It’s vital a rental property is spotlessly clean before a new tenant moves in; no-one wants to move into a house full of other people’s dirt, and tenants shouldn’t have to run the vacuum cleaner over dirty carpets or start scrubbing cupboards before they unpack their belongings.

Furthermore, by starting with a clean property, you are setting the standard for the incoming tenant.

In the ideal world, the outgoing tenant will leave your property in immaculate condition. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen in the rush to pack their belongings, and cleaning often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list.

We always use a professional cleaner; they know what to look for and what works best for removing the different types of dirt.

For those the landlords who don’t mind rolling up their sleeves and using a bit of elbow grease, here is a cleaning checklist for your rental property:

Leave enough time

First and foremost, make sure you have enough time to clean your property; unless you are a pro, it will always take longer than you think!

Be methodical

Clean each room one at a time, so tasks aren’t inadvertently missed. We suggest starting with bedrooms and bathrooms, and then move onto the living room and finally the kitchen. We suggest cleaning the kitchen last as you’re sure to want to put the kettle on and have a tea break at some point!

Ideally you should finish with the room where the exit door is, so you can quickly mop or vacuum the floor before you leave.

Halls, living room and bedrooms

Clean a room from top to bottom – literally. De-cobweb ceilings and use a damp cloth to wipe surfaces; dusting with a dry cloth tends to move the dust from one location to another.

• Wipe all surfaces in the room including: tops of doors, door frames, skirting boards, windowsills, picture rails, dado rails, fans, curtain rails and venetian blinds.
• If it’s a fabric blind, vacuum both sides.
• Clean light switches, light bulbs/lampshades and plug sockets.
• Vacuum carpets and clean them if necessary. Mop hard flooring, such as laminate.
• Polish touch points including door knobs and outlet covers.

If there is furniture in the bedrooms or living room, wipe all surfaces down and clean inside drawers and wardrobes. Also vacuum mattresses, sofas and any other material surfaces on furniture.

Make the bathroom sparkle

Bathrooms must be hygienic and clean, so some extra elbow grease is likely required in this room!

• Wash and sanitise sinks, fixtures, countertops, baths, shower walls and screens. Change the shower curtain if it’s looking grimy.
• Scrub the grout.
• Use separate scrub brushes and cleaning cloths for toilets.
• Polish mirrors and shower doors.
• Wipe also surfaces. This includes visible pipework, behind the toilet and sink, skirting boards and other woodwork, towel rail and toilet roll holder, vanity cabinets and inside drawers.
• Clean light switch, exhaust fan.
• Vacuum and mop the floor.

Now is a good time to check the water is running well in the sink, shower, bath and toilet and to clear any blockages causing slow drainage. Also check under sinks and behind toilets for any signs of leaking water and mould.

Clean up the kitchen

The kitchen will probably take the longest to clean, as there are a lot of surfaces to deal with. Main tasks in the kitchen include:

• Wipe all surfaces in the room including: tops of doors, door frames, skirting boards, windowsills, picture rails, dado rails, fans, curtain rails and venetian blinds.
• Wipe down and degrease the extractor fan hood.
• Vacuum any loose debris and wipe cupboard, drawers and shelving units.
• Clean the oven inside as well as outside. If the oven is really bad there are professional oven cleaning services you can use.
• Scrub the cooktop and degrease around knobs and gas rings.
• Scrub and degrease the tiles/splashback, in particular around the stove where grease and splashes are most evident.
• Clean inside and outside of other appliances.
• Clean all woodwork, work surface, doors, handles, light fixtures and fittings, switches, and plug sockets.
• Clean and disinfect the kitchen bin if built-in.
• Scrub the sink and clean out the drain. Remove hard water marks and limescale from drainers and taps. Polish a stainless steel sink.
• Vacuum and mop the floor.

Other cleaning areas

Give your tenants something to see! Clean windows thoroughly.

Take photos

Finally, take photos of the finished rooms; as well as having a record of what the property needs to look like when your current tenant moves out, you’ll also have a record should any disputes arise during their tenancy.

Get in touch and see how our property management services can make your life easier and free you up to do more of the things you want to do.

Simply give us a ring on 02 4956 9777, send us an email to mail@newcastlepropertymanagement.com.au or pop into our Cardiff office for a chat.

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