Moving out of a rental is stressful, as it’s hard to know what your property manager will be looking for when they walk through the door.
Every agent has their own style, but there are specific areas that come up again and again in final inspections across Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, and the Surf Coast, and many tenants lose part of their bond over things they never even thought to clean.
This guide walks you through every room, the specific spots that get flagged most often, and what the law actually says you need to leave behind.
What “Reasonably Clean” Actually Means Under Victorian Law
Before diving into the checklist, it helps to understand the legal standard you’re being held to. Under the Victorian Residential Tenancies Act 1997, renters are required to return a property in a reasonably clean condition, taking into account fair wear and tear.
This means you are not expected to return the property in brand-new condition. Scuffs on walls from furniture, faded paint, and worn carpet fibres from normal use are all considered fair wear and tear and cannot be deducted from your bond.
What is expected is that the property is free of grease, grime, dust build-up, mould, and any mess created during your tenancy. Property managers compare the current condition against the entry condition report completed when you first moved in, so that document is your reference point, and it’s worth tracking down your copy before you start cleaning.
The Kitchen: The Room That Costs Bonds Most Often
The kitchen receives more scrutiny during a final inspection than any other room in the house. Property managers know it’s where the hardest-to-clean grime accumulates, and they look closely.
Oven, Stovetop, and Rangehood
The three most common reasons tenants lose bond money are baked-on grease inside the oven, carbon build-up on oven racks, and grease-clogged rangehood filters, which are flagged in the majority of failed inspections. A quick wipe of the oven door is not enough; the interior walls, the element, the racks, and the floor of the oven all need to be degreased.
The rangehood filter, which most people forget entirely, is one of the first things an experienced property manager reaches for. If it’s saturated with grease, expect a dispute.
Tops of Cupboards and Behind Appliances
The tops of kitchen cupboards and the gap behind the fridge or oven are classic “forgotten zones.” These spots don’t get touched during a regular weekly clean, but they accumulate dust and grease over months and years, and property managers know exactly where to look.
Also check: inside cupboard shelves, the dishwasher filter, the microwave interior, and sink waste plugs.
Bathrooms: Where Mould and Soap Scum Draw Red Flags
Shower glass is the big one.
Hazy, limescale-covered shower screens, even ones that appear clean at a glance, will be flagged. The glass needs to be genuinely clear, not just wiped. Silicone around shower bases and baths that has developed mould staining is also a common deduction point and can be very hard to remove without the right products.
Other areas inspected closely include:
- Exhaust fans (often clogged with dust and lint)
- Toilet base and around the S-bend
- Tapware and showerheads (limescale and water stains)
- Grout lines between tiles
Bedrooms and Living Areas: The Details Most Tenants Miss
Bedrooms and living areas look straightforward, but there are several specific items that property managers check that the average person doesn’t think to clean.
Skirting Boards, Window Tracks, and Blinds
Skirting boards along the base of every wall collect dust and marks, particularly behind furniture that hasn’t moved for years. They are one of the first things on a property manager’s checklist.
Window tracks, the channel the window sits in, are almost always filled with dirt, dead insects, and grime. They look bad in photos and in person. Blinds (especially fabric or aluminium slat blinds) accumulate dust on every surface and are a very common reason for a re-clean request.
Ceiling Fans, Light Fittings, and Exhaust Fans
Look up. Ceiling fans are almost always dusty, and light fittings often contain dead insects or dust build-up. These are photographed during the final inspection. In rooms where you haven’t cleaned above eye level, this is where you’ll be caught.
Check wall light switches and plates, fingerprints and marks around switches, all areas specifically noted in Consumer Affairs Victoria’s cleaning guidelines.
Carpets, Walls, and Outdoor Areas
Carpets are a source of significant confusion for renters.
It is a common misconception that you are legally required to steam clean carpets when you move out in Victoria. Under the current Residential Tenancies Act, you are only required to return carpets in a reasonably clean condition relative to how they were when you moved in.
Steam cleaning is only compulsory if it is written into your lease and the carpets were professionally steam cleaned before you moved in. If in doubt, check your original condition report.
What property managers look for is visible staining, pet odours, and ingrained dirt that was not present at the start of the tenancy.
For walls, marks, scuffs, and minor discolouration from normal use are considered fair wear and tear. However, large marks, nail holes, and staining that goes beyond normal use are different; these are commonly disputed items.
For outdoor areas, mow the lawn, remove any rubbish, sweep the patio, clean the BBQ grill, and hose down paths if needed. Garden areas should be left in a comparable condition to the entry report.
What Does a Professional Vacmate Bond Clean Actually Include?
If you’re weighing up whether to hire a professional cleaner or tackle the end-of-lease clean yourself, one of the most useful things to see is exactly what a professional service covers.
At Vacmate, every bond clean is quoted and delivered against a detailed checklist, the same standard used across the Geelong, Bellarine, and Surf Coast rental market.
Here’s exactly what’s included as standard:
All Areas (Throughout the Entire Property)
| Task | ✓ Included |
|---|---|
| Cobweb removal from all ceilings and cornices | ✓ |
| Dust and wipe all skirting boards | ✓ |
| Dust and clean all doors (both sides) | ✓ |
| Clean accessible light switches, power points, and air vents | ✓ |
| Clean all mirrors | ✓ |
| Dust and wipe window wooden frames | ✓ |
| Lightly dust blinds for cobwebs | ✓ |
| Wipe all visible window sills | ✓ |
| Wipe inside all drawers and cabinets | ✓ |
| Vacuum and mop all accessible floors | ✓ |
Kitchen
| Task | ✓ Included |
|---|---|
| Clean stovetop (all burners and surface) | ✓ |
| Clean rangehood exterior | ✓ |
| Clean rangehood filter | ✓ |
| Clean underside of rangehood | ✓ |
| Clean and wipe all benchtops | ✓ |
| Clean splashback | ✓ |
| Clean and polish tapware | ✓ |
| Scrub and clean sink | ✓ |
| Clean cupboards (exterior and interior) | ✓ |
| Polish stainless steel surfaces | ✓ |
| Dust all surfaces | ✓ |
| Wipe down dishwasher interior (surface wipe only — no deep clean) | ✓ |
| Clean inside all drawers and cabinets | ✓ |
| Clean inside oven | ✓ |
| Note on oven glass: On some oven models, the front glass panel cannot be safely removed for cleaning between the panes. Attempting to remove it risks permanent damage to the appliance. In these cases, we clean all accessible surfaces and note this on your job report so you have a clear record for your property manager. |
Bathrooms
| Task | ✓ Included |
|---|---|
| Scrub wall tiles and grout | ✓ |
| Scrub and clean bath | ✓ |
| Scrub and clean shower (including screen and base) | ✓ |
| Scrub and clean sink | ✓ |
| Wipe down all benches | ✓ |
| Clean mirrors | ✓ |
| Clean and polish tapware and all chrome fittings | ✓ |
| Clean and disinfect toilet (including base and S-bend area) | ✓ |
| Clean ceiling exhaust fans | ✓ |
| Clean all drawers and cabinets (inside and outside) | ✓ |
Bedrooms and Living Areas
| Task | ✓ Included |
|---|---|
| Dust and wipe all surfaces | ✓ |
| Clean inside all drawers and cabinets | ✓ |
Extras (Available at Additional Cost)
The following services fall outside a standard bond clean and are quoted separately. If your property manager or lease requires any of these, let us know when booking, and we’ll include them in your quote.
| Extra Service |
|---|
| Wall washing (full wall clean) |
| Spot cleaning walls |
| Blind washing (full removal and wash) |
| Garage cleaning |
| Ceiling cleaning |
| External window cleaning |
| Outdoor / external area cleaning |
We provide every quote as a checklist-based, itemised price, so you know exactly what’s covered before we arrive, with no surprises on the day.
No More Inspection Stress
There is no single checklist that every property manager in Geelong follows identically, but the areas above account for the overwhelming majority of bond disputes and re-clean requests across the region. The property manager’s job is to compare what they see against the condition report from when you moved in, and their job is to look closely.
If you want complete peace of mind before your final inspection, Vacmate’s end of lease cleaning service covers every one of these areas as standard, including oven, rangehood, shower glass, window tracks, blinds, and skirting boards, and comes with a 100% bond-back guarantee.
If your property manager finds anything, we come back and fix it for free.
Have a question about your specific property or what’s included in a bond clean? Feel free to reach out to the Vacmate team on (03) 7050 2742 or at info@vacmate.com.au. We’re happy to talk it through before you book.