End of Lease Cleaning: Why Leaving It To The Last Minute Is A Bad Idea

End-of-lease cleaning is an extensive process. It is more than just vacuuming your carpet or mopping the floor. You must pay close attention to the generally overlooked nooks and corners of the property. As a result, it’s unwise to leave it to the last minute. That will make the process rushed and chaotic. Eventually, you won’t be able to maintain the expected cleaning standards. This can lead to conflicts with the landlord and you might lose your deposit. Plus, there’s the disgrace of not fulfilling your responsibilities. Therefore, you must start your end-of-lease cleaning with enough time in hand.

Rental Agreement Cleaning Requirements

The cleaning agreement is an essential part of the end of lease contract. It ensures the landlord receives his property back in the same condition the tenant first moved in.

The landlord keeps a property condition report to ensure this. It records the home’s conditions when you first move in. They will check against these initial conditions during the move-out. Per the landlord’s expectations, the property’s cleanliness should resemble the initial conditions. Therefore, it’s also known as property condition report cleaning.

A tenant must fulfil the following requirements of cleaning before moving out –

General Cleaning: Rooms must be thoroughly clean. The walls, ceilings and skirting boards shouldn’t have dust or marks.

Kitchen: All surfaces should be clean. The oven, stove top, and hood must not have any grease or grime. You should also clean the refrigerator and microwave.

Bathrooms: Disinfection of all sinks, toilets and bathtubs. No mould or mildew in the tiles and grout. Cleaning of mirrors and glass surfaces.

Bedrooms and living area: Cleaning carpets, light fixtures, fans, windows and general surfaces.

Outdoor areas: Remove rubbish from the patio, balcony, lawn or any other outdoor space.

The Risks Of Last-Minute Cleaning

End of lease cleaning Brisbane usually takes around 4 – 5 hours for a moderate-sized home. This is the duration when two or three people work simultaneously. It also applies to homes where the tenants have a dedicated rental property maintenance routine. Larger or poorly maintained homes might take a lot more time. The same is true when you are an amateur at cleaning and don’t have much assistance. Therefore, the biggest issue with last-minute cleaning is insufficient time. This can lead to several other problems-

Increased Stress

The time of moving out is only hours away. However, you are way far behind your cleaning schedule. This can be extremely stressful. The situation will feel too chaotic and overwhelming. Thus, it will affect the cleaning efficiency and prevent you from getting the job done properly.

Dispute with Landlord

Your landlord can’t have a new tenant move in if you fail to complete the cleaning within time. This can lead to unpleasantness and disputes. On the other hand, you can’t maintain the expected cleaning standards when you do a hasty job. This can result in a deduction or no refund of your bond. The dispute will also get recorded on your rental history.  According to Tippla, a positive rental history is essential for getting rent, alongside good credit scores. Property owners won’t trust you if you have a bad reputation.

Extra Costs

Losing your bond is the most significant financial risk of last-minute cleaning. However, there are several other ways you might lose money-

• Professional end-of-lease cleaning costs can be much higher during an emergency since it requires more staff and labour. For context, the average cost is around $300-$350 for a 2-bed 2-bath home.
• You will need same-day rubbish removal services if you leave all your cleaning to the last minute. This adds to the extra costs.
• The landlord might demand a late fee if you can’t return the property on time.
• The owner might even take you to court if he is extremely unhappy with the condition of the property. That means legal fees.

Last-minute cleaning mistakes

There are many details on the move-out cleaning checklist. For instance, cleaning the corners of the ceiling, removing cobwebs, cleaning inside the cupboards, etc. Leaving your cleaning to the last minute can result in missing these details.

Areas Tenants Miss During Last-Minute Cleaning

The walls and flooring usually get priority on the cleaning checklist before a move-out. However, the tenant’s responsibilities aren’t limited to these areas only. There are many other details they might miss, especially when in a hurry. So tick these boxes on your bond cleaning checklist during your move-out inspection preparation-

• Grease residue in oven and stove top
• Areas behind large appliances like the refrigerator and washing machine
• Cobwebs on light fixtures and fan blades
• Dust in window tracks, blinds, and door frames.
• The edges and corners of the carpet
• Inside cupboard and drawers

Move-out Cleaning Guide

Finding your way through years of clutter isn’t an easy task. The sheer volume of chores can easily overwhelm anyone. So, you must take a planned, systematic approach. Here are some end-of-lease cleaning tips to get you started-

• Create a detailed cleaning checklist. Review the bond cleaning requirements to ensure you didn’t miss anything.
• Gather all the necessary cleaning supplies at the beginning.
• Declutter personal belongings before cleaning. You might also pack the less essential items during this phase.
• Focus on the high-traffic areas like the common space and hallways first.
• Clean the least used rooms first. That way you can properly focus on the most used rooms.
• Clean from top to bottom in two-story homes.
• Set a cleaning schedule and adhere to it strictly. You might also use a timer during the cleaning. That way you don’t spend too much time on one task.
• DIY end-of-cleaning can feel overwhelming when you’re not used to performing these chores. In that case, hiring a professional cleaner is your best option.

Final Words

Leaving your end-of-lease cleaning to the last minute results in a stressful situation. You are most likely to fail the move-out inspection and suffer the consequences. So, you must start early. However, a DIY end of cleaning is indeed not an enjoyable way to spend your weekends. So, your best option is to hire exit cleaning services. Eco Cleaning Brisbane is an excellent option for inhabitants of the Brisbane area. They offer the most affordable deep cleaning for renters. Their expert staff has been in the field for more than two decades. They are well aware of the details of lease cleaning. Plus, they use the best eco-friendly cleaning supplies. So, don’t leave your rental property cleaning to the last minute and contact them today.