Most end of lease advice assumes the home is empty on cleaning day. In a furnished rental it is not: the owner’s furniture, appliances and sometimes kitchenware stay behind, and they are part of what is checked at the exit inspection. The rooms are the same, but the job is bigger, and some of it is harder to reach.
This guide covers what changes, what stays the same, and how to plan the clean for each kind of property. It is general information, not legal advice — your rental agreement and condition report come first.
The standard is the same for both
Consumer Affairs Victoria says renters must leave the property reasonably clean and in the same condition as when they moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear. That applies whether the home came with a sofa and beds or with nothing at all.
What changes is how much the condition report covers. Consumer Affairs Victoria says the report should cover everything inside and outside the property, and record anything that is unclean, damaged or not working. In a furnished home that usually includes the supplied items, so the report — and any photos you took when you moved in — becomes your list of what has to be left clean.
Two points from the Consumer Affairs Victoria cleanliness guideline, as summarised by Tenants Victoria, matter here:
- You cannot be expected to leave the property cleaner than when you moved in. A sofa that was already marked at the start does not have to be better at the end.
- The premises should be clear of your personal belongings. The owner’s items stay; yours go.
What changes when the furniture stays
| Unfurnished | Furnished | |
|---|---|---|
| Floors | Every part of the floor can be reached | Under and behind heavy pieces only where they can be moved safely |
| Cupboards and drawers | Empty, cleaned inside | Cleaned inside, often around the owner’s crockery and utensils |
| Kitchen | Oven, cooktop, rangehood and the space where your fridge stood | The same, plus supplied appliances and kitchenware |
| Soft furnishings | Carpets, curtains or blinds | Also sofas, chairs, mattresses and cushions |
| Time | Predictable from the room count | Longer, depending on how much is supplied |
Furniture surfaces
Every supplied piece needs dusting and wiping: tables and chairs, bedside tables, bed frames and headboards, shelves, TV units and desks. Empty and wipe the inside of drawers in the owner’s furniture as well — they are easy to forget because you did not bring them.
Appliances and kitchenware
If the property came with a microwave, kettle, toaster, crockery, cutlery or cookware, wash and dry them and put them back where they were. Check the inside of the microwave and the base of the kettle. A supplied fridge needs cleaning inside, including the shelves, drawers and door seals, and a supplied dishwasher needs its filter and seals cleaned.
Sofas, mattresses and curtains
Vacuum sofas and chairs, including under the cushions, and strip and vacuum the mattresses. The cleanliness guideline expects curtains and blinds to be free from dust and stains, and the damage and fair wear and tear guideline gives a useful example for soft furnishings: faded curtains or blinds are fair wear and tear, while stains or rips are damage.
If a fabric sofa or mattress has spills you cannot lift, steam cleaning may help. Some marks, though, change the fabric itself and will not come out.
Under and behind furniture
Dust collects under beds, sofas and wardrobes. Move pieces only if you can do it safely without scratching the floor, and put them back where they started. If a heavy piece cannot be moved, vacuum as far under it as you can reach.
Unfurnished: why empty matters
An unfurnished property is the simpler job because every surface can be reached — but only once everything is out. Boxes left in a bedroom or a few items in the laundry cupboard mean those areas cannot be cleaned properly, and cleaners cannot take belongings or rubbish away. The end of lease cleaning checklist covers an empty home room by room.
Partly furnished properties
Many rentals sit in between: whitegoods only, or a few pieces left by the owner. Before cleaning day, go through the condition report and make two lists — what belongs to the owner and stays, and what is yours and goes. If you would like to leave something for the next renter, ask the agent in writing first rather than assuming it is welcome.
A checklist for furnished rentals
- List every supplied item from the condition report
- Remove your belongings from every drawer and cupboard, including in the owner’s furniture
- Wash supplied crockery, cutlery and cookware and return them to their places
- Clean supplied appliances inside and out: microwave, kettle, toaster, fridge and dishwasher
- Dust and wipe all furniture, inside drawers included
- Vacuum sofas, chairs and mattresses, including under cushions
- Dust curtains and blinds and note any stains
- Vacuum under and behind furniture you can move safely
- Take dated photos of each room and each supplied item afterwards
Booking a clean for a furnished property
Our end of lease cleaning covers furnished and unfurnished rentals. The instant quote is worked out from the bedrooms, bathrooms and property type, for a property in normal condition — for example $319 + GST for a one-bedroom apartment. It cannot see what has been supplied, so if the home is furnished, say so in the notes and list what has been supplied.
The calculator’s extras include dusting and wiping furniture per item, cleaning equipment such as the microwave, pans and kettle, a fridge clean, and steam cleaning of fabric sofas ($96 each plus GST), chairs ($21 each plus GST) and mattresses ($96 each plus GST). We clean fabric upholstery, not leather. We confirm the price with you before booking. We can clean around items that stay, but anything that stays may not be cleaned under, and we cannot remove rubbish or belongings.
Carpets are priced separately, per room. Whether you need them cleaned at all depends on your agreement and their condition — see carpet cleaning when moving out in Victoria.
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Sources
- Consumer Affairs Victoria — Moving out of a rental property
- Consumer Affairs Victoria — Condition reports
- Tenants Victoria — Consumer Affairs Victoria guidelines
Rules change. Check the official source for your situation; this guide is general information, not legal advice.