End of Lease Cleaning – Your Rights and Duties As a Tenant

Are you living in a rental property in Melbourne? The trend of taking property on lease is growing with each passing year. Due to the high property rates, people are finding more comfortable to buy homes on rent. This is more convenient for many people who have shifted to this metropolitan city from small suburbs or towns.However, the majority of tenants face issues and also get into unnecessary disputes with their landlords because they are often ignorant of their rights and duties as a tenant. Before signing the lease agreement, you have to read everything and make yourself aware of all the responsibilities, especially end of lease cleaning.

What is End of Lease Cleaning?

As a tenant, you have the responsibility to return the property in a pristine condition at the end of your tenancy period. Since a landlord has the right to hold back your security amount (bond money), make sure you perform a thorough end of lease cleaning before the final inspection. You can achieve desired outcomes by hiring professionals for attention-to-detail end of lease cleaning in Melbourne. Highly-trained professionals come fully-equipped with all the necessary tools and spruce up the rental premises according to the checklist approved by the cleaning experts. They assist you in cleaning tasks and help you get your bond money back without any conflict.

Meaning of Bond Money/Rental Bond/Security Deposit

A bond is paid by a tenant to the property manager or landlord. It is act as security against the tenant meeting the terms of the lease agreement of their duties and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. It is important to lodge the bond with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA). The RTBA will hold the bond until the end of the tenancy. When the RTBA receives the bond from the property manager, they send a receipt to the tenant. According to the rental agreement, a landlord has the right to withhold the bond amount if the property is not returned in a pristine condition. Being a tenant, you should know your rights and duties and perform end of lease cleaning for the retrieval of the bond amount without any confusion.

Rights and Duties of A Tenant

If you are a tenant, then make sure you give the following documents while leasing a residential property in Melbourne, Victoria:

• Copy of lease agreement
• An entry condition report
• A bond lodgement form

Tip: All the tenants must read the agreement before signing the contract to get a better understanding of their rights and duties. If you are not able to pay the rent for over 14 days, the landlord can issue a notice to vacate the premises.  It is your responsibility to pay your rent on time if you don’t want to leave the property or lose the bond amount in the middle of your lease period. However, you can only be evicted from a rental house by an order from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). If you don’t want to leave the house, you can make a repayment plan or pay the outstanding rent as soon as possible. Being a tenant, you have the right to enjoy privacy in your leased property until your tenancy period ends. The landlord can't enter the premises without your permission, and he must give you a written notice along with the reason for entry. You can even deny the landlord's entry to the house if the landlord doesn't provide you with the notice. But make sure you keep the property in a clean and well-organised condition. You have the right if any repairing needs within your property. You can ask your landlord to fix the damage because he is responsible for that. Whether it is a broken door or a leaking tap, the landlord has to fix the damage or arrange a professional handyman for you. You are obligated to get full security deposit back if you have paid all the rent on time and have not breached the tenancy agreement. However, the property manager can claim the bond for some particular reasons including:

• Damage caused to the property
• Unpaid Rent
• If you return the premises in an untidy condition at the end of your lease period
• Loss of landlord’s belongings

It is your responsibility to thoroughly clean the property from top to bottom before the final inspection. You can get your bond money back if you return the property in an original state. For that, you need to clean according to the REIVIC- approved checklist. If you don’t know how to get into the end of the lease cleaning process, you can take assistance from the professional end of lease cleaners in Melbourne. They know the right ways to impress the landlord with their cleaning job. Whether it is about wiping off dust and grime or removing tough stains from floors, they do it using the best quality of cleaning agents and high-end equipment. They clean according to the given checklist to help you get your full bond money back. As a tenant, you have the right to hire an experienced bond cleaning company for the attention-to-detail cleaning of your rental premises. All you need to ensure that you keep every nook and cranny of the house clean and germ-free. You can also fix the damages like a leaking tap or a broken window before the final inspection. This way, you can secure your full bond amount and vacate the property without any conflict with your property manager or landlord.

Conclusion

Both the tenant and the property manager must be aware of their rights and duties to avoid any disputes. If you are a tenant and want to get your deposited money back at the end of your lease period, then you should know your respective rights and responsibilities. You can also hire professionally-trained people for the best end of lease cleaning in Melbourne, Victoria to avoid common mistakes or cleaning blunders.