Moving out of a rental in the ACT or Victoria? This checklist covers what to clean room by room, what the official rules actually require, and how to prepare for the final inspection. Use it to do the clean yourself, or to compare with what a professional clean includes.
Reviewed 13 October 2026 against the ACT and Victorian sources listed below. General information only, not legal advice; your lease and condition report come first.
Quick answer: once everything is out, clean every room top to bottom, with extra care on the oven, rangehood, bathrooms, window tracks and inside cupboards. Then compare the result with your ingoing condition report and take dated photos. In the ACT you don’t have to use professional cleaners, and in Victoria a rental provider can require them only in limited cases.
The checklist at a glance
| Area | What to clean | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| All rooms | Switches, power points, skirting boards, sills, cobwebs, fans and lights, window tracks; floors last | Test before scrubbing walls; check your lease for outside windows |
| Kitchen | Oven, grill and racks; stovetop and rangehood filters; cupboards inside and out; sink and benches | The fridge only if it stays with the property (empty and defrosted first) |
| Bathrooms and toilet | Shower, screens, bath, tiles and grout; vanity and mirrors; toilet base; exhaust fan cover | Ceiling mould and damaged sealant may need a specialist |
| Bedrooms and living areas | Wardrobes and shelves inside and out; mirrors and glass; blinds | Inside wardrobes and built-in shelves |
| Laundry and garage | Laundry tub and behind the machine; garage swept | The space behind the washing machine |
| Outside and rubbish (your jobs) | Outdoor areas, lawns and gardens as your lease requires; all rubbish and unwanted items removed | Not part of a cleaning booking: book hard waste or bulky waste early |
Short on time before the inspection? Our end of lease clean covers the kitchen and oven, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, laundry and a garage sweep (what’s included). From $249.40 for a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom property.
For the bond process itself (refunds, disputes, fair wear and tear and tenancy databases in the ACT, Victoria and NSW), see moving out and claiming your rental bond.
What the rules say about cleaning when you move out
ACT
- Leave the property in substantially the same state of cleanliness and condition as at the start of the tenancy, fair wear and tear excepted.
- You do not have to use professional cleaners. Professional carpet cleaning can only be required if your lease says so and the carpets were professionally cleaned at the start.
- Bonds are held by the ACT Revenue Office; disputes go to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT).
Source: The Renting Book (ACT Government, January 2026) · ACT Revenue Office: How to request a bond refund
Victoria
- Leave the property reasonably clean: the same condition as at the start, allowing for fair wear and tear. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s guideline describes this as neither spotless nor really messy.
- A rental provider can only require professional cleaning in limited cases: if the property was professionally cleaned immediately before you moved in and you were told, or if it is needed to restore the starting condition (Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 (Vic), reg 12).
- Bonds are held by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA); disputes go to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria and then VCAT.
Source: Consumer Affairs Victoria: Director’s Guideline 2, Cleanliness · Consumer Affairs Victoria: Resolving bond disputes
No checklist, and no cleaning company, can guarantee your bond. What matters is the condition of the property compared with the condition report from the start of the tenancy.
Room-by-room checklist
All rooms
- Dust and wipe light switches, power points, door handles, skirting boards and window sills
- Remove cobwebs from ceilings and corners
- Spot-clean marks on walls and doors (test first; scrubbing can remove paint)
- Dust ceiling fans and light fittings; wipe split-system air conditioners and rinse the filters
- Clean window tracks and the inside of windows; check your lease for outside windows (the Victorian guideline mentions the outside of ground-floor windows)
- Vacuum carpets and mop hard floors last
Kitchen
- Oven, grill, racks and glass: free of grease and food stains
- Stovetop and rangehood, including the filters
- Cupboards and drawers inside and out
- Sink, taps and benchtops
- Dishwasher, and the fridge if it stays with the property (empty and defrosted first)
Bathrooms and toilet
- Shower, screens, bath, tiles and grout
- Vanity, cabinets and mirrors
- Toilet, including the base and behind the seat
- Exhaust fan cover
- Mould on tiles and silicone (ceiling mould and damaged sealant may need a specialist)
Bedrooms and living areas
- Wardrobes and built-in shelves inside and out
- Mirrors and glass
- Blinds dusted or wiped
Laundry and garage
- Laundry tub, taps, benches and the space behind the machine
- Garage swept and cobwebs removed
Outside and rubbish: your jobs, not part of the clean
- Outdoor areas, lawns and gardens as your lease requires
- All rubbish and unwanted items removed before the clean (book your council’s hard waste or bulky waste collection early)
Before the final inspection
- Read your lease for any cleaning clauses.
- Go through your ingoing condition report room by room, and note anything that was already marked or worn when you moved in.
- Clean after everything is out of the property, and keep power and water connected until the clean is done.
- Take dated photos of every room after cleaning.
- Hand back all keys, remotes and access cards as your agent asks.
If your agent says something needs re-cleaning
Ask for the specific items in writing, ideally with photos, and compare them with your condition report and photos. If you used a cleaning company, contact them promptly; most re-clean terms have a short time limit. If you cannot agree about the bond, the dispute goes to ACAT (ACT) or Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria and VCAT (Victoria).
How much does end of lease cleaning cost?
End of lease cleaning starts from $249.40 for a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom property, based on our booking form. Larger homes take more time, and extras such as carpet steam cleaning are added to the price. The estimator below gives a guide; the booking form shows the exact price for your address.
Prefer to have it done for you?
Our end of lease clean follows a standard checklist. Here’s what a booking covers, what you can add, and what stays with you. See end of lease cleaning in Canberra or in Melbourne for the full list.
Included in the standard clean
- All rooms: vacuuming and hard floors mopped; internal cobwebs; light switches, power points and door handles; doors and wall marks spot-cleaned; skirting boards; ceiling fans and light fittings; split-system air conditioners wiped and filters cleaned (not ducted); window tracks (inside only)
- Kitchen: oven and grill cleaned inside, including the glass; stovetop; rangehood exterior and filters; cupboards inside and out; benchtops; sink; dishwasher exterior
- Bathrooms and toilet: shower, bath, tiles and screens; vanity, drawers and cabinets inside and out; toilet; mould removal (not ceiling mould); exhaust fan exterior; mirrors and glass
- Bedrooms and living areas: cupboards and wardrobes; glass surfaces and mirrors
- Laundry and garage: benches, sink and taps, floors; garage swept and cobwebs removed
Optional extras (added cost)
Balcony, blind cleaning, carpet steam cleaning, external windows, floor tile grout, fridge, garage clean-up and wall washing.
Your jobs before the clean
- Move out all belongings, rubbish and unwanted furniture: rubbish removal isn’t part of a cleaning booking.
- Outdoor areas, lawns and gardens as your lease requires.
- Keep the power and water connected for the clean, and arrange key collection or access when you book.
Bond Back Guarantee: if a cleaning issue is reported within 72 hours of our cleaners leaving the property, we’ll return and re-clean the affected areas at no extra cost. Terms and conditions apply.
Related guides: moving out and your rental bond, hard rubbish collection in Melbourne, bulky waste collection in Canberra and Queanbeyan and choosing household cleaning products.
End of lease cleaning: questions
When should I book my end of lease clean?
Is end of lease cleaning different from a regular clean?
Yes. It covers places a regular clean usually skips, such as inside cupboards and the oven, window tracks, skirting boards and exhaust fans, and is done with the property empty.
Can I do the end of lease clean myself?
Yes. In the ACT you do not have to use professional cleaners, and in Victoria a rental provider can only require professional cleaning in limited cases. What matters is the condition compared with your condition report.
How long does a DIY end of lease clean take?
It depends on the size and condition of the property and how many people are helping. Allow at least a full day for a typical home, and more if the oven or bathrooms need a lot of work.
Do I have to steam clean the carpets?
Not automatically. In the ACT only if your lease says so and they were professionally cleaned at the start; in Victoria only in the limited cases in reg 12. Check your lease and condition report.
What happens if my landlord or agent is not satisfied?
Ask for the specific items in writing and compare them with your condition report and photos. Fix what you can while you still have access. If you cannot agree about the bond, the dispute goes to ACAT in the ACT, or Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria and then VCAT in Victoria.