end of lease cleaning tenant rights

Home & Family

Jul 5, 2022

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Introduction

When you're renting a property, you have the right to clean it before you leave. This is called 'end of lease cleaning'. You should do this because it helps to return the property in good condition and avoid conflict with your landlord or real estate agent.

Tenants have the right to ask their landlord to clean the property if it's not in a reasonable state when they move out. Read more about this and what rights tenants have and what obligations landlords have in regards to cleaning.

If you are a tenant and are moving out of your rental property, you have rights and responsibilities under the law. As a tenant, you have the right to ask your landlord to clean the property if it's not in a reasonable state when they move out. This is often referred to as an "end of lease" cleaning or end of lease clean.

This article will help explain what these terms mean, what the landlord's obligations are when it comes to cleaning at the end of a tenancy agreement, as well as how tenants can go about requesting this service from their landlords.

The lease will specify who has to clean the premises. If it isn't mentioned, then it is up to the tenant to do so.

The landlord should ask the tenant to clean before moving out and vice versa.

In some cases, a cleaning company may be hired by the landlord or tenant. This can be discussed with your landlord if you have any concerns about the amount of cleaning required for your property.

Tenants must return the premises in a reasonable state of cleanliness at the end of their lease. This includes any cupboards or areas that were used for storage (even if it wasn't specifically assigned for that purpose) but does not include cleaning items that are part of the fabric or structure of the building (for example, hot plates and ovens).

When you're a tenant, you have certain rights. One of those rights is that your landlord must return the premises in a reasonable state of cleanliness at the end of your lease. This includes any cupboards or areas that were used for storage (even if it wasn't specifically assigned for that purpose) but does not include cleaning items that are part of the fabric or structure of the building (for example, hot plates and ovens).

The following damage is not caused by normal wear and tear and should be repaired by the tenant where possible:

Broken windows, doors, fly screens or locks
Stains on carpets, curtains or other soft furnishings
Stained toilet seats
Dirty marks on walls left by tape or adhesives
Damaged screen doors

broken windows, doors, fly screens or locks;

Broken windows, doors and locks

Broken windows: If you pay for the damages to windows or glass panels in your home, it may be considered as a breach of contract. You can choose to fix them yourself or ask your landlord if he would like to help with the costs.
Broken doors: Damages need to be fixed within 24 hours if it's an emergency situation like flooding or an electrical fire. Otherwise, they should be done within three business days of being informed of this issue by your landlord or representative. If they're not fixed within that time frame and cause damage to other property (like carpets), then you have grounds for compensation under Section 58(2)(a) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (RTA). This means they'll have responsibility for fixing any damages caused by their failure to meet these standards - so get onto that!

stains on carpets, curtains or other soft furnishings;

As a tenant, you are entitled to have your carpets cleaned if they are stained. If you have any stains on your curtains or other soft furnishings, the landlord must fix them within a reasonable time frame. However, if this is not possible then they should pay for new ones instead.

stained toilet seats;

It is not uncommon for a tenant to leave their toilet seat stained before vacating the property. If you have been careless with cleaning the toilet seat, there are steps you can take to remove any stains from your toilet seats.

To clean a stained toilet seat:

Put a few drops of liquid dish soap onto some paper towels and wipe the stained area of your toilet seat.
Next, pour 1/2 cup baking soda on top of the stain and let it sit overnight before scrubbing off in the morning with warm water.
Apply hydrogen peroxide directly on top of any residual stains and let dry before wiping off with paper towels or rinsing down with hot water

bare patches on walls due to pictures being removed;

Bare patches on walls due to pictures being removed

If the tenant has removed a picture from the wall and left a bare patch, it is up to you to cover this up.

dirty marks on walls left by tape or adhesives;

In the event that you cannot remove these marks, you can paint over them. If you're going to do this, make sure that you have your landlord's permission first.

damaged screen doors;

A tenant's responsibility for damaged screen doors is fairly straightforward. If your screen door is damaged during your tenancy and you're unable to fix it, then the landlord should reimburse you for the repair. If you do manage to fix it yourself, though, that's another story: the landlord may not be obligated to reimburse you for this cost.

Tenants should also be careful when opening and closing screen doors because they can cause damage if there are no stoppers on them. For example, if a tenant tries to open their patio door when it's windy outside and doesn't have anything stopping them from doing so, they could easily knock off pieces of wood or steel that were holding up their patio door frame (and possibly cut themselves in the process). So even though tenants aren't held responsible for broken glass in their windows or mirrors during an end of lease clean (assuming they haven't smashed them), they will most likely find themselves responsible if they break any other parts of their house while moving out!

broken tiles; and

Broken tiles are a common problem in rental properties. If your landlord is responsible for fixing broken tiles, he or she may try to charge you for the repair. However, if you broke the tile yourself through negligence or recklessness, then you are responsible for paying for its replacement.

If your tenant rights have been violated by an improper end-of-lease cleaning and/or excessive charges during move-out inspection, we can help! Contact us today at [email protected]

grass dead spots caused by neglect on lawns that weren't fenced off when the tenant moved in.

If you have an unfenced lawn, the landlord is responsible for repairing it. A tenant cannot be held responsible for fences that encroach on their property.

The same goes for repairs to anything else you might have noticed during the end of lease cleaning process: if there's a broken fence or something else that needs fixing, it's your landlord's responsibility. This includes not just fences but also things such as broken pool screens and gates and even grills that don't work properly.

You may need to get your rental cleaned before you leave

As a tenant, you are responsible for keeping your rental clean and tidy. This means clearing away any rubbish and cleaning away any stains or mess in your home.

But before you decide whether or not to get the property cleaned at the end of your tenancy, there are a few things that need to be considered:

If there is no mention of cleaning in your lease agreement, then it’s best if both parties agree in writing on who will pay for and carry out any cleaning during their tenancy.
If one of you has signed up for an end-of-lease cleaning service company such as [End of Lease Cleaning Melbourne](http://www.endofleasecleaningmelbourne.com/) ([email protected]) this can be included as part of their bond refund service (a fee will be payable).

Conclusion

Overall, if you are a tenant and want to leave your rental in a reasonable state of cleanliness at the end of your lease, you need to do what is required by the landlord. If this isn't done, then it can lead to disputes between both parties which may even go as far as court. This is why it's important for everyone involved (landlords included) to be aware of their rights and responsibilities when entering into an agreement like this with another person or company

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