scope for compliance. Take the burden of cleaning the following spaces, too.

• Air Vents: Vacuum air vents to make them dust-free.
• Light Bulbs: For burned-out light bulbs, replace them.
• Smoke Detectors: Test smoke detectors to check their function. If the battery is drained out, replace it.
• Trash Removal: Ask the professional cleaning services to dispose of all trash. If possible, recycle the trash properly.

Final Checks

Walk through the rental property. Carefully observe missed areas or spots. If any space needs deep cleaning, mention it. Take photos of the cleaned property as evidence. It will help you if there’s any future dispute.

What’s Not Included in the End of Lease Cleaning Checklist?

Move-out house cleaning responsibilities are tough. But you don’t have to do everything. The checklist has many exclusions.

• Personal Belongings: As a tenant, you must remove all personal belongings before the final inspection. They aren’t part of the cleaning task.
• Repairs and Maintenance: There may be major repair works for wear and tear. It isn’t your responsibility. The landlord or property managers will take care of the repairs.
• Pest Control: Pest infestations and removal are separate from the cleaning task. But if they are caused by your negligence, hire a professional pest control service.
• Landscaping and Outdoor Maintenance: You don’t need to maintain outdoor areas. This includes lawn care, gardening, and pruning tasks. If the lease agreement requires them, clean them. Otherwise, leave the space as it is.

Tips for Tenant Cleaning Process

The checklist helps in performing tenant move-out duties properly. However, the completion of the cleaning needs more attention, so keep enough time for this. Property maintenance might take 6 to 8 hours. We suggest you spend a complete day cleaning.

Instead of doing everything individually, hire a rental cleaning professional. During cleaning, follow the landlord guidelines and checklist. Also, you may call for a landlord inspection when you hand over the keys.

We suggest you communicate with your landlord or property managers appropriately. It will ensure a smooth end of the lease and property handover. Also, fulfil their specific concerns or requirements to avoid clashes.

Final Words

The comprehensive end-of-lease cleaning checklist is only the tip of the iceberg. The house cleaning checklist will help you perform the cleaning tasks. But you need professional cleaners for it.

The Eco Cleaning Brisbane team promises accurate and proper cleaning. We ensure smooth cleaning and property management for easy handover. Contact us, get a quote, and enjoy the privilege.