The End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist Christchurch Property Managers Actually Use

Cleaning is the number one reason bond money is withheld in New Zealand. Not damage, not rubbish, not unpaid rent. Cleaning.

The frustrating part is that most tenants do clean before they leave. They just clean the wrong things. A property manager walking through an empty house does not care that the benches are wiped. They open the oven, they run a finger along the window track, and they look inside the cupboards.

This is the checklist we work from on Christchurch bond cleans, in the order the inspection usually happens.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where most deductions come from, and the oven is where most kitchen deductions come from. An oven that has not been cleaned in two years takes hours of soaking and scraping, not a spray and a wipe.

• Oven interior, racks, trays, door glass and rubber seals
• Rangehood exterior plus the filter, degreased or replaced
• Inside every cupboard, drawer and the pantry, including the runners
• Splashback, benchtops and the join behind the bench
• Sink, plughole and taps, including limescale on the spout
• Behind and underneath the fridge and oven where they pull out

Bathrooms and laundry

Bathrooms are inspected closely because they show neglect fastest. Soap scum on shower glass, mould in the silicone and a dusty extractor fan all get photographed.

• Shower glass, tiles and grout, including the bottom track of the door
• Silicone seals treated for mould
• Extractor fan cover removed and cleaned
• Toilet including behind the bowl and the base of the pedestal
• Vanity inside and out, mirror and any cabinet interior
• Laundry tub, taps and behind the washing machine

Windows, walls and doors

Window tracks are the single most overlooked item in a move-out clean, and the easiest one for an inspector to check. In Christchurch they collect dust, dead insects and mould through winter.

Walls need spot cleaning rather than washing. Scuffs, marks around light switches and handprints near door handles are what get noticed.

• All interior glass, sills and window tracks vacuumed then washed
• Curtains laundered or blinds wiped slat by slat
• Skirting boards, door frames, doors and handles washed
• Light switches, power points and light fittings
• Cobwebs removed from ceiling corners and exterior eaves

Bedrooms and living areas

These rooms are quick once the house is empty, but do not skip the storage. Wardrobes are opened at every inspection.

• Inside wardrobes, shelving and built-in drawers
• Carpet vacuumed including the edges and under where furniture sat
• Hard floors vacuumed then washed
• Heat pump filters cleaned and the unit wiped

Outside and the garage

Outdoor areas are part of the tenancy. A tidy interior and a neglected exterior still reads as a poor handover.

Sweep the garage, clear the letterbox, remove all rubbish including anything left at the side of the house, and make sure the lawns and garden are in the state they were at the start of the tenancy.

Time it right

Clean after the property is completely empty, not around your boxes. An empty house cleans faster and better, and there is no argument later about what was hiding under the couch.

In Christchurch, end of month and the end of the university year are the busiest windows for move-out cleaning. If your tenancy ends then and you plan to use a cleaner, book a week or two ahead.

Kiri's Spring Cleaning . Contact . Christchurch . Cleaning advice