Most bond disputes don't come down to one big thing. They come down to a list of small ones — the spots an agent ticks off on a walk-through while you're standing there with the keys in your hand. The good news is that the list barely changes from property to property.
We've sat through enough exit inspections to know exactly where the eye goes. These are the seven that catch people out most often.
1. Oven and rangehood
This is the single most common deduction we see. Agents open the oven door, pull out the trays, and check the glass on the inside. Baked-on grease on the racks or a filmy door is an instant flag.
- Racks soaked and scrubbed, not just wiped
- Inside glass clear on both sides of the door
- Rangehood filter degreased — lift it out and check underneath
2. Skirting boards and door tops
Dust settles where people don't look. Agents do look. Run a damp cloth along skirting boards, the tops of doors and window sills — these collect a grey line that shows up the moment someone checks.
3. Shower screens and grout
“If the shower screen still has water spots, the agent assumes the whole bathroom was rushed.”
Soap scum and hard-water marks on glass are the bathroom equivalent of the oven. They take time and the right product to shift, so leave them till last and don't rush.
4. Marks on walls
Scuffs near light switches, behind doors and along hallways are normal wear — but visible marks still get noted. A gentle spot-clean handles most of them. Anything that needs repainting is a separate conversation with your agent.
5. Carpet edges and corners
Vacuuming the middle of a room is easy. The edges, corners and under-bed areas are where dust and hair build up, and that's exactly where an agent runs their eye.
6. Window tracks and sills
Sliding-door and window tracks fill with grit. A vacuum nozzle followed by a damp cloth makes the difference between 'clean' and 'close enough'.
7. The forgotten spaces
- Inside cupboards and drawers, fully emptied and wiped
- Behind and beside the fridge and washing machine
- Exhaust fans in bathrooms and laundry
- The garage floor, if one is included on the lease
A bond clean is really just this list, done thoroughly and in the right order. If you'd rather hand it over, that's what our end-of-lease team does every day — and we work to the same agency checklist the inspectors use.
