Preparing Your Home For Rent

A Guide to Getting Your Property Ready for Tenancy

For your convenience we wish to provide you with a guide to getting your property ready for your new tenant. It covers common areas overlooked by owners when moving out.We have also structured the guide into a convenient format.

Things To Do

• Have your mail redirected - Please ensure that all mail is re-directed to your new address.

• Utilities - Electricity, Gas, Phone, etc. Please ensure all accounts are advised and cancelled accordingly. The only services to remain in your name (with your new postal address) is water and council rates, or directed to our address if you wish us to pay them for you.

• Appliance Manuals - Please leave them on the kitchen counter.

• Keys - Please ensure all locks have keys. Please supply 2 full sets of keys (one for our office, one for the tenant)

• Advice for tenants - Prepare a list for the tenants regarding useful tips about things such as bin night and advice on appliances.

Cleaning Guide

Inside the property

• Walls - please clean off any dirty marks, removable scuff marks, finger or food marks etc.

• Ceilings - Please remove any cobwebs

• Ceiling Mould - please clean off (particularly in wet areas and sometimes in bedrooms).

• Light Fittings - Clean off dust and remove any dead insects inside

• Ceiling Fans - Wipe fan blades and tops of fittings to remove dust build up

• Skirtings - Wipe down with a damp cloth

• Doorways & Doors - Wipe off finger marks and any other removable marks

• Windows - Clean inside and out - Please note nearly all modern aluminium windows can be lifted and pulled out for easy cleaning. Also sills and runners (wipe out dust build up and any dead insects. A vacuum cleaner and paint brush can really help here).

• Flyscreens - brushed and dusted down. (Please be aware, most modern sliding aluminium windows allow for the flyscreens to be taken off from the inside only, once the sliding part of the window has been moved first.Attempting to take them off from the outside may result in damaging
  them).

• Screen Doors - Front and back including frames - wiped clean and screen wire brushed

• Stoves - Clean stove top, control display, knobs, panels around knobs, any pull out or in-built drip trays, griller racks, trays and any inserts, oven racks, trays and oven bottom, walls and oven roof. A good oven cleaner will clean most ovens,however it is of importance that you read carefully the instructions on the product. Some cleaners can actually hinder oven surfaces (like stainless steel), and also some products have dangerous caustic fumes. Therefore use with extreme caution!

• Kitchen Rangehood - Clean pull out filters and framework.

• Bathroom - Clean sink, mirror, cabinet, vanity unit and drawers, shower recess, glass screen and screen doors, bath and wall tiles. Please ensure both the sink and the bath have a plug available.

• Toilet -  Clean cistern, seat, bowl inside and also outside around the base. Don’t forget the skirting tiles around the toilet.

• Laundry - Clean both the inside and outside of the trough, and underneath. Please ensure a plug is present.

• Tiling - All tiling and grouting to the kitchen, toilet, bathroom and laundry areas are clean.

• Exhaust - Vents and Fan Covers are clean of any dust and dirt. A dishwasher cleans exhaust fans really well.

• Air - conditioners - Front Vents and filters cleaned of built up dirt. Modern systems (Wall Type) - filters easily pull out and can be brushed down with a hand brush. If there is a ducted reverse-cycle air-conditioner unit, the air intake filter should be cleaned. This is usually on the ceiling in the passage area.

• Air -conditioning Ceiling Duct Vents - please clean down if dusty or dirty.

• Cupboards/Drawers - Please clean/wash inside and out. Also doors and door frames, front and back of doors need to be cleaned.

• Curtains - wash any washable curtains and netting. If other curtains are visibly dusty or dirty, consider dry cleaning.

• Blinds - If you have venetian blinds, clean off the blind slats. Any other type of blinds should be able to be wiped down.

• Floors - to be mopped / washed if needed - please ensure corners and hard to get areas are also cleaned.

• Carpets - To ensure a greater chance of the carpets being returned by a tenant professionally cleaned, we ask also that the carpets be professionally cleaned. Phone us for details of who we recommend and use.

Outside the property

• Lawns - Freshly mowed and edged (best done a couple of days before the tenant takes possession).

• Gardens - remove any weeds, any rubbish and built up leaves etc.

• Guttering - please ensure that the gutters are freshly cleaned of any dirt/silt and leaves/twigs.

• Rubbish - remove any rubbish that you have placed at the property. Be sure to check behind sheds, under shrubs and trees. This includes lawn clippings piled and compost left.

• Sweep paths and paving areas (this is best done before a tenant takes possession).

• Oil spillage removal - Check and clean carport and garage floors, paths and driveway. If you have used a barbeque, check for any grease spots and spillages etc.

• Cigarette Butts - If there are cigarette butts lying around - please pick up and remove.

• Garages and Tool Sheds - please remove any items from inside and behind garages and tool sheds. The only things that perhaps should remain are items directly related to the property (for example spare roof tiles, other spare tiles and paint tins etc)

If You Have A Pet

• Pet Droppings - please remove from gardens, lawns and any out of the way areas. Please dispose of in the bin – please do not bury them.

• Pet Urine - remove/clean where your pet may habitually urinate (Base of walls, verandah posts etc.)

• Pet stains - to outside walls - check where your dog regularly lies down, there maybe ‘tell tale signs’ on walls etc.

• Dog/Cat claw damage - check screen doors, flyscreens and curtains. Please replace the screen wire if required.

• Pet chew damage - please ensure watering systems are free of dog chew damage and are repaired accordingly.

• Pet Hair - Please ensure any visible pet hair inside is removed.