Most of the stress around a final inspection comes from not knowing what is actually being assessed. Renters either over-clean out of anxiety, or miss the handful of things agents reliably check and lose part of their bond over an hour’s work.
Here is what to focus on.
The standard is “reasonably clean”, not spotless
This is the single most useful thing to know, and most renters do not.
Under Victorian residential tenancy law the obligation at the end of a tenancy is to leave the property reasonably clean — not immaculate, and not better than the condition you received it in. You are also not responsible for fair wear and tear: the gradual deterioration that comes from ordinary living. Carpet that has thinned in a hallway over three years is wear and tear. Carpet with a wine stain is not.
The reference point is the condition report completed when you moved in. Photographs from that day are worth more than any amount of scrubbing, because they establish what was already there.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your rental agreement may impose specific obligations, and Consumer Affairs Victoria is the authority on renters’ rights and the bond process.
What agents reliably check
Final inspections are quicker than people expect, and they follow a pattern. In rough order of how often they cause problems:
- The oven. The most commonly cited cleaning item on any condition report, and the most commonly under-done. Racks, trays, the door glass — including between the panes if it comes apart — and the grill.
- Bathroom grout, seals and shower screens. Soap scum, mould in silicone, and the mineral film on glass that a general wipe never removes.
- Inside cupboards and drawers. Every one, kitchen and bedroom. Crumbs and dust in the corners of drawers are an easy flag.
- Marks on walls. Scuffs behind furniture, around light switches, and at hand height near doorways.
- Window tracks and sills. The channel the window slides in, not just the glass.
- Where the furniture was. Dust outlines under beds and wardrobes, and the skirting behind them.
- Light fittings and exhaust fans. Dust and insects in ceiling fixtures, and the bathroom exhaust cover.
Room by room
Kitchen
- Oven cleaned inside — racks, trays, door glass, grill
- Rangehood degreased and the filter washed or replaced
- Cooktop, including around and under the burners or elements
- Every cupboard and drawer emptied and cleaned inside
- Benchtops, splashback and sink, with the tap base descaled
- Dishwasher filter cleaned, seals wiped
- Fridge cavity cleaned if the fridge stays; if it goes, clean the space and the floor beneath
- Floor washed, including under where the fridge and any freestanding oven stood
Bathrooms and laundry
- Shower screen, tiles and grout scrubbed; mould treated in silicone seals
- Toilet cleaned inside and out, including the base, the cistern and behind
- Vanity cleaned inside and out, basin and tapware polished
- Mirror and any glass shelving streak-free
- Exhaust fan cover removed and dusted
- Laundry trough, taps and the space behind the machines
- Floor washed, including behind the toilet and into corners
Living areas and bedrooms
- Walls spot-cleaned for scuffs and marks
- Skirtings, architraves, door frames and door tops wiped
- Light switches and power points wiped
- Light fittings and ceiling fans dusted
- Built-in wardrobes cleaned inside — shelves, rails, and the floor of the wardrobe
- Windows cleaned inside, plus tracks and sills
- Curtains dusted; blinds wiped slat by slat
- Carpets vacuumed thoroughly, including edges and under where furniture sat
- Hard floors swept and mopped
Outside
- Balcony or courtyard swept, cobwebs cleared
- Garage or carport swept, oil spots addressed
- Bins emptied and rinsed
- Garden left tidy if the agreement makes it your responsibility
Carpet steam cleaning
Worth checking separately, because it is a common sticking point. Many Victorian leases require professional carpet cleaning at the end of a tenancy where carpets are fitted, and some require a receipt as proof.
It is a specialist job with specialist equipment — it is not part of a standard vacate clean, ours included. Read your agreement, and if it is required, book it as a separate service. Note also that an agent can generally only require it where it is a term of your agreement or where the carpets genuinely need it beyond fair wear and tear.
Timing
Clean after the property is empty. An empty house lets you reach floors, walls and the backs of cupboards, and it is the state the final inspection assumes. Cleaning around furniture and then moving it out almost always means doing parts of the job twice.
Leave a buffer between the clean and the inspection. If something has been missed, you want a day to fix it rather than finding out at handover.
If the agent flags something
Ask for it in writing and specifically. “The property was not clean” is not actionable; “the oven grill and the ensuite shower screen” is. In most cases the quickest resolution is to go back and address those items rather than dispute them.
If you used a cleaner, this is what a return-visit guarantee is for — ours included. Tell us what was flagged and we will come back and put it right.
If you cannot reach agreement with the agent over the bond, Consumer Affairs Victoria handles bond disputes and the RTBA holds the bond itself; neither party can release it unilaterally.