Bond cleaning checklist for Townsville rentals (QLD)

Bond disputes in Queensland are overwhelmingly about cleaning. When the RTA publishes its dispute data, cleaning sits at or near the top of the list every year — ahead of damage, ahead of rent arrears. It is also the most avoidable category, because unlike a cracked benchtop, cleaning is entirely within your control on the way out.

The frustrating part is that “professionally cleaned” is not a defined standard. What actually matters is the entry condition report you signed when you moved in, and whether the property comes back to that condition allowing for fair wear and tear. Everything below is organised around the things Townsville property managers write up most often.

Before you start: three things that decide the outcome

Find your entry condition report. This is the single most useful document you have. If the report noted the oven was already stained at entry, you are not required to return it spotless. If it said “clean” and it isn’t, that’s on you. Photograph everything at exit the same way you (hopefully) did at entry.

Understand fair wear and tear. Under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld), you are not liable for deterioration that happens through normal use over time. Sun-faded curtains in a Townsville west-facing room: fair wear and tear. Mould on those curtains because the windows were never opened: not fair wear and tear.

Book the clean for after the removalists. Every year people clean a half-full house, then scuff the walls dragging a fridge out. Empty first, clean second, photograph third.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where most bond money is withheld, and the oven is where most kitchen money is withheld.

Oven — racks, trays, glass door (including between the glass panes on most modern ovens), the seal, and the frame around the cavity. Grill trays are the most commonly missed item in the entire property.
Rangehood — degrease the filters, wipe the canopy, replace the carbon filter if the lease requires it.
Cooktop — burners, trivets, drip trays, and the control knobs, which collect a grease film that shows immediately under a phone torch.
Inside every cupboard and drawer — including the runners and the toe kick. Pull the drawers out where you can.
Dishwasher — filter, spray arms, seal, and the gasket channel where black residue collects.
Fridge cavity — if the fridge is the landlord’s, clean it and leave the door ajar. If it’s yours, clean the floor and wall behind where it stood.
Splashback and grout, benchtops, sink, drain, and taps descaled.

Townsville’s water is hard enough that limescale on taps and glass builds faster than in southern cities. A cheap descaler and ten minutes prevents a “bathroom fittings not cleaned” note.

Bathrooms and laundry

Shower screen glass free of soap scum and water spotting — hold a torch at an angle to see what the inspector will see.
Grout and silicone: mould treated, not painted over. If silicone is permanently black, it may be a maintenance issue rather than a cleaning one — raise it in writing rather than ignoring it.
Exhaust fan covers removed and washed. Almost nobody does this. Inspectors know that.
Toilet: bowl, under the rim, the cistern, the seat hinges, and the floor behind the pedestal.
Mirrors, cabinets inside and out, drawer runners.
Laundry: tub, taps, behind and under the washing machine, the lint filter in a supplied dryer, and the dryer vent.

Living areas and bedrooms

Walls — spot-clean marks, but do not scrub flat paint with a magic eraser, which burnishes it and leaves a visible patch worse than the mark.
Skirting boards, architraves, door tops and door tracks. Sliding door tracks are a guaranteed check in any property with a patio.
Ceiling fans — the top edge of every blade. In North Queensland these are in constant use and collect a surprising amount.
Air conditioner filters — pull, wash, dry fully, refit. Also wipe the face of the unit and the vents.
Windows — inside glass, sills, and tracks. Vacuum the tracks first, then wipe; wiping first just makes mud.
Flyscreens — brush or hose them. Coastal dust and salt build a grey film.
Light fittings — covers washed, insects removed.
Carpets — professionally steam cleaned if the lease requires it, and keep the receipt. Many Queensland leases require it only if pets were kept.
Blinds — slats wiped individually, not just dusted.

Outside

Townsville properties get judged on the outside more than southern rentals, because so much living happens there.

Patio and balcony swept, mould-treated where needed.
Garage floor swept, oil spots treated.
Cobwebs cleared from eaves — they come back fast here, so do this last.
Lawn mowed and edged, garden beds weeded, green waste removed.
Pool cleaned and chemically balanced if applicable.
Bins washed out and empty. A bin left full is an easy write-up.

What a professional bond clean should include

If you hire someone, ask specifically whether the quote includes:

Oven, rangehood filters and cooktop as standard, not as an add-on.
Interior windows, tracks and flyscreens.
Walls spot-cleaned.
What happens if the agent raises issues — whether a return visit is included, costs extra, or isn’t offered.

Get the answer in writing either way. And whatever you’re told, don’t move furniture back in until the exit inspection clears — any follow-up clean needs an empty property.

The mistakes that cost people their bond

Cleaning before moving out. The clean has to be the last thing.
Missing the exit inspection. Attend if you can. If you can’t, ask for the exit report and photos.
No photographic evidence. Take date-stamped photos of every room, the oven interior, and the meter readings. It costs five minutes and it is the only thing that wins a QCAT dispute.
Accepting a vague deduction. The lessor must justify a claim. “Cleaning — $450” with no invoice or scope is contestable. You have the right to dispute through the RTA’s free conciliation service before it goes anywhere near a tribunal.
Leaving it to the last morning. A three-bedroom exit clean is a full day for two experienced people. It is not a Saturday morning.

How long it actually takes

As a rough planning guide for an average, reasonably maintained Townsville property:

Property	Two experienced cleaners
1 bed unit	3 – 4 hours
2 bed unit	4 – 6 hours
3 bed house	6 – 9 hours
4 bed house	8 – 12 hours

Add time for heavy oven build-up, pets, smokers, or a property that hasn’t had a deep clean in years.

Need a bond clean in Townsville? Request a callback with your move-out date. Small units we can often price over the phone; for houses we’ll book a quick free look and give you a fixed written price, with the checklist agreed before we start.

This article is general information, not legal advice. For your rights and obligations as a tenant or lessor in Queensland, see the Residential Tenancies Authority at rta.qld.gov.au.