Move-in cleaning in Sydney for renters and buyers
Renting? Check the report first
Legal Aid NSW says a rental must be reasonably clean and fit to live in before you move in. If it isn't, write it on the condition report and raise it with the agent before you spend anything on a clean.
Seven days to return it
The landlord or agent gives you two paper copies of the condition report or one electronic copy. You return one completed copy within seven days of moving in. It's your record of the place on day one, so it needs detail.
Apartments and lifts
Building managers often take bookings for removalists. Ask if a cleaner needs one too, and whether a lift can be held for them.
Buying, not renting
If you've bought, book for after you've got the keys, and agree access with the business, since the home will be empty and nobody may be there.
The Sydney move-in cleaning checklist
- Inside cupboards, drawers and wardrobes.
- The kitchen, including benches and the sink.
- Bathrooms and toilets.
- Floors, vacuumed and mopped.
- Add-ons if you want them: oven, inside windows, carpet steam and wall marks.
Timing a move-in clean in Sydney
Get the keys
Book for after handover, so nobody's left waiting outside a locked door.
Take your photos first
If you're renting, photograph the place as you found it before anyone cleans. Those photos back up your condition report.
Clean before the truck
An empty home is much easier to get into every corner of, so try to leave a gap between the two.
Keep the power and water on
The business will need both. Check they're connected before the day, particularly in a home that's been vacant.
Questions to ask Sydney cleaners before you move in
- Is the oven included, or is that an add-on?
- Do you need the power and water on when you arrive?
- Will you clean inside the cupboards and drawers?
- What are your re-clean terms if something's been missed?
Raise it with the agent before a Sydney move-in clean
If you're renting, raise anything that isn't reasonably clean with the agent first, in writing and with photos. Then book a clean only for what's left, so it's a choice and not a cover for something the landlord should have sorted. Buying? Tick the oven and the inside windows, because you'll never get a better chance.