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Bond Clean Checklist for Mackay Rentals

Handing back a rental in Mackay means getting the place to the standard of your entry condition report. This checklist walks through the house room by room, so you know what the property manager will look at. Use it to clean the house yourself, or to check the work of anyone you hire.

Start with your entry condition report

Your entry condition report is what the house gets compared to at the final inspection. Find your copy before you pick up a cloth. If the report says the oven was clean when you moved in, it needs to be clean when you leave.

Take it room by room as you work. Where the report notes a mark or a worn patch that was already there, you are not expected to fix it. Where it says nothing, assume the agent will look closely.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where most bond cleans are won or lost. Property managers check the oven, stove and rangehood first, because grease builds up there fast and is hard to shift if it has been left for months.

Clean inside the oven, the racks, the cooktop and the filter in the rangehood. Wipe the kitchen cupboards inside and out, including the tops of the doors and the handles. Empty the fridge and wipe it down if it stays with the house. Clean the sink and the splashback, and check behind where the bin sat.

Bathrooms and toilets

Scrub the shower screen, shower floor, taps, basin and bath. Soap scum and limescale on glass and tiles are the things agents notice. Wipe the vanity inside and out, the mirror and the exhaust fan cover.

In the toilet, clean the bowl, the seat, the cistern and the base. In Mackay's humidity, bathrooms grow mould in the corners and along the grout lines, so check those spots and the ceiling above the shower.

Bedrooms, living areas and the small stuff

Wipe skirting boards, door frames, doors and light switches. These collect marks and fingerprints and are easy to forget. Dust ceiling fans, air conditioner vents and the top of wardrobes. Clean inside built in robes and remove cobwebs from corners and eaves.

Windows come next. Clean the glass inside and out where you can reach, and wipe the tracks and sills. Dirt and dead insects sit in window tracks, and they are one of the most common items on an agent's list.

Floors and carpets

Vacuum and mop all hard floors, including under where the furniture stood. Do this last, once the dust from everything else has come down.

Carpet is the part most people leave to a professional, because it needs a steam clean to pull the dirt out of the fibres. Many property managers ask for a carpet clean at the end of a tenancy, so check your lease. Book it for after the furniture is out and before the final inspection, and leave time for the carpet to dry.

Outside and the final walk through

Check the patio, balcony, garage and any outdoor areas. Sweep them, remove cobwebs and take your rubbish away. A dirty entry path or a patio covered in green mould can look bad on the day.

Finish by walking through each room with the entry report in your hand. Look at the house from the doorway, then up close. If you are short on time before your handover date, tell the cleaner your date when you book and they can work back from it.

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