What Affects the Cost of a Bond Clean in Queensland

A bond clean in Queensland starts from $290 for a small property in standard condition, with carpet steam cleaning booked and priced separately from $156. Those figures are starting points: the final price depends on the size and condition of the property and is confirmed in a written quote before work begins. Several factors, including the number of bedrooms and the condition of the property, are taken into account.

These factors do not include additional cleaning requested outside the standard scope. The price quoted is based on your request and the actual condition of the property.

Each of these factors reflects the time required to clean that part of the property. A property with multiple bathrooms is treated as a larger job, as is one with a garage or several living areas.

To understand how Queensland bond cleans are priced, it helps to know what the standard scope includes. The standard scope covers the cleaning of ceiling fans, skirting boards, window tracks, fly screens and all other tracks. The scope also includes the cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens, including oven interiors and range hoods. All of these areas are cleaned during a standard bond clean. The scope is set and the price is confirmed in writing before work begins. The re-attendance window for Queensland bond cleans is also defined upfront, giving you clarity on what is covered if any area is flagged at final inspection.

The Quotes Can Change For These 5 Reasons

1. Bathroom and Bedroom Count

Cleaning a bedroom requires time to clean window tracks and screens, ceiling fans and vacuumed carpets. Bathrooms require time to clean drain covers, exhaust fans and the edges of shower screens and tiles. Quotes reflect the time required to complete the cleaning of each bathroom. Properties with three bathrooms take longer to clean and quote than properties with two bathrooms, and this difference is reflected in the quotes.

2. Living and Outdoor Areas

Each living area of a property requires time to clean and is considered a separate area for quoting purposes. Outdoor areas are considered separately from the bedrooms of a property and are quoted and priced separately. Covered outdoor areas are considered living areas and are priced the same as other living areas.

3. Condition of the Property

In quoting the time required to clean a property, it is assumed the property has been reasonably well maintained during the tenancy. If the property has not been reasonably well maintained, extra time is required to deep clean the property and this is included in the quote. The deep cleaning addresses the build-up of grease in the kitchen and other areas of the property. The standard a property needs to meet is set by what the exit condition report actually checks at final inspection, not a general impression of cleanliness.

4. Furnished vs. Unfurnished

Generally, properties that are fully furnished take longer to clean and quote than properties that are not furnished.

5. Extra Items to Be Cleaned

If items are identified on the exit condition report that require cleaning, these items are also included in the quote and confirmation. However, extra items that are not reported are not included in the quote.

There are several factors that make cleaning the average rental property more involved compared to a private home. These include more hard surfaces such as laminate flooring and tile instead of wall-to-wall carpeting, more furnishings such as end tables and storage units, and more space behind furniture that collects dust and cobwebs. Be sure to indicate if the property is furnished when you place your service request so the price quote is generated correctly.

Location and Access

Standard properties in the Brisbane and Gold Coast metro areas will have the base rate travel charge applied. More remote or rural properties in Queensland will have a travel charge applied as well.

Booking a bond clean does not include steaming the carpet. Many leases in Queensland include a term asking for the carpets to be professionally steam cleaned at the end of the tenancy. Whether that term can be enforced depends on the circumstances, including whether the carpets were professionally cleaned at the start, and a lease cannot require a specific cleaner or a set fee, as the RTA’s carpet cleaning and pest control page explains. A pet approval is the separate case: it can include a condition to clean the carpets at the end if the pet is allowed inside. Bond clean prices that appear to include carpet cleaning are often misleading, so review your quote to be sure there are no surprises. Carpet steam cleaning is a separate booking that starts from $156, with the price set by the number of rooms, any stairs, the carpet’s fibre type and whether pet or stain treatment is needed. Carpet in poor condition or with pet hair or set-in stains sits at the higher end. The Urgent Pro pricing schedule sets out the pricing for carpet steam cleaning.

Most leases in Queensland that allow pets require that a flea treatment be performed at the end of the tenancy and that a certificate be provided to the property manager. The cost for this service is not included in a bond clean and will be additional. See Queensland bond cleaning requirements explained for what a pet approval can and cannot require.

Certain leases stipulate pest control treatment regardless of pet occupancy. Pest control in Queensland is a regulated activity. It is the responsibility of the licensee to adhere to the pest control laws of Queensland. Pest control treatment is a specialised service and is not part of a bond clean. Review your lease to determine your obligations. For more information, including the forms required of you at the end of your lease, visit the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA). To meet your obligations, pest control should be scheduled in conjunction with your end of lease clean to ensure the pest control report is available at the final property inspection.

Items That Routinely Take Longer Than Expected

The following items routinely take longer than expected and are good to know beforehand.

Window Coverings: Blinds vs. Fabric Curtains

Blinds, whether Venetian, vertical or roller, are cleaned as part of a standard bond clean. Fabric curtains are not. Fabric curtains should be removed and professionally dry cleaned. For more information and a detailed breakdown of a standard bond clean in Queensland, see the full Queensland bond clean scope item by item.

Wall Washing

A standard bond clean does not include a full wall wash. Wall washing requires an additional variation to the bond clean service.

Full wall washing is a substantial task for properties with extensive markings from crayons, grease, nicotine or heavy scuff marks, and it adds noticeably to the time on site. If full wall washing is necessary, note it in your work order and expect it to be quoted as a variation with an additional charge.

Garage Floor Cleaning

Cleaning garage floors is not part of the base scope of services. If concrete floors of a garage have embedded grease, dirt or other contaminants, they will be treated and charged separately.

External Windows Above Ground Level

Accessible upper storey exterior windows are not included and will be charged separately. Ground level external windows are included.

Ovens, Range Hoods and Mould

Ovens and range hoods that have years of baked-on carbon will require additional time above the standard scope. The same applies to bathrooms where mould has penetrated beyond the grout lines. In that case it cannot be removed by cleaning alone and the mould will return. In that case, the silicone sealant will need to be removed and replaced by a handyman before the final inspection.

Cleaning a surface with compromised silicone will not correct the issue.

The bond may not be released if mould of this kind is present, and the property owner may need to engage a handyman to address it before the assessment.

Mentioning any problems an area may have in your booking notes, and including pictures, will help ensure the quote you receive accurately reflects the scope. The items agents most commonly flag at a Queensland final inspection follow a consistent pattern: the oven and range hood, bathrooms including exhaust fans, window tracks and fly screens, and the presentation of the carpets. If you know any of these areas are likely to be below standard, note it in your reservation.

There are a couple of things unique to Gold Coast rental properties worth noting when getting a quote. The first is the stubborn build-up of salt residue on window tracks from coastal air. Mould is also more common and can be found on the ceiling of bathrooms and around the shower recess.

Neither of these issues will change the pricing tier of a bond clean, however noting them may help produce a more accurate quote. For information on the Gold Coast bond cleaning service and how coastal properties are typically handled, see that page.

Once you have confirmed the bedrooms and bathrooms of the property, indicated whether it is furnished, described the property’s condition honestly and noted any additional services required, a written quote should be provided to you.

Quotes based on those variables represent the truth. Quotes that don’t ask those questions can’t represent the truth.

The scope of bond cleaning in Queensland is defined by what the property manager assesses at final inspection against the exit condition report, not a generic cleaning checklist. Make sure the quote you are comparing covers the same scope, confirmed in writing, before making a fair comparison between providers.

The minimum rate through verified independent providers on the Urgent Pro network for a bond clean in Queensland is $290 (GST inclusive) for a standard condition small property. That scope includes the interiors of all bathrooms and ovens, and other areas throughout the property.

Fixed-price quoting means the cost is not based on time, and therefore you won’t receive a surprise bill.