Losing bond money over cleaning is the most common tenant dispute in NSW. Here is exactly what agents look for, room by room.
Bond disputes over cleaning are the single most common tenant-landlord conflict in New South Wales. The frustrating part is that most of them are avoidable. Agents are not looking to catch you out — they are comparing the property's condition to the entry report. Know what they check, and there are no surprises.
Kitchen: where most bonds are lost
- Oven interior — racks, grill tray, interior glass, and the door seal
- Range hood and filter — grease build-up here is the most common deduction
- Stovetop — all burners, surrounding surfaces, and drip trays
- Dishwasher interior — filter, door seal, and spray arms
- Sink, tapware, and drain
- All cabinet interiors and exteriors including hinges
- Walls behind and beside the oven and fridge
Bathrooms
- Shower recess — tiles, grout lines, glass screen, and drain
- Toilet — bowl interior, cistern exterior, base, and seat
- Vanity, mirror, and tapware
- Exhaust fan — dust-caked fans are one of the most commonly missed items
- Tile grout throughout
General throughout every room
- Window glass, tracks, and sills — tracks collect grit and are easy to overlook
- Skirting boards — dust and scuff marks
- Door frames, door handles, and finger plates
- Light switches and power points — these get touched constantly
- Ceiling fans and light fittings
- Blinds — each slat, if applicable
- Walls — any marks, scuffs, or crayon
The five most common failure points
After hundreds of bond cleans in Sydney, these are the items that cause deductions most often:
- 1The oven. Most tenants skip it or clean it inadequately. Agents always open it.
- 2Shower grout. Hard water stains and mould require specific products and time — it cannot be wiped off.
- 3Exhaust fans. Forgotten by most tenants. Checked by most agents.
- 4Window tracks. Grit accumulates in months and looks obvious on inspection.
- 5Range hood filter. Grease is impossible to remove without degreaser and soaking time.
When to schedule the clean
Book the clean after you have moved all your belongings out, as close to the final inspection as possible. Cleaning before you move creates more dust and marks from the moving process. Ideally: move out Friday, clean Saturday, inspection Monday.
DIY versus professional
A thorough bond clean on a 3-bedroom Sydney home takes an experienced team around 6 to 8 hours. Solo, working around a full day, most tenants get through 60 to 70 percent before running out of time or energy. Agents know the difference between a professional clean and a thorough attempt. The oven is usually the giveaway.
The 72-hour guarantee
VeltoClean backs every end of lease clean with a 72-hour guarantee. If the agent identifies a cleaning issue within 72 hours of the final inspection, we return and fix it at no additional cost. You present that to the agent before they write up the report.
A professional bond clean on a 3-bedroom Sydney property typically runs between $380 and $550. One week of bond withheld is typically $500 or more. The maths is straightforward.