End of lease cleaning checklist for Canberra rentals

Moving out is busy enough without guessing what a clean should include. This is a room-by-room checklist for an end of lease clean in a Canberra rental. Use it yourself, or use it to see exactly what a professional clean covers.

Requirements vary between agencies, so read your own exit checklist first and treat this as a guide to the detail, not a replacement for it.

Before you start

• Empty the property first. Cleaning goes faster, and is more thorough, when the rooms are clear.
• Read your exit checklist from your agent or landlord, and note anything unusual.
• Gather supplies: a vacuum, mop, microfibre cloths, a scrubbing brush, glass cleaner, and a degreaser for the kitchen.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where most of the time goes.

• Oven: inside, racks, door glass and the seal around the door.
• Rangehood and filters: grease collects here first.
• Stovetop: burners, knobs and the area underneath.
• Benchtops and splashback.
• Sink, drainer and the base of the tap.
• Cupboards and drawers, inside and out.
• Fridge and freezer: outside always, inside if you are leaving them empty.
• Floors, including edges and under the oven if it slides out.

Bathrooms and toilets

• Shower screen, tracks and recess, including the corners where soap film sits.
• Grout and tile lines.
• Bath and basin, taps and plugholes.
• Toilet: bowl, cistern, seat and base.
• Mirrors, vanity and cabinet doors.
• Exhaust fan cover.
• Floors.

Bedrooms and living areas

• Built-in wardrobes and shelves, inside and out.
• Skirting boards and door frames.
• Light switches and power points.
• Window sills, tracks and glass.
• Ceiling fans and light fittings.
• Air conditioner vents.
• Carpets vacuumed, and hard floors mopped.

Laundry, balcony and the rest

• Laundry tub, taps and cupboards.
• Balcony or patio, including sliding door tracks.
• Entry, hallways and garage floor where included.
• Bins emptied and wiped, and all rubbish removed.

The five things people miss

1. Window tracks. Dust and dead insects collect in them.
2. The oven seal and rangehood filter.
3. Skirting boards and the top of door frames.
4. Grout, not just tiles.
5. Inside cupboards and drawers.

Carpets

Many agents ask for carpets to be professionally cleaned. Check your exit checklist, and keep the receipt if you book a carpet clean. If carpets are required, book the carpet clean after the rest of the property is finished, so nothing is walked onto damp carpet.

Doing it yourself, or booking a clean

You can do the whole list yourself. A professional clean makes sense when you are short on time, juggling a move, or want the detail done to a written checklist. If you book one, tell the cleaner your inspection date so the clean is finished close to it.

Get a checklist you can print

Our end-of-lease checklist lets you tick off each item, saves your progress in your browser, and prints or saves as a PDF. When you are ready, get a price range for an end-of-lease clean in a minute or two.