When ending your rental property tenancy, getting your bond back will be high on your agenda. Originally collected by the landlord to cover them for unpaid rent or property damage, it must be returned if there are no rent arrears, and the property has remained in good condition.
The organising of the bond refund though can be time-consuming, with delays and payment withholdings from the property manager and/or landlord. To help speed this process up, we’ve put together some simple tips to help you get your bond back in a timely manner.
7 Tips to Help Get Your Bond Refund Back
When you signed the property rental agreement at the start of the tenancy, you would likely have seen not only the bond amount payable but also the conditions you will be required to meet to have it refunded. These would likely include things such as returning all keys, having all appliances clean and in working order, rent all paid up, and having the property in the same condition, and fair wear and tear accepted. It is important that you first check what conditions you must meet, and take action ahead of your tenancy end to avoid refund delays based on your actions.
As long as you have been notifying the property manager about issues as they arise, kept things clean and tidy and met your obligations as a tenant, you should be fine. But just to make sure nothing is forgotten, here is a list of seven tips to help get your bond back:
- If you or the landlord took photos of the property before you moved in, it is a good idea to refer to these during this time when cleaning the property and also demonstrating the condition of carpets, walls and appliances before the tenancy began. During your tenancy, property inspection records should have been kept which detailed findings and any tasks that required doing. You can use these too during the final inspection process.
- Clean the carpets yourself using a domestic carpet cleaner or hire professionals to do this for you.
- Remove all rubbish from the property before the final inspection. The exception to this would be if it is daily household rubbish due to be collected shortly by the local authorities.
- Mow any lawns and weed any gardens, giving the outside of the property a thorough clean. This also includes sweeping the car parking area and removing any oil stains and garden ornaments you installed.
- Make sure you have cleaned the bathroom and toilet, removed all mould and soap scum, deodorised if required and made the room shine!
- Wash both the inside and outside of the kitchen cupboards and sink to remove any food stains or crumbs. Make sure that the oven and dishwasher are cleaned inside and out, and that their accessories are also clean and present.
- Check top to bottom in every room within the property. Remove cobwebs, wash the windows, wipe down baseboards and clean any fans, light fittings, and window dressings.
Avoid leaving everything to the last minute, because this is likely to result in the bond being kept back and inconvenience for the new tenants. If you can, move your belongings out a few days before the tenancy ends as this gives you an empty property in which cleaning should hopefully be easier to complete. Happy moving!
