TL;DR
Your bond is all determined by one walkthrough. The cleanliness will be determined by how the property managers compare the move-out condition to the Property Condition Report. There is no need to perfect an impossible standard. Property managers will be looking for visible grime, lingering smells, built-up dirt, and areas of the property that are forgotten, for example, rangehood filters, shower screens, and fabric blinds. Reasonably clean means that the property is clean enough to be move-in ready for the next occupant. Whenever we move out of a property, we are expected to leave it in a reasonably clean condition. This guide delves into the nitty-gritty of what will be met with a pass, what will be met with a fail, what areas of the cleaning bond are most battled over in Perth and how to do your final clean without a dilemma.
Why Some Tenants Pass and Others Don’t
The property manager has just left.
Your phone goes off with an email.
Before you open it, your stomach tenses.
That moment, your heart sinks. This is the moment everyone in Perth goes through to wait and see if their cleaning is enough. Some do get their total bond back with no more strings attached and others are left disputing deductions.
What surprises people is that “reasonably clean” is an undefined term. Impossible to quantify or measure. No checklists. No point system. A property manager walks through a vacant rental, and based on a document that you probably once skimmed during your onboarding, they make a decision.
Some tenants will scrub a rental for three days and still lose points for rangehood filters. Others do a very basic clean and exit with everything. Often, the difference is not effort, but knowing where inspectors choose to focus their all-seeing eyes.
This guide is made to short-circuit this process. There is no guesswork or vague directions on what is and is not important. It’s all commonsense. Whether you are handling the clean yourself or you are considering bond cleaning in Perth.
How Property Managers Really Assess Cleanliness
White glove tests and flashlights do not assess property managers. They are doing something much simpler. They are thinking of the next prospective tenant they need to show the property to.
REIWA’s guide on rental inspections illustrates that overall tidiness and cleanliness are some of the most important considerations for property managers. As much as possible, the property should look how it did when you first moved in, minus the normal wear and tear.
What They Are Looking For
Dirt and residue. Anything that is easy to see. Greasy splatters across the stovetop. Dust that is sitting on the skirting boards. A shower that has foggy glass that is covered in a film. If a property manager is doing a visual inspection and sees it, it will definitely be noted.
Odour. This is the first thing that someone notices the moment that they step inside the property. If the property has a strong smell of pets, mustiness, old bins, or mildew, it will be obvious and won’t be a good sign.
Accumulation versus fair wear. A bench top that has faint signs of use looks great compared to a bench top that has a layer of stickiness built up from neglect and use from multiple months of daily cooking. Inspectors can tell when cleaning has been avoided and when the state of the property has been maintained.
The condition report. When you first moved in, you most likely did a property condition report. As per Consumer Protection WA’s information, landlords will look at the condition of the property when you rent it to compare it to the condition of the property when you vacate to see how it has been maintained. If the original report stated, “The bathroom is clean and has no visible mould”, that is the standard that is expected.
Simple Thoughts on the Topic
Think to yourself: if someone were to walk in and ask, “Has this area been properly cleaned?” What would your immediate, gut reaction be? If it would be to answer “Yes,” then you’d be safe in your answer.
Pass or Fail: What to Expect During Your Perth Inspection
Yes, we have experience with theories, but what we really want to see are some great examples. That is what makes the real difference.
| Area | Pass (Reasonably Clean) | Fail (Inspection Issue) |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen benches | Bench space wiped with no dirty patches | Food residue, greasy smudges, visible stains |
| Oven interior | Slight marking from normal oven usage | Heavy residue, layers of blackened grease |
| Rangehood & filters | Degreased, filters thoroughly washed | Heavy grease build-up, mesh filters clogged |
| Bathroom tiles | Free of dirt, no discolouration in the grout | Soap scum build-up with visible mould |
| Shower screen | Clear glass, no clouding | Dusty glass, scale residue from hard water |
| Toilet | Bowl and exterior clean | Stains, rings of limescale build-up |
| Floors | Vacuumed, mopped, free from any debris | Visible dust, sticky residue, pet hair |
| Walls | Slight scuff marks from regular daily living | Obvious handprints, marks, sticker residue |
| Carpets | Professionally cleaned with no stains | Matted fibres, stains, and odour |
| Blinds | Clean and dust-free slats | Accumulated dust and staining |
| Windows & tracks | Glass clean, tracks cleared | Black grime in runners, dirt build-up |
| Cupboards inside | Left empty, thoroughly wiped | Crumbs, liner residue, sticky spots |
One thing well worth doing: Consumer Protection WA suggests including time-stamped photos along with your condition report. If any issues occur later, those pictures serve as the best proof you could have.
Common Areas That Fail Vacate Inspections in Perth
Some places repeatedly catch rental occupants. Not because they are concealed, but because they are so easy to miss when you are focused on more obvious things.
Ovens and Rangehoods
After a year of regular and consistent cooking, many people will open the oven of their rental for the first time to see this. Grease gets burnt into the oven. Any spills that happen from cooking will burn onto the oven and become a major issue that cannot be cleaned away with regular spray and wipe.
Rangehood filter screens are often the opposite. A thick, sticky layer of grease builds on those nets from cooking. A quick wipe with a wet towel will not cut it, that net will need to be soaked and cleaned.
Shower Screens and Bathroom Surfaces
Soap scum builds up over time. Because it happens so gradually, it can be easy to miss. However, property managers don’t miss it and will see the cloudy shower screen that is nearly impossible to see through.
Every tenant encounters Perth’s most common failure point and that is glass, the surrounding tiles, and grout grime removal. Shower glass and bathroom tiles need far greater attention than most tenants anticipate and expect.
Blinds — The Problem Nobody Warns You About
When it comes to blinds, there is no standard cleaning method that works. You can dust. You can vacuum. You can wipe each slat down and they will still be dirty and look filthy for the inspection.
Where things get extremely tricky is the fabric blinds. Vertical blinds, holland blinds, block out blinds — these materials soak up cooking dust and grime over time and become tacky. Regular household cleaning cannot pull out the dirt that over time has become embedded in the fabric. Lots of tenants will put in the effort and remain committed during their time, but still get blinds flagged during their handover.
It’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter.
Skirting Boards and Light Switches
Most people clean to eye level, and anything below that gets skipped and forgotten.
Skirting boards gather dust and grime over time and are soon unnoticed. Light switches are touched daily hundreds of times and during each touch grime is deposited. They are easy to clean yet are always missed visually but are quick to address.
Inside of Cupboards and Wardrobes
Just because a cupboard is empty does not mean it is clean. Nooks collect crumbs and dust, sticky shelf patches and liner paper are leftovers. All of it is mentally noted.
Every cupboard, each drawer, and every shelf in wardrobes. All of them need a thorough wipe, not just a quick glance.
Window Tracks
Everyone remembers to clean the glass, but the tracks underneath are almost always forgotten.
Sliding door runners and window tracks collect dirt, dead bugs, and sticky black stuff. It is very noticeable during a cleaning inspection and once dirt is collected, it is very hard to remove.
External Areas and Leftover Items
Consumer Protection WA’s moving out guide states that for the bond process to progress, it is in the best interest of the tenant to leave the property empty and well clean. When properties are not in similar condition to when the landlord handed them over, issues can arise.
Forgotten boxes in the garage, garden waste piled near the bins, lost random items strewn in the shed. Each detail contributes to an overall verdict that the property was not cleaned in detail, even when the interior looks spot on.
What Reasonably Clean Does NOT Mean
Tenants often exhaust themselves chasing standards that do not even exist. Some misunderstandings need clarification.
It Doesn’t Mean a Real Estate Photo Finish
You’re not preparing the home’s interior for a listing photo shoot. If the inspection is noting little faults, like a very tiny mark on the vinyl flooring or traffic patterns that lightly wear on the carpet, that’s not a fail.
It Doesn’t Mean Erasing Every Trace of Living There
Fair wear and tear is a principle of reason. There is carpet compression, some small scuffs around the door handles that are frequently used, and faint discolourations on old surfaces. These are not neglect or damage. These are remaining from normal use.
It Doesn’t Mean Replicating Verbatim What Was Written in Your Move-In Report
If the original condition report on the tiles for example 18 months ago referred to them as being in “excellent condition,” no one in their right mind would be expecting that exact description now. Comparison is being made on the grounds of reasonable care being taken, not time travel.
It Doesn’t Mean Clinical Level Sanitisation
Your property managers are not taking laboratory swabs on your benchtops. They’re looking for a standard that is clean enough for someone to comfortably move into. Visible dirt is the issue. Microscopic dirt isn’t.
What Does Ready to Relet Actually Mean?
It’s whether your unit is tidy to the point where a tenant entering the space would not have to ask for additional cleaning to be done before moving in their furniture. The space should be clean enough to not have excessive grime, accumulation, visible spills, or smells. Reasonably comparable to move-in condition, accounting for the fact that someone has actually been living there.
The target is clean and ready — not showroom-style brand new.
Before the Final Inspection: Self-Check Your Work
Act in the self-critical role of being an inspector. Go through your rental with the same mindset as a person inspecting it.
The Smell Test
Step outside first. Wait a few minutes. Then walk back through the front door and breathe in. It’s the kind of musty, pet, leftover, stale smell that’s really unbearable. If no one has been living in your space for a while then it should have completely fresh air.
The Crouch Test
Take a more kid-like position. Get low. Check some corners, floor edges, and some places where the dust doesn’t always get attention like the bottom of where a wall and floor meet.
The Angle Test
Check reflective surfaces from different positions. Shower screens, mirrors, glass cooktops, stainless steel appliances — grime often hides in direct light but becomes obvious when you shift your viewing angle.
The Touch Test
Use your palm to feel the tops of benches, the fronts of cupboards, light switches, and door handles. Do they feel sticky, gritty, or greasy? Your fingers will detect things your eyes can’t see.
The Open Everything Test
Every cupboard and drawer. Every wardrobe. Inside the oven. Under the rangehood cover. The places that people skip are the exact places that inspectors do not skip.
The Perimeter Check
Take a stroll outside. Are the bins emptied? Are the garden beds tidy? Is there anything forgotten in the garage or shed? Do the outdoor areas in totality.
Document Everything
Take pictures of every room and every area that you cleaned, making sure to capture the timestamp. If there are queries later on, that documentation is what will prove the condition you left things in.
When Professional Bond Cleaning Makes Sense
Not every move-out is the place of work of a team of professional cleaners. If it is an apartment that has been cleaned regularly and is in good shape, you are probably fine doing a good, solid weekend of focused effort.
However, there are particular situations that do require you to get in specialists.
Your Schedule Works Against You
Lease ends Thursday, and you need to settle into your new place on Wednesday. You also work late every night before that, and there is just no time left to do a thorough clean that an inspection requires.
The Property Is Bigger Than You Realised
Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious kitchen, not to mention outdoor spaces. There is a lot to clean. Professional teams with commercial-level equipment work faster.
You Had Pets
Pets leave behind odours that are absorbed and ingrained into everything. There is hair everywhere. It’s accumulated over an entire tenancy and standard vacuuming and mopping won’t remove it.
You’ve Already Failed One Inspection
This time is much more serious. Professionals know what gets flagged and how to deal with exactly those problem areas.
Certain Areas Need Specialist Treatment
Some areas need more than just some hard work. The oven that is caked with grease. The shower screen with soap scum that is years old. Carpets that are stained or smelly. The grime that is trapped in fabric blinds.
The Truth About Carpet Cleaning
Something that is worth noting is that many bond cleaning businesses advertise carpet cleaning in their services but the standard is pretty hit and miss.
Basic extraction is what most bond cleaners offer but it is the bare minimum. If carpets are stained, if there have been pets, or it is in need of some serious built up grime removal, hot water extraction is required from specialist carpet cleaners in Perth.
If you are worried about carpets, it is important to inquire as to which cleaning method will be used. The industry standard for carpet cleaning is hot water extraction, as this is the only method that provides deep cleaning, rather than simply surface extraction.
When You Need Certainty
If it is inspection day, and you are on the fence about whether your cleaning will be satisfactory, especially for high-risk cleaning tasks like ovens, bathrooms, carpets and blinds, you can remove that uncertainty with professional bond cleaning.
FAQs
What are the most common reasons for a vacate inspection to fail in Perth?
The most common fail reasons are ovens with baked on grease, carpets with visible stains, and shower screens with soap scum build up. Also, rangehood filters, window tracks, fabric blinds, cupboard interiors and drip trays can be a pain. Property managers will usually compare this with your original condition report, and any comparison that shows a big discrepancy in condition is likely to be flagged.
Are marks on the wall acceptable?
If scuff marks or light marks are left from general day to day living, and are clearly meant to indicate general wear and tear, this is usually acceptable. However things like handprints, visible scuff patterns, or any other form of patterns that are clearly due to negligence rather than normal use will probably stand out and get flagged. The big question is whether that mark is likely to represent normal daily living, or something beyond general reasonable use.
Can a property fail inspection purely because of smell?
Yes, for reasons already mentioned. Persistent odours signal to inspectors that problematic concerns also remain. Odours of pets, cigarettes, and any signs of mould, mildew, and outdated carpets are all concerns that could lead someone to fail a property inspection. Properties that appear to be way better than the rest are not exempt from potential failure if the presence of smell is not addressed. Smelly carpets, draperies, and other soft furnishings are often the culprits of trapping odours and are in need of specialised treatment for removal.
How clean do carpets actually need to be?
Carpets should be to a standard in which all stains have been addressed and there should be no odours. An exact move-in standard does not need to be observed, but the proximity should be to a standard of an even carpet. If carpets are in a state in which there is a pet history, or in which there is significant grime that is not easily lifted, basic methods of extraction are of no use. Depending on the nature of the carpet, if there is heavy soiling, the carpet is more so in need of a specialised cleaning.
Should I attend the final inspection myself?
Yes. This is because you will be in a position to raise matters that are of concern on the spot, find out if these concerns are recorded, and if these concerns are little matters, to address them immediately. This is also why you should obtain the details of the inspection. To facilitate this process, take the original move-in inspection document and the photos that you took upon move-out.
What if there is a discrepancy with the findings?
Your objections must be presented in a clear format that incorporates images and detailed explanations. To dispute a claim made within an unfair bond claim, you may appeal it as part of a bond dispute process — understanding your obligations under WA vacate cleaning requirements strengthens your position significantly. Most disagreements can be resolved with some back and forth and negotiation, but formal processes exist when there is a deadlock.
Final Takeaway
The goal of your inspection is not to receive a perfect score. Rather, it is to submit a property that has been properly cleaned, is free of odours, and has been returned in similar condition to when it was received.
Pay attention to the areas that matter the most, as it may not always be the areas that you think. Ensure that you clean the most important areas, such as the kitchens and bathrooms, as well as the carpets, blinds, and window tracks. Ensure that you perform an extensive self-check before the scheduled inspection, and document your entire property using photographs.
If there is not a lot of time before the inspection, and it is a large property that requires a lot of effort, keep in mind that there are professional services available for cleaning. This will help you to get your bond back and not have an unfinished and lengthy cleaning dispute at the end of your tenancy.