Tips On How To Get Your Bond Back
As a tenant, you have the responsibility to look after the home you are renting, and when it comes to vacating, it seems such a daunting job to clean and bring the home back to its original state. Then, after working so hard on cleaning, you discover that you are still not getting your full bond back due to certain items that were not cleaned properly… even though you tried your best!
To avoid these pitfalls, consider the following:
The mould in the bathroom is your responsibility, if you do not keep a handle on this, it will get to a state where you just can’t get rid of it! Make sure you clean your shower / bathroom on a regular basis, and remember that mould feeds on scum. Also, try to keep everything dry, so by using a squeegee or towel to wipe down the walls and floor after each shower, will also help in the prevention of mould. A chemical free alternative is to mix 80 % vinegar to 20% water and use that when cleaning the mould, however be careful of cross contamination with your cleaning cloths.
Staying in the bathroom, what about those shower screens? Soap scum and water mineralisation can cause your shower doors to go dull and may cause etching and permanently damage the glass, which, as the tenant, you are responsible for. There are some tricks to keeping your shower clean 😊 You can choose the chemical option or use a paste of baking soda and water. Some people even spray their shower doors with a water repellent that you spray on your windscreens! Whichever way you go, regular cleaning and maintenance of your shower screens will eliminate the hard slog at the end of your tenancy.
Carpets are another issue! If you are allowed animals as part of your lease, please clean their accidents that happen on the carpet immediately. Also, regularly vacuum and lift the dirt that gets walked in. Carpets are the number one issue when it comes to getting your bond back. Don’t wait until you are vacating to get your carpets cleaned. Budget to have this done at least every six months to keep the carpets looking good, and as soon as there is a mark, try to clean it up then and there. The longer you let a spill or dirt sit on the carpet, the harder it is to get out.
If you are fortunate to be living in a home with a pool, and maintenance is not included as part of your rent, please ensure you skim the leaves and check the PH balance regularly. Pool motors and repairs can be a huge expense. Prevention is always better than cure, and you know you will lose a large portion of your bond if you leave a green and damaged pool for the owner to fix.
And finally, keep an eye on the smoke alarms. As a tenant, smoke alarm maintenance is not your responsibility, however, if you notice that they are not working when you burn the toast, please contact your property manager immediately. Smoke alarms are there to protect your family and your belongings, and they need to be working all the time.
We hope you have found these tips useful, and if you are unsure of anything, please contact your property manager on 5500-0188 who will be more than happy to assist you.
