NSW Renter's Guide

Bond Cleaning Checklist for NSW Tenants

Every item your real estate agent checks at the final inspection — room by room. Printable, embeddable, and free. Includes what you are NOT required to do under NSW law.

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Under the NSW Residential Tenancies Act 2010, you must return the property to the same condition as at entry (fair wear and tear excepted). Your obligations are defined by the entry condition report — not by any additional requirements a landlord may request.

Bond Cleaning Checklist — Room by Room

Tick off each item before your final inspection. Items marked are what NSW real estate agents routinely check and are most commonly the source of bond disputes.

All Rooms (General)

Walls — remove marks, scuffs, sticky residue, and blu-tack stains
Ceilings — remove cobwebs and mould spots
Skirtings — wipe clean
Door frames and doors (both sides) — wipe fingerprints and marks
Door handles and hinges — degrease and polish
Light switches and power points — wipe clean
Light fittings — remove dust and dead insects from globes and covers
Windows — clean interior glass, frames, and sills
Window tracks — remove dust and debris
Venetian blinds or slats — wipe individual slats
Curtain tracks — dust and wipe
Vents and air conditioning filters — vacuum or wipe
Floors — vacuum, mop, or steam as appropriate for floor type

Kitchen

Oven interior — degrease racks, glass door, and cavity
Stovetop and burner grates — degrease thoroughly
Rangehood and filter — degrease filter and wipe canopy
Microwave (if built-in) — clean interior and exterior
Dishwasher — clean filter, door seal, and interior
Sink and taps — descale and polish
Splashback tiles — degrease and wipe
Benchtops — clean and dry
Cupboards — wipe exterior doors and handles; wipe inside shelves and drawers
Pantry shelves — clear and wipe
Fridge (if provided) — clean interior, defrost freezer, wipe exterior

Bathrooms & Ensuite

Shower screen and door — remove soap scum and water marks
Shower tiles — clean grout lines, remove mould
Shower head and taps — descale
Bath (if present) — clean interior and exterior, descale taps
Toilet — bowl, under rim, seat (both sides), lid, cistern, and base
Vanity top — clean and dry
Basin and taps — descale and polish
Bathroom mirrors — clean streak-free
Exhaust fan — vacuum or wipe grille
Towel rails — wipe
Tiles and grout — remove soap scum, mould, and staining

Laundry

Tub and taps — clean and descale
Inside washing machine (if provided) — clean drum, seal, and detergent drawer
Dryer lint filter (if provided) — clear
Benchtop (if present) — wipe
Cupboards and shelves — wipe inside and out
Floor — mop including behind appliances

Bedrooms

Wardrobe interiors — vacuum or wipe shelves, hanging rail, and floor
Wardrobe exterior doors and handles — wipe
Window sills and tracks — clean
Carpet (if present) — vacuum thoroughly; arrange professional steam clean if required

Living & Dining Areas

Fireplace or heater (if present) — clean glass, remove ash
Carpet or hard floor — vacuum and mop or steam as appropriate
Built-in shelving or cabinetry — wipe inside and out
Sliding door tracks — remove debris

Garage & Outdoor

Garage floor — sweep and remove oil or fluid stains where possible
Garage shelves — remove items and wipe
Garage door — wipe inside and exterior
Lawn — mow to entry condition
Garden beds — weed and tidy
Outdoor areas — sweep paths and patio
Bins — empty and rinse
Remove all belongings and rubbish from property

What You Are NOT Required to Do (NSW)

Landlords cannot require you to do more than return the property to its condition at entry, fair wear and tear excepted. These are common overreaches:

Professional cleaning unless the entry condition report specified professional cleaning at entry
Repainting walls for fair wear and tear (minor scuffs from normal use)
Replacing carpet that has only fair wear and tear (flattening, minor fading)
Fixing nail holes for pictures hung during a reasonable tenancy (fair wear and tear)
Landscaping improvements beyond what the entry condition report showed
Cleaning areas not covered or noted in the entry condition report

If you are asked to do something not supported by your entry condition report, ask your property manager for the specific entry condition report item that supports the request. If the dispute cannot be resolved, either party can lodge a bond claim with NSW Fair Trading.

Tips for Getting Your Bond Back

Photograph everything before and after

Take timestamped photos of every room when you move in and again after cleaning at exit. Photos are the most powerful evidence at any bond claim hearing.

Get a tax invoice from your cleaner

The agent may request evidence of professional cleaning. A valid tax invoice with ABN, date, and itemised list of rooms protects you. Cash-only operators without an ABN cannot provide a compliant invoice.

Arrange the cleaner before the moving truck

A professional clean is easiest in an empty property. Get matched with a cleaner for the day after your furniture is removed and before the final inspection. Avoid last-minute cleans — you need time to review the result.

Do a walk-through with the entry report

Take the signed copy of your entry condition report and walk through the property room by room. You are only responsible for items the report shows were in better condition at entry.

Use a cleaner with a rectification guarantee

Most reputable bond cleaners will return within 48 hours if the agent raises specific issues. Ask about this before confirming. It is the standard in the Sutherland Shire market.

Document outstanding repairs before you move out

If you have reported maintenance issues during your tenancy that were not fixed, document these in writing. Pre-existing damage you reported is not your cleaning responsibility.

Embed This Checklist on Your Website

Free to use on real estate, property management, moving company, or tenant advice websites. Copy the HTML below and paste it anywhere in your page. The checklist includes an attribution link back to this source page.

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<!-- Bond Cleaning Checklist for NSW Tenants (Embeddable) -->
<!-- Source: https://sutherlandshirecleaners.com/guides/bond-cleaning-checklist-nsw -->
<div style="font-family:sans-serif;max-width:700px;border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden">
  <div style="background:#0f766e;color:#fff;padding:16px 20px">
    <strong>Bond Cleaning Checklist — NSW Tenants</strong>
    <span style="font-size:12px;opacity:.8;margin-left:12px">All rooms · Real estate agent inspection items</span>
  </div>
  <table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px">
    <thead><tr style="background:#f0fdf4">
      <th style="text-align:left;padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #e5e7eb">Area</th>
      <th style="text-align:left;padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #e5e7eb">Key items to clean</th>
    </tr></thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;vertical-align:top"><strong>All rooms</strong></td><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6">Walls, ceilings, skirtings, doors, light fittings, switches, windows &amp; sills, window tracks, vents, floors</td></tr>
      <tr style="background:#fafafa"><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;vertical-align:top"><strong>Kitchen</strong></td><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6">Oven, stovetop, rangehood filter, dishwasher, sink &amp; taps, splashback, benchtops, cupboards inside &amp; out, fridge</td></tr>
      <tr><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;vertical-align:top"><strong>Bathrooms</strong></td><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6">Shower screen, tiles &amp; grout, toilet (all surfaces), basin &amp; taps, vanity, mirror, exhaust fan</td></tr>
      <tr style="background:#fafafa"><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;vertical-align:top"><strong>Laundry</strong></td><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6">Tub &amp; taps, washing machine (if provided), floor, shelves</td></tr>
      <tr><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;vertical-align:top"><strong>Bedrooms</strong></td><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6">Wardrobe interiors, carpet or floor</td></tr>
      <tr style="background:#fafafa"><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;vertical-align:top"><strong>Living &amp; dining</strong></td><td style="padding:10px 16px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6">Floors, built-in cabinetry, sliding door tracks, fireplace (if present)</td></tr>
      <tr><td style="padding:10px 16px;vertical-align:top"><strong>Garage &amp; outdoors</strong></td><td style="padding:10px 16px">Garage floor &amp; shelves, lawn, garden, paths, bins — remove all belongings</td></tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
  <div style="padding:12px 16px;background:#f9fafb;font-size:12px;color:#6b7280">
    Checklist provided by <a href="https://sutherlandshirecleaners.com/guides/bond-cleaning-checklist-nsw" style="color:#0f766e">Sutherland Shire Cleaners</a> — a referral service for local cleaners in the Sutherland Shire, NSW. Based on NSW Residential Tenancies Act 2010 requirements.
  </div>
</div>
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Frequently Asked Questions

What does a NSW real estate agent check in a bond clean?

Agents compare the property's condition at exit against the entry condition report. They check every room — walls (marks, scuffs), skirtings, doors, windows (interior glass and sills), kitchen (oven, stovetop, rangehood, cupboards inside and out), bathrooms (tiles, grout, shower screen, toilet), and floors. Carpets are assessed separately for staining or soiling. Gardens and garages are checked if noted in the entry report.

Can a landlord insist on professional bond cleaning in NSW?

Under the NSW Residential Tenancies Act 2010, a landlord cannot require professional cleaning unless the entry condition report shows the property was professionally cleaned when you moved in. You are required to return the property to the same condition as at entry, fair wear and tear excepted — not to a higher standard.

What is fair wear and tear in NSW?

Fair wear and tear covers gradual deterioration from normal use — faded paint, minor carpet flattening, small nail holes, worn thresholds. A landlord cannot claim bond for these. What is NOT fair wear and tear: carpet stains, burns, large holes in walls, mould from neglect, broken fixtures, or cleaning issues.

Is carpet steam cleaning required for bond return in NSW?

Only if the entry condition report shows the carpets were professionally cleaned when you moved in. If the report is silent or lists the carpets as clean without noting professional cleaning, you are only required to leave them in equivalent condition. That said, if carpets are stained or heavily soiled, professional cleaning is usually the most practical way to restore them to entry condition.

What happens if the agent finds cleaning issues at the final inspection?

Most bond cleaners offer a 48-hour rectification window — the agent documents specific issues and the cleaner returns to address them. If the dispute cannot be resolved, either party can lodge a bond claim with NSW Fair Trading. Keep your tax invoice and all written communications from the agent as evidence at any hearing.

Does the checklist cover garages and gardens?

Yes. If your entry condition report noted the garage and garden as part of the tenancy, they must be returned to entry condition. Garage floors should be swept and oil stains removed where possible. Lawns should be mown and gardens weeded. Garages and garden sheds should be emptied and swept.

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