Most bond deductions aren't caused by bad cleaning, they're caused by running out of time. Work backwards from your handover date and the clean becomes the easy part.
Four weeks out
- Give written notice to your agent if you haven't already, and check the notice period on your lease.
- Re-read your lease for carpet, pest and garden clauses, they decide what you have to organise beyond the clean.
- Dig out your entry condition report and photos. This is the document that decides what counts as fair wear and tear.
- Book your removalist and your bond clean now, the last week of the month books out first in Brisbane.
Two weeks out
- Confirm your exit inspection time with the agent.
- Arrange electricity, gas, internet and water disconnection or transfer for the day after handover, not the day before.
- Redirect mail and update your address with banks, insurers and the electoral roll.
- Start clearing the garage, shed and under-house storage, this is where moves overrun.
The final week
- Move everything out. A bond clean on a furnished property is not a bond clean, and agents inspect behind furniture.
- Fill nail holes and touch up marks if your lease requires it, then let it dry before the clean.
- Mow, edge and weed the yard, or have it done with the clean if the yard is on your lease.
- Remove all rubbish and green waste. Anything left behind is billed back at the agent's rate.
Handover day
- Bond clean happens with the property empty and the power still connected.
- Photograph every room after the clean, including the oven, shower and inside cupboards.
- Return every key, remote and fob. Missing remotes are one of the most common small deductions.
- Email the agent your photos, the carpet receipt if you needed one, and your forwarding address on the same day.
After you hand back the keys
In Queensland your bond is held by the Residential Tenancies Authority, not by the agent. Either party can lodge a refund form, and if you and the agent agree on the amount the refund is processed quickly. If you disagree, the RTA runs a free dispute resolution process before it goes any further.
Book the clean for the morning of handover where you can. It gives you a buffer if the agent wants anything touched up before the inspection.
Frequently asked
How far in advance should I book a bond clean in Brisbane?
One to two weeks is comfortable. End of month and the December to January moving peak book out fastest, so give yourself more room then.
Should the power stay connected for the bond clean?
Yes. Vacuums, steam and lighting all need it, and the property can't be properly checked in the dark. Disconnect the day after handover.
Who returns the bond in Queensland?
The Residential Tenancies Authority holds the bond and processes the refund. Your agent doesn't hold your money, which is why written evidence of the property's condition matters so much.