End of Tenancy Cleaning Checklist for Wellington Rentals

What standard does a Wellington rental need to meet?

The standard is reasonably clean and tidy. Tenancy Services' guide to ending a tenancy also asks you to remove all your belongings, take your rubbish away, return every key and leave behind anything the landlord supplied, such as appliances.

In practice, reasonable gets judged at the final inspection, so clean for that walk-through. Expect the property manager to open the oven, pull out a drawer or two, run a finger along a skirting board and slide the ranch slider to look at its track.

Wellington rentals have a couple of extra trouble spots. After a damp winter, plenty of older villas and weatherboard flats have mould spotting on the bathroom ceiling and around single-glazed window frames. And a few weeks of strong northerlies will pack grit into every track in the house.

Room-by-room end of tenancy cleaning checklist

Use this as your bond cleaning checklist. Work top to bottom in each room so dust falls onto floors you haven't done yet, and leave the floors themselves until last.

Vacuum every window and door track before you wipe it, because a wet cloth turns loose grit into mud.

Which spots do tenants miss most often?

The usual misses are rangehood filters, window tracks, skirting boards, shower glass, light switches and the inside of cupboards. You stop seeing them when you live with them every day, but a property manager will find them in seconds.

• Rangehood filters: soak metal mesh filters in hot, soapy water and scrub them with a soft brush. Wipe the hood and the wall above the cooktop while they soak.
• Window tracks: vacuum out the grit and dead insects, then wipe with a damp cloth. Ranch slider tracks usually hold the most.
• Skirting boards: wipe every board in every room with a damp microfibre cloth. Older villas have tall, moulded skirtings that hold a surprising amount of dust.
• Shower glass: scrub soap scum off with a bathroom cleaner and a non-scratch pad, then squeegee it dry. Check the seals and bottom track for mould while you're there.
• Light switches and power points: fingermarks build up so slowly you stop noticing them. A cloth with a little spray cleaner, never wet enough to drip, sorts them in minutes.
• Inside cupboards and drawers: empty every one, vacuum the crumbs from the corners and wipe the shelves. The pantry, wardrobes, hot water cupboard and the cupboard under the sink all count.

In Wellington, mould is the one that catches people out. If it has spotted the bathroom ceiling or the window frames over winter, a quick wipe won't shift the stain, so deal with it properly a few days before you hand back the keys.

How do you protect your bond refund?

Clean to the standard, then record it. Bond refunds go through Tenancy Services, and you should get your full general bond back if the property is in reasonable condition, meets the tenancy agreement, has no damage beyond fair wear and tear, needs no repairs and has nothing owing on it.

1. Book early. Move-out cleans bunch up towards the end of the month, so lock in a date a week or two ahead.
2. Check your tenancy agreement for a carpet-cleaning clause. Tenancy Services says you don't always have to get carpets professionally cleaned unless that's needed to bring the property up to standard, and the clause may be unenforceable. If there are stains or pet smells, a professional clean is usually the simplest way to get there.
3. Clean once the furniture is out. You can't reach carpet edges or the dust under beds while the room is still full.
4. Take dated photos at handover. Photograph every room, the inside of the oven and fridge, and any marks already noted on your entry inspection report.
5. Do the final inspection together if you can. Tenancy Services says most landlords want to inspect before agreeing to a refund, and suggests taking photos.

After the inspection, the landlord lodges the refund request with Tenancy Services online, and every tenant named on the bond agrees or disagrees with the amount. If you can't agree and can't sort it out between you, the Tenancy Tribunal can help.

Book your clean for the day before the final inspection, so there's time to fix anything you notice on a last walk-through.

Is professional end of tenancy cleaning in Wellington worth it?

It's worth it when time is short or the place needs more than a tidy-up. If you've kept on top of a small flat, you can do it yourself over a weekend. A family home with a greasy oven and the moving truck booked for Saturday is another matter, and that's when it pays to hand the job over.

Apex's end of tenancy cleaning follows a full property checklist to inspection standard, and you get a receipt to show your landlord or property manager. A standard two or three bedroom rental usually takes about half a day. Carpet cleaning can be added to the same visit, and most carpets dry in 2 to 6 hours. We do move-in cleans too, if you'd like the new place fresh before the boxes arrive.

Our team handles move-out cleaning across Wellington City, from Te Aro apartments to houses in Karori and Johnsonville, and throughout Lower Hutt. Leaving a rental in the Hutt or Porirua? Read our guides to bond cleaning in Lower Hutt and rental cleaning in Porirua.

Book your move-out clean before the rush

Work through the checklist room by room, and keep your photos until the bond is back. If you'd rather hand over the whole job, Apex gives free, fixed quotes before any work starts, and if anything is missed and you tell us within 24 hours, we'll come back and re-clean it free. Call 022-606-4460 (Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm) or request a free quote.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in an end of tenancy clean?

A thorough end of tenancy clean covers the whole property: the kitchen including the oven and rangehood, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, laundry, windows, floors and the inside of cupboards and wardrobes. The goal is the reasonably clean and tidy standard Tenancy Services expects from tenants moving out. Carpet cleaning is often booked as an extra.

Do I have to get the carpets professionally cleaned when I move out?

Not always. Tenancy Services says you don't always have to get carpets professionally cleaned unless that's needed to bring the property up to a reasonably clean and tidy standard, and a clause requiring it may be unenforceable. If the carpet has stains, spills or pet odour, a professional clean is usually the simplest fix.

How long does an end of tenancy clean take?

Apex usually completes a standard two or three bedroom rental in about half a day. Bigger homes, a heavily greased oven, mould or a lot of wall marks add time. If you're doing it yourself, allow at least a full day, and finish before the final inspection rather than on the morning of handover.

How do I get my bond back in New Zealand?

Bond refunds go through Tenancy Services. After the final inspection, the landlord lodges the refund request online and every tenant on the bond agrees or disagrees with the amount. You should get the full general bond back if the property is in reasonable condition, has no damage beyond fair wear and tear, needs no repairs and nothing is owed.