Queensland's law, then the bond clean checklist
The Act asks you to leave the premises and inclusions, as far as possible, in the same condition they were in at the start, fair wear and tear excepted. The RTA adds two things worth knowing. You aren't responsible for damage or poor condition that was already there, but dirt, grime and grease don't count as wear.
Who does the cleaning is up to you. The RTA says a tenant may choose to engage a professional company or do it themselves, and the lessor or agent must not require you to buy services from a person they nominate (s 171(2)).
In 2024 to 25, cleaning was the most common reason property managers or owners claimed against a bond refund, at 21.5% of claims. That's a good reason to work from the report rather than from memory.
Before you pick up a cloth: find Form 1a
- Find your entry condition report (Form 1a), with its photos or video. No copy? Ask your property manager or owner.
- Mark anything it records as dirty, worn or damaged on the day you moved in. That part isn't yours.
- Read your agreement for special terms and any pet approval conditions.
- Have the exit condition report (Form 14a) ready, because you'll fill it in room by room.
Lounge, dining and hallways on a Queensland bond clean
- Ceiling fan blades and light fittings first, so the dust falls before you do the floor.
- Air conditioning vents and filters. The RTA names both.
- Skirting boards the whole way round.
- Windows and window tracks.
- Scuffs by the front door and along the hallway.
Kitchen and laundry bond cleaning checklist
- The oven, which is on the RTA's list by name.
- Inside the kitchen cupboards, top shelves included.
- Rangehood, stovetop and splashback, until the grease is gone.
- Laundry tub and any cupboards above it.
- The spot the washing machine sat, once it's out.
Bathrooms and toilets for the bond clean
- Inside the bathroom cupboards and under the vanity.
- Shower screen, tiles and grout.
- Toilet, including behind it.
- Exhaust fan cover and the window above the shower.
Bond cleaning bedrooms and the linen cupboard
- Inside wardrobes, including the shelves and rails.
- Inside the linen cupboard, which is the one people forget.
- Ceiling fans and light fittings again, one room at a time.
- Window tracks and sills behind the curtains.
Outside the house, and what a bond clean doesn't cover
- Clean the balcony. The RTA's list includes it.
- Tidy and weed the gardens, then mow and edge the lawns.
- Remove all rubbish from the property.
- Repair any damage caused during your tenancy.
- Furnished rental? Check every item is in place and ticked off the furniture inventory.
Pet approvals, carpets and bond cleaning in Qld
If a pet was allowed inside, a pet approval condition can require the carpets to be professionally cleaned at the end (s 184F(2)(c)). In the Act, that means the standard ordinarily achieved by businesses selling those services, and the condition can't make you buy from a particular person or business.
If the pet can carry parasites, a condition can also require professional fumigation. That's pest control, not cleaning, so it's a job for a pest controller.
With no pet, the RTA says whether a special term about carpets or pest control is appropriate depends on the case and circumstances. Our Queensland rules page has the detail.
After the bond clean: Form 14a and the keys
Check the work
If someone else did the clean, the RTA tells you to check it when it's done, before anything else happens.
Complete Form 14a
Fill it in room by room, using extra pages if you need them, and give it to the property manager or owner when you return the keys.
Give the RTA your forwarding address
Put it on the Refund of rental bond form (Form 4) too, so paperwork reaches your new place.
Wait for the vacate date
The RTA tells tenants not to claim the bond until the vacate or handover date.
Read the report that comes back
After the vacate inspection, the property manager or owner sends a completed copy to your new address within three business days.
If there's a claim, ask for the evidence
They must give you supporting evidence within 14 days of a claim or dispute. If you disagree with a refund request, you have 14 days to lodge a dispute resolution request with the RTA.
Oven sprays, mould and the Queensland bond clean
Oven cleaners are on Better Health Channel's list of household chemicals to watch out for, so read the label and wear what it recommends. Do not mix bleach with ammonia, acids or anything else, and keep the exhaust fan on or a window open. Fix the moisture behind any mould first.
Bond clean jobs: yours, or a business's?
Worth doing yourself
- Gardens, lawns and rubbish, which a clean doesn't include.
- Comparing Form 1a with each room.
- Inside cupboards and the linen press.
- Filling in Form 14a. Only you can do that part.
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- Grease in the oven and rangehood.
- Shower screens, tiles and grout.
- Fans, vents and tracks through the whole home.
- Carpets, where a pet approval condition asks for a professional clean.
Why we'd open Form 1a before any bond clean
Open Form 1a before anything else and go through it with a pen, one room at a time. If you'd rather give the last days to boxes and keys, hand a business that marked-up copy and ask them to name the RTA's list in the quote: tracks, skirting boards, fans, vents, cupboards and the oven. Get their re-clean terms in writing, and keep your own photos of the empty home.