End of lease cleaning in Hobart: the checklist that gets your bond back
Bond disputes in Tasmania are rarely about big dramatic damage. They're about an oven that wasn't done properly, a shower screen with water marks, and dust in the window tracks. Small things, inspected closely, at the worst possible moment — when you've already moved out and you're tired.
Here's what actually gets looked at, and where people lose money.
The five things that most often cost you
- The oven — by a distance the number one issue. Racks, glass, and the seal, not just a wipe of the front.
- Shower screens — soap scum and hard water marks show up under an inspector's torch even when the glass looks fine to you.
- Window tracks and flyscreens — almost nobody thinks of these until they're pointed out on the report.
- Skirting boards and door frames — dust sits on the top edge where you don't look.
- Inside cupboards and drawers — crumbs in an empty kitchen drawer is a classic fail.
Kitchen
- Oven cleaned inside — racks, trays, glass door and the door seal
- Rangehood and filter degreased
- Cooktop and splashback, including behind the knobs
- All cupboards and drawers emptied, vacuumed and wiped inside and out
- Benchtops and sink, tapware descaled and polished
- Dishwasher filter and seal
- Behind and beside the fridge and oven where they can be moved safely
Bathroom and laundry
- Shower screen descaled — glass, frame and the track at the bottom
- Grout and tiles scrubbed
- Toilet cleaned inside and out, including the base and behind the seat hinges
- Vanity, mirror and tapware polished
- Exhaust fan cover dusted
- Laundry tub and behind the machine
Living areas and bedrooms
- Walls spot-cleaned for marks and scuffs
- Skirting boards, door frames and doors wiped — including the top edges
- Light switches and power points
- Built-in wardrobes vacuumed and wiped inside, including shelves and rails
- Ceiling fans and light fittings dusted
- Cobwebs removed from corners and cornices
- Carpets vacuumed thoroughly; hard floors mopped
Windows and the bits everyone forgets
- Interior glass cleaned
- Window tracks vacuumed then wiped
- Flyscreens dusted or washed
- Sliding door tracks
- Air conditioner filters
- Balcony or courtyard swept
About carpet cleaning
If your lease says the carpets must be professionally steam cleaned, a vacuum won't satisfy it — property managers usually want a receipt. Check your lease before you book anything, because paying for it twice is a miserable way to end a tenancy.
Should you do it yourself?
You can. Plenty of people do, and if you're organised and have a spare weekend it can work out. Be honest with yourself about two things: the oven will take longer than you think, and you'll need to go back over the place with fresh eyes, because after eight hours you stop seeing dust.
The case for paying someone is mostly about risk. A bond is usually four weeks' rent. If a professional clean costs a fraction of that and removes the argument entirely, the maths tends to work — particularly if the agent is strict.
Timing it properly
Clean after the furniture is out and before the final inspection — not the other way around. Book it in as soon as you know your move-out date; the end of the month is busy for every cleaner in Hobart, and the last week before Christmas is worse.