Tips to getting your bond back at the end of your lease

One of the areas that can cause challenges when renting is the end of the tenancy. It can be a stressful time searching for a new home, packing, moving and then needing to clean and repair any damage to the property you are vacating.

There are a few things that you can do to ensure that you are on track to getting your bond back and finalising the tenancy so that you can move on to your new home with minimal fuss.

Check the copy of your ingoing report

Prior to handing back the keys to the property, check the ingoing report for the condition when you commenced the tenancy. If you have misplaced your copy of the report, contact the property management team and have a copy emailed.

Walk through each room of the property and make a list of any areas that might need attention. It may be chips or marks to paintwork, stains to carpet or damage to other areas of the property.

If there is damage that needs to be repaired, qualified trades can carry out the work and repairing these items prior to vacate or communicating this with your property manager can help with being prepared and addressing any concerns.

Carry out a vacate clean also (known as a bond clean)

A vacate clean can be quite different to a regular weekly clean and requires more deep cleaning of areas that may not get attention week to week. Some common areas that are often missed are range hoods, light fittings, ceiling fans, curtains and blinds, windows, and door tracks.

If you choose to do the cleaning, work through room by room to ensure that nothing is missed. Alternatively, to save time you may choose to hire a professional cleaner.

Hiring trades during the vacate can mean that you have more time to focus on moving into your new home without the stress of knowing that you still need to clean the property you are vacating.  If you hire a professional to do your bond clean, you can provide the property manager with a copy of the receipt.  People who specialise in bond cleans will know every detail that needs to be cleaned.  If you are doing the bond clean yourself and have any questions about the standard that needs to be achieved, a quick call to your property manager may save you needing to retrace your steps.

Pay any outstanding rent and bills

Check with your property manager prior to vacating for any outstanding rent and bills like water usage. If you are breaking your lease, there may also be penalty fees that apply, and these can be paid in advance rather than have them taken out of your bond.

Lastly, make sure that you return all the keys on time on the day of the vacate so that you aren’t liable for any extra costs for rent. Refer to a copy of the keys that you were provided at the start of the tenancy to make sure that you are returning all keys to the property.

If you would like further tips or a guide during the vacate to getting your bond back fast, contact our property management team who are happy to help.

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