How to Get Your Bond Back

Are you a renter facing the stress and hassle of moving house? This intense time can also become costly, which is the last thing you need on top of the moving costs, the main concern you’ll have is how to get your bond back.  

The main risk you run into when leaving a rental is losing your bond. Your bond is the four weeks rent you pay ahead moving into your rental as a security deposit. This is held in case you damage the property or leave it in a bad condition. Let’s get into our full guide on how to get your bond back.  

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 when you’re leaving a home you’ve loved and lived in well?  

Your real estate or landlord can take some of your bond if you cause damage to the property beyond reasonable wear and tear or don’t leave the property in the same state as you entered it.  

Most real estate property managers will issue you a specific list of cleaning tasks required when you are leaving the property. This often includes cleaning all walls, windows, floors, skirting boards, oven and rangehood, air conditioner filters and sometimes providing receipts from professional carpet cleaning if your rental has carpet. Essentially, they are expecting the property to be completely scrubbed from top to bottom.  

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

Ten Cleaning Commandments Relocating Renters Need To Know 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

 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. 

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. 

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. 

Go the extra mile– 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. 

Clean outdoor bin disposal areas carefully to avoid leaving behind very dirty or unhygienic traces. 

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 offer professional End of Lease / Bond cleaning services. 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!