Guide To Vacate Cleaning To Get Your Full Bond Back
When moving out of a rental property, the farthest thing from your mind is to do a thorough cleaning of the place. But lo and behold, you have to do it if you want to get your full deposit back. Your rent bond is a significant amount of money that you can use to pay an advance rent for a new apartment, so you want to ensure that you will be eligible to receive it by leaving your current premises looking as close to its original condition as possible. Most landlords include an end of tenancy cleaning in the lease agreement to remind renters of the importance of maintaining hygiene within the property for the duration of their tenancy, and most especially at the end of their lease.
Check the clause in your tenancy contract and you will likely see very specific instructions relating to end of lease cleaning. Your landlord may even provide you with a cleaning checklist that you must follow or require you to hire professional cleaners to ensure that the property will be cleaned thoroughly. Keep in mind that if you do the cleaning yourself and the result fails to meet your landlord’s expectations, he or she may deduct the expense for hiring professional cleaners from your deposit.
If you are nearing the end of your lease, and want to know how to get your full deposit back, read on for some useful advice, and actionable tips:
During your tenancy
Record the condition of the place. Before you move in, make sure to take pictures of the different rooms inside the property, as well as the facade of the apartment. Doing this will allow you to avoid paying penalties for damages that were already present before you rented the place.
Address mould and stains as soon as you can. Spills and stains must be dealt with right away if you want to improve your chances of actually getting rid of them. The longer you leave stains untouched, the harder it becomes to get rid of them. When the time comes to move out, you will have to deal with the stains, which by then have become practically impossible to remove.
Develop habits that lessen dirt inside the property. It can be as simple as taking off your shoes before going into the house to keep dirt and mud outside or prohibiting family members from smoking inside the property to avoid nicotine stains from building up on the walls. These simple steps may not appear to be too beneficial at first, but you will see how easier it is to do a vacate cleaning when you don’t have to tackle the task of removing dirt buildup and nicotine stains on the wall.
Take time to read and understand the terms of your lease
If you haven’t already, study the terms of the lease so you are aware of important things like the break lease clause, which allows you or your landlord to end the lease agreement early. Also, check the clause about vacate cleaning and make sure you meet the requirements outlined in the clause to avoid paying penalties and forfeiting your deposit.
Get permission for any changes you are planning to make to the rental property.
Before you construct built-in bookshelves or re-tile the living area, make sure to get a written permission from your landlord. At the end of your lease, you may either be required to fix or keep the changes depending on whether they help increase the value of the property or not. When getting your landlord’s approval, it pays to outline what specific changes your landlord allows you to do, the estimated cost of completing the project, materials to be used, and the time frame for making the changes. Once you have the consent form signed, you can proceed to repainting the walls or replacing the carport with a garage.
End of lease
1. Check the pictures you took of the rental before you moved in, and compare the photos to the current condition of the place. You are not required to fix things that were already broken prior to your move in, but you are expected to clean and fix areas that were damaged during your lease.
2. Perform a thorough cleaning of the place and refer to the specific requirements of your landlord that are outlined on the lease agreement. You may need to steam clean the carpets, so if you are not sure what cleaning solution to use and how to remove moulds and stains without causing damage, book professional cleaners like Pristine Home to take over the task. They are trained to use the appropriate cleaning products on your carpet, so that moulds and stains are removed quickly.
3. Understand what it means to broom clean the property. This means doing a deep cleaning of all areas and spots within the rental to make it look as good as new. It can be as simple as taking out the trash, dusting cobwebs, wiping dirty surfaces, and mopping the floors. It may also involve mowing the lawn, cleaning outdoor lighting, and cleaning the vents on the air conditioner. Remember that a basic cleaning of these areas may not meet the standards of your landlord, so if you do not have the luxury of time to do a deep cleaning on your own, call in expert cleaners who are experienced in doing vacate cleaning that are designed to help renters get their full bond back.