Most bond disputes are not about whether the property was cleaned. They are about whether a specific thing was cleaned, and nobody being able to show either way. This checklist is ordered the way inspections actually run, not the way rooms are laid out.
The eight things checked first
In practice, an inspection forms its impression in the first few minutes, and almost always from the same places:
- Inside the oven, including the glass door and the racks
- The rangehood filter, lift it out, most people never do
- Shower screen and grout, particularly the bottom track
- The toilet, including the base, the hinges and behind the cistern
- Window tracks, which collect grit nothing else does
- Skirtings and door frames, especially scuff marks at floor level
- Inside cupboards and wardrobes, including the top shelf
- Behind and under the fridge and washing machine
Get those eight right and most of the argument disappears.
Kitchen
- Oven interior, glass, racks and trays degreased
- Rangehood filter removed, degreased and refitted
- Stovetop, including under removable elements and drip trays
- Inside, outside and on top of all cabinetry
- Bench surfaces, splashback and sealant lines
- Sink, drain and taps descaled; plughole cleared
- Fridge and freezer interior, seals and behind, if they remain
- Dishwasher filter, seals and spray arms
- Rubbish bin cupboard cleaned and deodorised
Bathrooms and laundry
- Shower screen descaled including the bottom track and hinges
- Tiles and grout scrubbed; report any silicone that has gone black
- Bath, basin, taps and overflow
- Toilet: bowl, seat hinges, base, cistern and the wall behind
- Mirrors and cabinet interiors
- Extractor fan cover removed and washed
- Washing machine drum, filter and detergent drawer
- Floor cleaned into corners and along the shower channel
Living areas and bedrooms
- Wardrobe interiors, rails and top shelves
- Skirtings, architraves and door frames wiped
- Light switches, power points and door handles
- Light fittings and ceiling fan blades dusted
- Curtain rails; curtains and blinds dusted
- Walls spot-cleaned for marks and cobwebs removed
- Carpets vacuumed thoroughly, including edges and under where furniture stood
- Hard floors vacuumed and mopped
Windows and exterior
- Interior glass, frames, sills and tracks
- Reachable exterior glass
- Flyscreens dusted or washed
- Garage swept, cobwebs removed
- Outdoor bins rinsed
- Grounds tidied to the standard set in your agreement
Print this, and photograph as you go
Take a photo of each room when you finish it. Timestamped photos of the condition you left the property in are the single most useful thing you can have if a deduction is later disputed, the bond guide explains why.
If you would rather have somebody else do it and hand you the photo record, that is exactly what our end of tenancy cleaning service is. Costs are broken down in end of tenancy cleaning cost NZ.