If you have been living in a rented property for the past few years and the time to hand over the house to the landlord is approaching, there is a lot to organise. In this article, we offer a few tips to ensure that the end of tenancy handover is smooth and you receive your deposit.
Read the tenancy agreement carefully – This will tell you the condition the property must be when it is handed back to the landlord. As you would expect, the landlord will thoroughly inspect every square inch of the property and should they find any issues, they are within their rights to charge the tenant for repairs.
Hiring an end-of-tenancy cleaner – Check out the awesome cleaners in the Northern Beaches who specialise in end-of-tenancy cleans. The professionals know what landlords expect and when they give you the thumbs up, you know that you will get your deposit back! Arrange the clean a few days before the handover, which gives you time to address any minor issues. There is one place that landlords always check and we’re sure you don’t know where that is; the top of the door, when a door is open, it is easy to run a finger over the top edge to see if dust has gathered, If clean, they know you’ve had the place cleaned by a company.
Create a list of snags – This should be done a few weeks before your tenancy expires; go around the interior and exterior looking for any issues. Dripping faucets, stains on the carpets, scuff marks on the wall (repaint them) and do check all ceilings and cupboard interiors. Call in a handyman to fix the issues and have him walk you around when he’s done, so you can tick each item off. Click here to learn about microcement art.
Greasy kitchens – There is no such thing as a greaseless kitchen; ask the cleaner to quote for a full kitchen clean and if you have a fussy landlord, it will be the kitchen where issues arise. The oven hood can be sprayed with caustic soda, then wipe the grease away after 5 minutes, indeed the kitchen ceiling could probably do with a wash to remove grease; it is important to note that once you clean a patch of wall or ceiling, you have to do it all, otherwise it won’t match.
Carpets – If a carpet is stained, call in a pro carpet cleaner, in fact, having all carpets cleaned is a great idea. Put some paper down, which should impress the landlord. Spray a little cologne for a fresh smell.
Bathrooms – Much like the kitchen, this should be a top to bottom clean, removing everything from the shelves and making good use of powerful cleaning products that kill germs. Leaking faucets and minor issues should either be repaired or it should be confirmed that this is down to the owner.
When preparing to vacate a rental property, it is wise to start thinking about the handover about one month before the date.
Hopefully, your landlord will be very happy and will return your deposit in full.