End of lease cleaning on the Central Coast: the handover
A house, not a unit
Separate houses made up 78% of occupied homes in the Central Coast Council area in the 2021 Census, so most handovers come with a garage, a laundry and a yard. A cleaning business looks after the inside, so the outside stays on your list.
Three names, one job
You'll see bond clean and vacate clean on ads around here as well. It's the same clean of the empty home. NSW's usual word is end of lease clean.
What NSW asks
Leave the home reasonably clean, allowing for the condition it started in, and as close as you can to that condition, fair wear and tear aside. It's a standard, and it doesn't say who has to do the work.
The final inspection
Your landlord or agent does it once the home's empty, and must give you a reasonable opportunity to attend. If you're commuting, ask for a time you can make, and leave yourself room to fix anything they raise.
Keys and bonds
Return every key and security device, including garage remotes. Bonds are lodged with NSW Fair Trading, and the claim is made through Rental Bonds Online.
What you keep and what Central Coast cleaners take on
Worth doing yourself
- Mow the lawn and tidy the garden if your lease asks you to.
- Take your rubbish to the tip, or book council hard rubbish well ahead.
- Clear the garage, shed and any under-house storage.
- Wash sand out of outdoor showers, tubs and laundry drains.
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- Oven, cooktop and rangehood.
- Bathrooms, top to bottom.
- Inside cupboards and wardrobes.
- Skirting boards, light switches, doors and floors.
Timing Central Coast bond cleaning around the commute
Rail services here are built around peak commuter times, so a weekday inspection can be awkward. Book the clean for after the removalists, then ask the agent for an early or late slot, or send someone you trust in your place.
Gardens, lawns, rubbish removal and repairs aren't part of a cleaning job on Cleaner Scout, so sort those out before the business arrives.
Do the yard days before the Central Coast end of lease clean
Do the yard and the rubbish first, a few days out. The inside clean is the last thing that should happen, because a clean house picks up dirt every time someone carries a mower or a bin through it. Then lock up, photograph each room, and leave it alone until the inspection.