The driveway and front path are the first things a prospective renter or buyer sees, and often the last things anyone thinks to clean. For a property manager, pressure washing a rental’s hard surfaces is a small job, but it needs the same planning as any other work order: the right timing, the owner’s approval, access, and a clear record of who asked for it and who pays.

This guide is general information for property managers and rental providers in Victoria, not legal advice.

When it makes sense

  • Between tenancies. A vacant property is the easiest time, and the work can be finished before the pre-lease clean and the photos for the new condition report.
  • Before listing photos or a sale campaign.
  • After renovation or building work. Dust, slurry and mud on paths and driveways are common once trades finish.
  • When a renter reports a slippery path or driveway. Moss or algae on a shaded path is worth dealing with promptly.

It is rarely a routine job, because the water rules below limit when hard surfaces can be washed.

Who is usually responsible?

Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) summarises the general split: the renter is responsible for keeping the place reasonably clean and reporting repair and maintenance issues, and the rental provider is responsible for keeping the property in good repair. On the same page, RDRV’s Deputy President says outdoor work needing a cherry picker, ladder or special tools is the rental provider’s responsibility, and the page lists simple tasks such as light weeding of garden beds and pathways as the renter’s. The guidance we checked does not mention pressure washing specifically, so where it falls depends on the circumstances and the rental agreement.

At the end of a tenancy, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) says renters must leave the property reasonably clean and in the same condition as when they moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear. For agreements signed from 29 March 2021, a rental provider cannot ask the renter to get professional cleaning unless it is needed to return the property to its condition at the start, allowing for fair wear and tear, or the property is in a state that requires it.

In practice, before asking an outgoing renter to pay for pressure washing, compare the surface with the entry condition report, which CAV says should cover everything inside and outside, and with the photos taken at the start. If the parties disagree, RDRV helps resolve rental disputes.

Before you book

The owner’s approval

Get the rental provider’s approval for the cost in writing and keep it with the work order. A per-square-metre price lets the owner see the cost before agreeing.

The water rules

Victoria’s Permanent Water Saving Rules apply every day of the year. Drinking water can only be used to clean hard surfaces such as driveways and paths where cleaning is needed as a result of an accident, fire, health hazard, safety hazard or other emergency; once staining has developed, and then only once a season; or in the course of construction or renovation. Note which one applies on the work order. What to know before booking driveway pressure washing sets out the rules in full; the water corporation for the area can confirm how they apply.

Access when the property is occupied

CAV says a rental provider or agent can only enter a rented property for the reasons it lists, with written notice stating the reason. The minimum notice is 24 hours for repairs or other things the law requires of the rental provider, and 7 days for a routine inspection. Entry is between 8 am and 6 pm on any day except a public holiday, unless the renter agrees otherwise no more than 7 days beforehand, and the right of entry covers anyone needed for the purpose of the visit.

Whether exterior cleaning fits one of those reasons depends on the situation, so the simplest course is to schedule it while the property is vacant, or to agree a time with the renter and check CAV’s guidance. Either way, the renter’s cars, bins and belongings need to be off the surface.

Water, power and shared areas

We need an outside tap and a power point. At a vacant property, check both are connected. If the driveway or courtyard is common property, check with the owners corporation or strata manager first.

What to put in the work order

  • Address and the areas to be done: driveway, paths, courtyard, patio or garage floor
  • Approximate area in square metres (length × width for each part)
  • Photos, including stains, cracks and loose or lifting pavers
  • Access: keys, lock box or gate details, and whether the renter will be home
  • Tap and power point, and whether the utilities are connected
  • Which water-rule situation applies
  • The deadline, such as listing photos, an inspection or a move-in date
  • Who approved the work and who should be invoiced
  • What you need back, such as a completion notice or photos

Our cleaning work order checklist covers the wider details, and preparing a driveway or patio for pressure washing is a useful link to send a renter who will be home.

What our service covers

Our pressure washing covers concrete and paved driveways, paths, courtyards, patios and garage floors, with a rinse-down of the surrounding area. It does not include roofs, render or painted surfaces, sealing or re-sanding pavers, or old oil stains soaked deep into concrete. It is $2.70 per square metre plus GST, so a 40 m² driveway comes to $109 + GST; large or difficult jobs are quoted after we see photos or the site.

Agencies can add pressure washing of driveways and paths to the work they send us through our real estate agency cleaning service. Send work orders to info@quickcleanservices.com.au or through the agency request form; we confirm the booking and invoice the tenant, owner or agency as the work order instructs. For planning the rest of the changeover, see rental turnover cleaning for property managers.

Talk to us about your site

See exactly what our pressure washing includes, or go straight to the next step.

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Sources

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