When a lease ends with the month, almost everything in the move hangs off two dates: the day your old agreement ends and the day your new one starts. The notice, the removalist, the rubbish, the clean, the keys and both condition reports have to fit around them. Here is how to line them up.
This is general information about renting in Victoria, not legal advice. The Consumer Affairs Victoria pages listed with this guide set out the rules in full.
Fix the two dates first
The old place. Consumer Affairs Victoria says renters must give 28 days’ notice, in writing, to leave at the end of a rental agreement. Notice can be posted, emailed or handed over — if you post it, allow time for delivery. The end date on your notice cannot be earlier than the end date of the agreement; if it is, you are breaking the agreement and may have to pay lease break fees. Other notice periods apply in particular situations, so check the page if yours is unusual.
The new place. The rental provider must give you the condition report before you move in, and you have 5 business days after moving in to return it with your comments. At the end of a month, those five days often run while you are still finishing at the old place, so set aside time for it.
An overlap, if you can manage it. A few days with both keys gives room for the move, the clean and the handover without a same-day rush. It means paying rent on both places for those days, so weigh the cost against the stress.
Count back from the end date
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Five weeks or more before | Check your agreement’s end date and give written notice in time |
| Four weeks before | Book the removalist and the clean; decide whether carpets need cleaning |
| Two to three weeks before | Agree with the agent how the bond will be finalised; check your council’s hard rubbish booking rules |
| The final week | Book hard rubbish in the council’s booking window; pack; use up food |
| Moving day | Removalists first; check every cupboard, the meter box and any storage cage |
| The day after (ideally) | The clean, with power and water still on |
| Handover | Keys, fobs and remotes back, with written confirmation |
| Within 10 days after the agreement ends | The exit condition report — you can be there, or must be given a reasonable opportunity |
For the final week in detail, see the seven-day moving-out cleaning timeline.
Book early, and keep a buffer
Fix the removalist and the clean as soon as your dates are certain, especially if you need a weekend. Then protect the gap between them:
- Clean after the removalists, not during. End of lease cleans are planned for an empty property.
- Leave time before the key handover in case something needs a second look.
- Councils work differently. Glen Eira collects hard rubbish on your bin day and takes bookings from one week ahead; Bayside asks for items on the nature strip on the day you book and collects within one to four working days. Check your own council early — planning end of lease cleaning in Carnegie shows how to plan around collection days.
Do not leave anything behind
Our cleaners cannot remove belongings, and anything left behind can stop a cupboard or floor from being cleaned. There are rules for what happens next. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a rental provider can dispose of perishable food, dangerous goods and items with no value straight away. Goods that can be sold, medals and trophies, medical equipment and prescription medication must be stored for at least 14 days, and personal documents for at least 90 days. If so much is left that the property cannot be re-let, the rental provider may charge an occupation fee, capped at 14 days’ rent unless VCAT orders a longer storage period.
It is simpler to do a last walk-through: cupboards, the meter box, the garage or car space, the storage cage, and the letterbox.
The bond and the exit report
- Agree before you go. Consumer Affairs Victoria advises agreeing how the bond will be finalised before moving out, and only signing a bond claim form that shows the amount you will receive.
- Early release is possible. With the rental provider’s agreement, the RTBA can release the bond up to 14 days before the agreement ends — useful if you need the money for the new bond.
- Take dated photos after the clean and keep your receipts. The end of lease cleaning checklist lists what to check room by room.
Booking your clean
Our end of lease cleaning is booked for an empty property, priced from bedrooms and bathrooms — a one-bedroom apartment starts at $319 + GST and a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house at $579 + GST. Choose the date and time you want in a booking request. We run more than one job at a time, and we confirm the booking with you — or suggest another time — before the day.
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Sources
- Consumer Affairs Victoria — Renters giving notice of intention to vacate
- Consumer Affairs Victoria — Condition reports
- Consumer Affairs Victoria — Moving out of a rental property
- Consumer Affairs Victoria — Goods left behind by renters
- Glen Eira City Council — Hard rubbish, branches and cardboard
- Bayside City Council — Book a hard waste collection
Rules change. Check the official source for your situation; this guide is general information, not legal advice.