After hundreds of end-of-lease cleans across Brisbane, our team sees the same handful of issues come up again and again on agent inspection reports. Here are the five most common reasons tenants lose part of their bond — and how to make sure they don’t happen to you.
1. The Oven Wasn’t Deep Cleaned
A quick wipe-down isn’t enough. Agents look inside the oven cavity, at the racks, and at the door glass. Baked-on grease needs a dedicated degreasing treatment, not just a sponge and spray.
2. Carpets Were Vacuumed, Not Steam Cleaned
Most Queensland lease agreements specifically require professional carpet steam cleaning with a receipt as proof — vacuuming, even thoroughly, doesn’t satisfy this clause. Keep your steam cleaning receipt; agents often ask for it directly.
3. Mould in Bathroom Grout and Silicone
Mould in shower grout and around silicone sealant is one of the most commonly flagged issues. It needs a specific mould treatment, not just a general bathroom spray, especially if it’s had time to set in.
4. Skirting Boards, Light Switches, and Window Tracks Skipped
These are the details that get missed in a rushed clean but are exactly what an experienced property manager checks first, since they show whether a clean was thorough or superficial.
5. No Pest Control Certificate (Where Required)
Many Queensland leases require a professional pest treatment certificate at handover, separate from cleaning. If your lease includes this clause, skipping it is an automatic inspection fail regardless of how clean the property looks.
The Simple Fix
Book a professional end of lease clean that’s built around the actual checklist your agent will use — that’s the entire premise behind how we structure our service, right down to the 5-Day Re-Clean Guarantee if anything’s missed.
