By Huy Hoang, Founder of Simply Maid
Not legal advice.
Victoria’s rental rules changed substantially in 2021, and a lot of bond-clean advice on the internet has not caught up. Two things matter for Melbourne renters: the standard is “reasonably clean” relative to the entry condition report, not “professionally cleaned”; and a lease clause requiring professional cleaning or carpet steam cleaning is not enforceable on its own. After ten years of end-of-lease work, including plenty of Melbourne jobs where the argument went to VCAT, here is what is actually inspected and what actually gets deducted.
The rule, in one line
Leave the property in the condition described in the entry condition report, allowing for fair wear and tear. Print the report, walk each room with it, and clean to it. If the report says the oven was “marked” at entry, you do not owe anyone a spotless oven. If it says “clean”, you do.
Kitchen — where most Melbourne deductions happen
Oven interior including racks, the glass inner door and the seal. Rangehood filter out and degreased. Cooktop drip trays. Dishwasher filter and door seal. Fridge interior if it was supplied, and the floor under it if it can be moved. Cupboards empty and wiped inside; the tops of overhead cupboards dusted. Splashback and tiles degreased. Bin cupboard washed out. This one room accounts for the majority of cleaning claims we have seen.
Bathroom and laundry
Mould in silicone (bleach-soaked paper towel overnight), calcium on taps and the shower head (vinegar in a bag for an hour), soap scum on the underside of the shower screen, the exhaust fan cover, the toilet base and hinges, the laundry trough and floor drain. Grout that was clean at entry needs an oxygen-bleach paste and a brush; grout that was stained at entry is not your problem.
Walls, doors and windows
Sugar soap and a damp cloth for scuffs and Blu-Tack marks. Do not spot-paint; mismatched touch-ups are a claim in themselves. Door frames and skirting boards wiped. Window glass inside, tracks vacuumed and wiped. Blinds dusted slat by slat. Light shades down and washed, ceiling fan blades wiped. Wardrobes empty, shelves and tracks clean.
Carpet and floors — the Victorian specifics
In Victoria a landlord cannot require professional carpet cleaning as a condition of the lease. What they can do is claim for carpet that is dirtier than the entry report describes. So the practical test is: does the exit look like the entry photos? If the report says “carpet professionally cleaned” and yours shows traffic lanes or a pet stain, a steam clean a few days before vacate is far cheaper than a deduction. Hard floors mopped to the edges, under movable appliances, and left to dry.
Outside
Cobwebs from eaves, the porch light and the letterbox. Garage swept, oil stains treated. Bins emptied and rinsed. Balcony swept and the glass balustrade wiped. Garden and lawn as per the lease — if it made you responsible, mow and edge; if not, leave it.
The Melbourne-specific traps
Ducted heating vents: pull the floor grilles and vacuum the first section of duct — Melbourne homes have them, and inspectors check. Evaporative cooling units and split-system filters: the filter slides out and rinses. Gas heater fronts: dusted. These are the things a Sydney checklist will not mention and a Melbourne agent will photograph.
Evidence
On your last day, photograph every room from the doorway and the far corner, with close-ups of the oven, shower, carpet and any wall you treated. Time-stamped photos taken from the same spots as the entry report are what wins at VCAT. A cleaning receipt helps but does not decide anything; the tribunal looks at the condition, not the invoice.
If you hire it out
Use a company that publishes its scope in writing so you can hold it to the same list you would hold yourself to. The end-of-lease checklist our Melbourne teams work from is public and covers everything above; use it as a benchmark for anyone you book. Whoever does the clean, the three things that protect your bond are the same: the entry report, the checklist, and the photos.
About the author: Huy Hoang founded Simply Maid in 2015; Melbourne is one of the seven Australian cities it operates in.
Link for the editor: the one contextual link is on the anchor text “end-of-lease checklist our Melbourne teams work from”, pointing to https://simplymaid.com.au/services/end-of-lease-cleaning (do-follow, please).
