Bond cleaning in Geelong under Victorian law
What the law asks
You leave the home reasonably clean, as far as practicable, and in the condition you received it, taking fair wear and tear into account. The law sets that standard. It doesn't say who has to do the work.
Two narrow exceptions
A rental provider can require a professional clean only if one was done immediately before your tenancy and you were told, or if it's needed to restore the home to its starting condition, going by the condition report.
Clauses in your agreement
A rental agreement can't include a term requiring a professional clean unless the term is in the standard form, and the standard form has those two exceptions. Read yours before you agree to anything extra.
Evidence before a claim
Since 13 October 2026, a rental provider must give you evidence at least 3 days before making a bond claim. It can be an invoice, a receipt, a quote or a photograph, and it can't conflict with a condition report.
Starting the claim yourself
You can apply to the RTBA for your bond directly. The rental provider then has 14 days to dispute it, and the RTBA pays you if they do nothing. If there's a dispute, RDRV or VCAT decides.
End of lease cleaning in Geelong usually means a whole house
Separate houses made up 86% of occupied homes in the City of Greater Geelong council area in the 2021 Census, so most end of lease cleans here are whole houses, not units. Give the bedrooms and bathrooms, and say if there's a second living area or a garage to clear.
A house in Norlane or Corio from the 1950s won't look like a new home in the growth corridors towards Lara or Mount Duneed, and the entry condition report will show it. Your place is judged against its own report, not against the new build down the road.
Leaving a share house near Deakin at Waurn Ponds or the Waterfront? Sort the clean early, agree who's organising it, and tell the business where a car can stop.
Handing back a Geelong rental, step by step
Read the entry report
Walk each room with it and note anything that was already marked.
Check your agreement
Look for any cleaning clause, and ask which case it relies on if it asks for a professional clean.
Clear the house
Empty cupboards, the garage, the shed and the bins, so the clean can start.
Clean, then photograph
Do it yourself or have a local business do it. Then take dated photos of every room before you hand back the keys.
Start the claim yourself once Geelong bond cleaners are done
Once the keys are back, start the bond claim yourself if you're expecting the full amount. If the rental provider has flagged anything about cleaning, ask for the evidence straight away. Keep your entry report and last-day photos together on your phone, because that's what you'd reply with.