Vacate cleaning - Melbourne

Vacate clean, an end of lease clean or a bond back clean; chances are you’ll have to perform one when you move out of your rental property. When you moved in you are legally agreed with your agent to pay from your bond money if you will not return the leased property in a good condition. If you’re new to renting or just want to get caught up on the ins-and-outs of ending your tenancy, this guide will help you through the bond refund process and fully answer the question, “What is a Vacate clean”?

What is Vacate cleaning?

A Vacate end of lease clean, also known as an exit clean, is the full cleaning of your rental property at the end of your lease. We perform a vacate clean to restore the property to the original condition when first moved in. Usually the real estate agent use the initial condition report to determine if any of the bond will be deducted during the final exit inspection. If the real estate agent determines that there is any damage to the property or that it still requires cleaning, he can a will lodge a claim against your bond.

Vacate cleaning bond refund process

At the start of your lease, the real estate agent or landlord will lodge your bond (usually 4-weeks rent) with VIC Fair Trading. It will remain in the trust for the duration of your lease, until your real estate agent makes a bond claim. If you’ve never gone through the refund process, below we discuss the process:

• 1.Document Initial Condition Report-: At the start of tenancy the initial condition report will be created. It is the document both the tenant and the estate agent complete at the start of a lease. In this report they document the state of the property when you first moved in on a room-by-room basis. It is expected that you will leave the property in the same status when you first moved in, aside from fair wear and tear.
• 2.Complete Your Tenancy-:When the vacate end of your lease approaches, it’s the tenants responsibility to repair any outstanding damage to the property and complete the vacate end of lease clean.
• 3.Perform Vacate cleaning Final Inspection-:After completing the end of lease vacate cleaning , the real estate agent or landlord will perform a final inspection of the property. The expectation of this is to check off each item documented in the initial condition report.
• 4.Release of Bond Refund-:If everything is in order, the estate agent will complete the Claim for Refund of Bond Money form and send it to VIC Fair Trading to be released. From receipt of the form by VIC Fair Trading, it will usually take two working days for the bond refund to appear in your nominated bank account.

What is an Initial Condition Report?

As Mentioned earlier, it’s necessary to complete an initial condition report at the beginning of your tenancy. This report states the initial condition of the property when first moved in and is the key document used during the final vacate end of lease inspection. Here are a few guidelines when filling out the report.

First fill In the Report Carefully-:

As a tenant its your responsibility to go through the report created by agent and note all problems on the initial condition report. This goes for when the real estate agent do the final inspection when you have moved out. Before you move into the property, take photos for visual reference and as evidence to refer back to. No matter how small an issue is, documenting it before you move in will give you some “outs” if brought up in the future.

Address Any Damage to the Property-:

Address any damages caused during your lease before the final vacate end of lease inspection. Damages left without addressed can end up more expensive to deal with after the lease has finished. Always remember to take action while you are still under lease.

Understanding the Difference Between Wear and Tear and Accidental Damage

When tenants have moved out the agents do final inspection of the property, and after comparing it to the initial condition report, if agent realise things aren’t all that good. The first thing they will likely do is freak out and withhold the bond, but of course the tenants are going to claim that the damage is the result from normal wear and tear. This kind of incidents can make the owners tension, and if owners are not careful, it can result in your tenants bashing you on social media and filing a report with the Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which is the final thing that an owner wants. Because of this we should have a clear idea what is wear and tear and what is accidental damage. To get some clarity on the issue, here are some things to consider:

What is Wear and Tear?

Wear and tear is the standard deterioration of a property from ordinary use. This happens from exposure to the elements, day-to-day living and time. Although the laws vary according to the state or region you’re in, most people agreed with this definition.

Fair Wear and tear issues are followed..Insuarance is not liable

• Faded curtains and frayed cords
• Scuffed or scraped wooden floors
• Worn countertops
• Cracks in walls from house movement
• Dents in furniture and traffic marks on carpet
• Faded, chipped or cracked paint
• Loose hinges
• Water stain on carpets from leaky roofs
• Worn paint near light switches.

What does mean as accidental Damage?

This type of damage is described as any unexpected or unforeseen damage to an insured property. Some examples of damage tenants would be responsible for are:

• Missing curtains or curtains torn by pets
• Pet urine stain in the home
• Burn or stain marks on the carpets
• Unapproved or poor paint jobs
• Gouged wooden floors
• Broken glass from kids hitting a ball through the window
• Holes in walls left by hooks or nails placed by tenants

To prove fair, wear and tear ,the best way to do is to document as much as you can. Take photos, videos, of the home before new tenants move in, and make sure to get signatures on all condition reports. Doing this fairly and correctly will make it easy to prove fault when there is damage.

To prevent any problems from arising, guarantee to do inspections of the home as often as is accepted by law. Check tenants are honouring lease terms, and try to identify any issues as they come up, instead of waiting until your tenants have moved out. It will be much easier to work out a solution right after something happens as compared to months down the road.