A room-by-room list built around what property managers actually check at a final inspection, plus what the Residential Tenancies Authority says about leaving a rental reasonably clean.
Direct Answer
Queensland law does not require you to hire a professional end of lease cleaner. What the property must be is reasonably clean, taking into account how long you lived there and fair wear and tear, and that is the standard your final inspection is measured against. This checklist covers the detail areas inspectors check most often on the Gold Coast.
The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) sets out cleaning and bond obligations for Queensland tenancies at rta.qld.gov.au. In short: the property needs to be left reasonably clean, fair wear and tear is not your responsibility, and any cleaning claim from your bond has to be justified against the entry condition report you signed at the start of the tenancy.
That report is the single most useful document you have. Keep a copy, compare it room by room against this checklist, and photograph each space when you finish. If something was already marked on the entry report, it works in your favour — if it was not, you are expected to return it in the same condition.
Coastal properties on the Gold Coast deserve one extra note: humidity and salt air mean glass, balcony tracks and wet-area seals pick up residue faster than inland homes. Drying surfaces and ventilating bathrooms during the exit clean keeps mould from becoming the item your agent photographs.
Direct answer: kitchens and bathrooms carry the most weight at an inspection, so clean them first while you still have time in hand, then work through living areas, windows and floors.
Running out of time before your inspection?
Send us your suburb, property size and inspection date and we will confirm what can be done and when.
Direct answer: four areas account for most cleaning items raised after an exit inspection. Spend your time there first.
These two items are checked first in almost every exit inspection because they show the clearest difference between a quick wipe and a proper clean.
Soap scum, mould around seals and dull grout are the most common reasons agents raise a cleaning item after the inspection.
Skirting boards, window tracks, skirting corners, light switches and wardrobe interiors are where detail work either shows or does not.
Scuff marks, carpet stains and damage beyond fair wear and tear are assessed against the entry condition report you signed at the start.
Related guides and services for Gold Coast tenants preparing to hand back keys.
Bond Cleaning Cost Gold Coast
What drives the price of a bond clean and how quotes are built.
Bond Cleaning Gold Coast
Book an inspection-ready clean against a room-by-room checklist.
End of Lease Cleaning
Rental exit cleaning scheduled around your handover date.
Detailed Bond Cleaning Checklist
Our longer room-by-room checklist with extra detail for each area.
End of Lease Requirements QLD
What Queensland tenancy rules actually ask of tenants at exit.
Pest Control
Treatment and receipt if your agreement or agent requires one.
Answers for Queensland tenants working through a final inspection on the Gold Coast.
No. Queensland law does not require you to hire a professional cleaner. The property must be left reasonably clean, taking the length of the tenancy and fair wear and tear into account. The Residential Tenancies Authority (rta.qld.gov.au) explains this guidance for tenants and property managers.
Oven and rangehood interiors, shower screens and grout, skirting boards and light switches, internal windows and tracks, cupboard interiors, floors, walls and marks, and any fixtures or fittings damaged beyond fair wear and tear.
Leave a buffer between the clean and your final inspection so anything your agent flags can be corrected before the keys go back. Booking early also gives you more choice of dates during busy move periods.
It depends on your agreement and the condition of the carpets. If carpets were professionally cleaned at the start of the tenancy, or the lease specifically requires it, arrange a hot water extraction clean and keep the invoice.
Some tenancy agreements and pet clauses ask for a pest treatment when the lease ends. Check your entry condition report and lease terms first, then book the treatment so the receipt is ready before your final inspection.
Ventilate the property, dry wet surfaces and clean affected areas as part of the exit clean. Mould caused by condensation or poor ventilation is a cleaning issue, but damage beyond fair wear and tear can be treated separately, so photograph what you have done.
Ask for the specific items in writing, then arrange a correction before the bond claim period runs. If you booked through Wave Solution, contact us with the details and we will review them against the original scope.
Book an inspection-ready end of lease clean across the Gold Coast. We work from this checklist, confirm the scope with you, and can add carpet cleaning and pest treatment in the same booking.
