You have handed back the keys, and then an email arrives from the property manager: the oven needs another go, or the shower screen is not up to standard. It is a common situation and usually a fixable one. What matters is responding quickly, checking the request against the right standard, and deciding how to deal with it before it turns into a bond dispute.

This is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, check your rental agreement and the Consumer Affairs Victoria pages listed under Sources, or contact Tenants Victoria.

1. Get the request in writing, and make it specific

A note such as “the property needs a re-clean” is hard to act on. Reply and ask for:

  • the rooms and items concerned, such as “oven door glass” or “ensuite shower screen”,
  • photos of each one,
  • the date it needs to be done by, and how access will work.

A specific written list helps whoever does the work, and it is useful evidence if the bond is later disputed.

2. Check it against the condition report and the standard

Victoria’s standard is reasonably clean, not spotless. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s cleanliness guideline, as summarised by Tenants Victoria, measures it by average community standards: a surface is reasonably clean when it is free of marks, dirt, dust, cobwebs and stains and further cleaning would not visibly improve it. You cannot be expected to leave the property cleaner than when you moved in.

Go through each item with your entry condition report and your own photos:

  • Was it recorded at the start? A mark noted when you moved in was not caused by you.
  • Is it wear rather than dirt? Fair wear and tear — a worn or faded benchtop, traffic marks on carpet, faded blinds — is not a cleaning issue, and cleaning will not change it.
  • Is it at height? The guideline treats cleaning at heights as maintenance and the rental provider’s responsibility, and renters are not expected to clean ceiling fans where access may be dangerous.
  • Is professional cleaning being asked for? For rental agreements signed on or after 29 March 2021, professional cleaning can only be required in limited situations. Our guide on carpet cleaning when you move out explains when.

If an item genuinely was missed, fixing it is usually the quickest way through. If it was not, say so in writing, item by item, with your photos.

3. Choose how to deal with it

  1. Ask your cleaner to come back. If you paid for a professional clean, contact the cleaner straight away and forward the agent’s notes and photos. Cleaners often set a time limit for reporting problems, so do not wait.
  2. Do it yourself. Arrange a time with the agent to collect and return the keys.
  3. Explain why you disagree. Reply with the condition report entry, your photos and why the item is reasonably clean or fair wear and tear.
  4. Agree an amount. If you would rather not go back, you can agree a deduction for cleaning — but only sign a bond claim form that shows the amount you will receive.

Whichever you choose, keep everything in writing and tell the agent when the work is done.

What happens with the bond

Consumer Affairs Victoria says a rental provider can claim part or all of the bond for cleaning expenses if you did not leave the property reasonably clean — but not for fair wear and tear. The Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) repays the bond when everyone listed on it agrees how it should be repaid, or when VCAT orders it.

  • The rental provider’s deadline. A rental provider must start a bond claim with the RTBA within 14 days of the rental agreement ending, unless a renter starts one first.
  • Evidence first. Before lodging a claim with the RTBA, the rental provider must give you supporting evidence — invoices, receipts, quotes or photographs — at least 3 business days beforehand, and it must not contradict the condition report.
  • Reviewing a claim. Each renter on the bond receives an email link to review and accept the claim. You can ask for a change if you think something is wrong; a claim that is not accepted within 14 days is no longer available to complete.
  • If you cannot agree. Either of you can apply to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) for help, and if that does not resolve it, RDRV can help with taking the matter to VCAT.
  • Lodging your own claim. Once the agreement has ended, any renter named on the bond can start a claim with the RTBA, after verifying their identity with Service Victoria. The rental provider then has 14 days to dispute it; if they do nothing, the RTBA repays the bond as your claim sets out.

What to send your cleaner

  • The agent’s written notes and photos, unedited
  • The address and the date of the original clean
  • The deadline, and the time of any second inspection
  • How the cleaner gets in, with entry details shared privately rather than in a group message

The more specific the list, the quicker the return visit — and the less chance of a second round.

If we did your clean

If your agent raises an area we cleaned as part of our end of lease cleaning, tell us within three days of the clean, with the agent’s notes or photos, and we return to re-clean those areas, as set out in our terms. This covers the areas in the clean you booked. Anything outside it — carpets that were not booked, rubbish removal, repairs, or work needing ladders above two metres — needs a separate booking or another trade.

Get in touch through the contact page, call 0466 699 276 or email info@quickcleanservices.com.au. If you are still preparing for the inspection, what to clean before a rental inspection lists where inspections usually focus.

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Sources

Rules change. Check the official source for your situation; this guide is general information, not legal advice.