The Pakenham bond-cleaning checklist.
The exact list Cardinia Shire property managers inspect against, room by room. Use it to clean yourself, or to check that whoever you hire is doing the full job and not just the easy bits.
Pakenham, Officer and Berwick have constant rental turnover, and the big local agencies inspect to a tight, repeatable checklist. Miss an item and your bond gets docked or you are called back to re-clean mid-move. Here is the full list, the same one our bond clean works to.
Kitchen.
- Oven, griller and trays degreased inside and out
- Range hood and the metal filter (a top item agents check)
- Cooktop, splashback and rangehood canopy
- All cupboards and drawers wiped inside and out
- Sink, taps and drain, descaled of hard-water film
- Benchtops, and behind and beside the fridge and oven cavities
Bathrooms and laundry.
- Shower screen descaled until clear, grout and tiles scrubbed
- Toilet, cistern and base
- Vanity, mirror, cupboards and drawers
- Exhaust fan vent cover dusted
- Laundry trough, cupboards and behind the machines
Bedrooms and living areas.
- Wardrobe shelving, rails, doors and mirrors
- Marks and scuffs spot-cleaned off walls
- Skirting boards, door frames, doors and light switches
- Window glass inside, tracks and flyscreens
- Light fittings, ceiling fans and air-con filters dusted
- Carpets steam cleaned (usually a separate receipt the lease requires)
- Hard floors vacuumed and mopped
What agents check hardest.
In our experience across the Cardinia Shire, inspections most often fail on the oven and griller, the range hood filter, window tracks and flyscreens, the shower screen and grout, wall marks and skirting boards. These are exactly the fiddly jobs renters skip when self-cleaning, which is why a guaranteed clean pays for itself. For what it all costs, see our end-of-lease cleaning cost guide.
Know your rights.
Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 and Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance, you must leave the property reasonably clean, allowing for fair wear and tear, but not cleaner than at move-in. You do not have to repaint or wash entire walls, only spot-clean obvious marks. If you would rather hand the whole list to someone else, our guide on how to choose a cleaner in Pakenham helps you pick well.
Checklist questions.
What is on a bond-cleaning checklist in Pakenham?
Every room plus wet areas: oven, griller and range hood filter; cooktop and splashback; cupboards inside and out; bathrooms with screens descaled; toilets; window glass, tracks and flyscreens; skirtings, frames and switches; wall marks; wardrobe shelving; laundry trough; and all floors. Carpets are usually steam cleaned separately with a receipt.
What do agents check most closely?
The oven and griller, range hood filter, window tracks and flyscreens, shower screen and grout, wall marks and skirting boards, the items renters most often miss when self-cleaning.
Do I need to clean the walls?
Spot-clean obvious marks, scuffs and handprints, but you do not have to wash entire walls or repaint, that is fair wear and tear under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.
Can I use this checklist to clean myself?
Yes, it is the same list we work to. The catch is the time and the fiddly items, oven racks, range filters, window tracks, that eat a weekend and are where self-cleans get flagged.
Rather we did the whole list?
A fixed-price, guaranteed bond clean to this exact checklist. No weekend lost.