Cleaning is a difficult task in itself and when it comes to end-of-lease cleaning, it becomes a herculean task. The end of the lease is cleaning is the name given for the cleaning and repair works that you do when you are moving out of a rented space. It is mandatory to perform end of lease cleaning or move-out cleaning as you call it to get your security deposit or bond money back. If the landlord is not satisfied with the state of the house when they come to inspect it, you will not get your bond money refunded in full. Your landowner can withhold a percentage of the amount that he sees fit for the damage repair or cleaning required in the property.
You need to perform end of lease cleaning perfectly to get your security deposit back in full. But often, many tenants make oversights that result in loss of the bond money. Here, let us discuss some common end-of-lease cleaning mistakes that you should avoid to get your money refunded.
Clean Too Early
Since bond cleaning or move-out cleaning is an important task, people start cleaning as soon as they decide to move. You should only clean your home in the last week that you move. When you are preparing to move, you will be moving around a lot in the house and will have to pack a lot. Your house will get dirty again before the inspection if you clean too early. You can save the cleaning tasks for the last, ideally, two days before the day of inspection. You should also clean areas like the kitchen and bathroom that you will be using till the last day on the day before the inspection. This will make your house look perfect and spotlessly clean to the landlord.
Forgetting The Checklist
This is something you have to do when you move into a house. Create a checklist of items in the home and create a report of their state. In some countries like Australia, a checklist is provided by the landowner when you move in. The tenant and the landowner have to hold on to it till the tenant moves out. The end-of-lease cleaning is done based on the checklist so that the space or property can be returned in the same state that it has been rented out.
So, you can ask the landlord to give you a checklist or create one on your own so that you can do the move-out cleaning easily. If you do not have a checklist, it is so easy for you to forget what was already in your house when you moved in and it can even lead to a dispute. So, create a checklist as soon as you move in and use it when you do the end-of-lease cleaning.
To Sum Up
Small mistakes that you make while you move out can cost you a lot in terms of the security deposit. You can avoid these by creating a proper strategy and plan about moving out. Inform your landlords on time and get the day of inspection and hand over the keys. Do the bond cleaning based on the checklist and clean on the days before the inspection. If you are too busy, get help from professional bond cleaners at a low cost to get your bond money back.
