How to Get Your Bond Back

Are you a renter facing the stress and hassle of moving house? This intense time is also likely to be one of the most financially counterproductive situations you can find yourself in – unless you play your cards right.

We’re talking about getting your bond back. While the last thing you might want to put your attention into is cleaning the house before you hand back your keys, it should be among the first things you make time, or put aside money for. Here’s why:

Real estate agents are well known for having almost completely unrealistic expectations of how a house should look after it ceases to be your home. Unless you already know a lot about cleaning, and intend to invest a lot of elbow grease into cleaning your home before you leave, you stand to lose out. It’s a level of demand we’re familiar with, and angered by, but we have little power to change the outcome of a bond deduction once it’s been requested.

What is a Bond Deduction?

A bond deduction is an amount of money that is taken out of the sum you pay to take over the lease of your new rental property, in addition to rent. It’s a legal agreement, and the owner of the property is entitled to take from that a sum of money however much is deemed necessary by the agent to repair any damage done to the home while you’re living in it.

So, what’s the best way to get your bond back at the end of your lease and when you’re leaving a home you’ve loved and lived in well? Should you:

a) Walk around on eggshells until you move outb) Hold unnecessary expectations in keeping the home free of damagec) Write off the bond from the word god) Out-fox your real estate agent and find out how to get every cent of your bond back?

If you answered anything other than d, you could be in trouble. While it’s important to be respectful about keeping your home clean to an extent as a renter, you should be able to live the way you like without worrying.

Most renters have two choices; 1. Do it yourself, or 2. Have someone else do it, or at least part of it.

Let’s find out how to get that bond back without bending over backwards.

Ten cleaning commandments relocating renters need to know

1. Refer to copies of the condition report you signed when you move in, to help you establish which damage you’re legally liable for and what damage, if any, you don’t need to think or worry about.
2. Remove hanging pictures, stickers or art from walls as soon as possible to find out if the walls have sustained any damage from them being there. The more time you have to deal with damaged walls, the better.
3. Start checking for damage a few weeks before you’re due to hand in the keys. This leaves you with time to tackle larger jobs and work your way down to the less demanding ones.
4. Don’t attempt to clean the carpets yourself. Most agencies request a professional cleaning business steam carpets and you will need to provide proof of receipt.
5. Invest in the hire of a skip. Agents love finding rubbish left on a property because it’s an instant fee for a removals company to remove it from the premises.
6. Look up: Light fittings, ceilings and windows need to be left free of debris and cobwebs. Extra attention here is warranted especially if you don’t often use these areas.
7. Know your oven. Many renters don’t think their oven is a big problem until they find out their agent is deducting money from their bond in order to clean it.
8. Don’t go for minimal – you need to make sure your bathroom is spotless. As a space of hygiene, your agent will want it to impress new renters- seeing a lack of effort in cleaning it thoroughly as an opportunity to draw money from that bond.
9. Clean outdoor bin disposal areas carefully to avoid leaving behind very dirty or unhygienic traces.
10. If you’re running out of time, don’t stress out by trying to finish everything yourself. Help from an End of Lease Cleaner may be just a call away.

End of Lease Cleaners – Your Heroes

Who are these heroes, we hear you ask?

Absolute Domestics are professional End of Lease Cleaners. Our professionally trained cleaners are equipped with the necessary cleaning products, tools and equipment used to deliver the high quality clean needed to meet real estate standards. We provide a thorough clean of your leased property, paying particular attention to fittings such as blinds, curtains, windows and curtain tracks.

Click here to book in an End-of-Lease cleaning service today!