One set of rules for bond cleaning on the Sunshine Coast
One set of rules, two councils
Sunshine Coast and Noosa are separate councils, but Queensland's tenancy law covers both. Wherever you are, the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) holds your bond and disputes go through the RTA first, then QCAT, the state tribunal.
Wear or dirt?
The Act asks you to leave the home, as far as possible, as it was at the start, fair wear and tear excepted. The RTA's examples of fair wear and tear include carpet worn by day to day use and pile flattened by furniture. Dirt, grime, grease and damage, even from an approved pet, aren't.
Pets and carpets
If your pet was allowed inside, a pet condition requiring the carpets to be professionally cleaned at the end is taken to be reasonable. That means the standard ordinarily achieved by businesses selling the service (s 184F). The condition can't raise your rent or bond, and it can't name the business.
Fumigation
If a pet could carry parasites, a pet condition can also require professional fumigation. That's pest control and a job for a licensed pest controller, so it's never part of a clean.
Mould on the Sunshine Coast, where there's no dry season
The Sunshine Coast has no dry season, and afternoon humidity at the airport averages 66% across the year. Most homes here are separate houses, 73% in the Sunshine Coast council area in the 2021 Census, so there's a lot of grout, ceiling and wardrobe to check on the way out.
For a small patch, NSW Health suggests mild detergent or vinegar diluted in water. Tell the property manager about a leak or mould that keeps coming back: moisture is the cause, and Better Health Channel says large areas that keep growing back need a mould remediation professional.
Splitting the work with Sunshine Coast bond cleaners
Worth doing yourself
- Clear the house, the shed and the carport
- Empty and wipe out the fridge
- Sort the bins, because rubbish removal isn't part of a clean
- Wipe small mould patches early, with gloves on and a window open
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- The oven, its racks and trays
- Shower screens, tiles and grout
- Window tracks, skirting boards, fans and vents
- Carpet steam cleaning, if a pet condition or the carpets call for it
End of lease cleaning on the Sunshine Coast starts weeks out
Start on the damp a few weeks out. Run the fans, air the wardrobes and deal with small patches, so the clean is a finish and not a rescue. If your pet approval mentions carpets, tick the carpet steam add-on, keep the invoice, and line up any fumigation separately with a pest controller.