What bond cleaning in Rockhampton comes down to
The test
Queensland asks for the place to go back as close as possible to its condition at the start. Fair wear and tear is excepted, so nobody's asking you to make an old house new.
Your pick
The RTA says you may do the cleaning yourself or engage a professional company. If an agent suggests a cleaner, section 171 means they can't require you to use them.
Usually a whole house
In the 2021 Census, 73% of rented homes in the Rockhampton council area were separate houses. So count the second bathroom, the laundry, any rooms downstairs and the garage in your note.
What sits outside the clean
Gardens, lawns, rubbish removal and repairs aren't part of a cleaning job through Cleaner Scout. Your entry condition report and your agreement tell you what's expected there.
The hot months
Rockhampton's hot, humid summers keep air conditioners and ceiling fans running. The RTA lists fans, vents and filters among the things tenants commonly miss.
Fair wear and tear or yours to fix in a Rockhampton rental?
| Fair wear and tear | Careless or negligent damage | |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet | Worn from day to day use, or pile flattened by furniture and foot traffic | Stains from approved pets |
| Paint | Fading from sunlight | Discolouring from candle smoke |
| Plaster | Cracks as the building settles | Chips from nails hammered in |
| Window pane | Cracked because of old warped frames | Cracked by slamming the window shut |
Dirt doesn't count as wear in a Rockhampton bond clean
These are the RTA's own examples. It also says dirt, grime, grease and damage aren't fair wear and tear, including damage by an approved pet. So the oven grease is yours to deal with, and the flattened carpet by the door isn't.
What to do yourself and what to give Rockhampton bond cleaners
Worth doing yourself
- Empty the house, the garage and the bins
- Sort the yard and any rubbish before the clean
- Keep the power and water on for the day
- Pull out your entry condition report
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- The oven, if it needs it
- Inside windows and tracks
- Carpet steam cleaning
- Wall marks and scuffs on painted walls
Keep Rockhampton bond cleaning to what's really yours
Walk the house with your entry condition report and mark what was already worn when you moved in. That's the part you don't need to chase, and it stops the quote growing around things that were never your job.