End of lease cleaning in Newcastle: reports, wear and damp
The report sets the bar
NSW's standard agreement asks for a home that's reasonably clean for the condition it was in when you moved in. If you got it with marks on the walls or tired carpet, your entry report should show that.
What counts as wear
NSW Government says furniture dents and traffic marks on carpet are fair wear and tear. Stains and burn marks are damage. A clean can lift some stains, but it can't undo a burn.
Filling it in again
At the end, the condition report gets completed a second time, ideally with you and the landlord or agent in the same room. If there's a dispute about damage or missing items, it can be used as evidence.
Terraces and stairs
If you're leaving one of the city's terraces, mention stairs, rear access and any courtyard. Scuffs along narrow halls and stairwells are common places for wall marks, an add-on you can tick.
Coastal damp
Afternoon humidity at Nobbys averages 77% in February, and June is the wettest month. Look over bathroom ceilings and behind wardrobes well before your last day, so small patches can be dealt with early.
Dividing the last week with Newcastle end of lease cleaners
Worth doing yourself
- Pull out your entry report and go room by room with a pen.
- Empty the fridge, the bins and the letterbox.
- Fill out a list of anything that wasn't right when you moved in.
- Take dated photos of the empty, finished rooms.
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- Oven, grill and rangehood.
- Shower glass, grout and bathroom fans.
- Inside windows, sills and tracks.
- Carpet steam cleaning, if your lease lawfully asks for it or you'd like it done.
Newcastle bond cleaning: a choice, not a rule
Not by law. NSW sets the standard and leaves the how to you, so a good clean of your own is fine. Most people who book in do it because the last week's already full of boxes and keys. You might see it called a bond clean on ads here, which is the same job.
If you do book, ask for what's included in writing, which extras are charged on top, and how long you've got to ask for a re-clean.
Aim for the report, not perfection, in a Newcastle rental
Read your entry condition report before anyone quotes, and clean to that, not to perfection. Show the business the rooms where the report and the home don't match, and put the time into those. A home that matches its report is what you're aiming for.