8 Things to Look For When Hiring an End-of-Lease Cleaner

Moving house is a stressful time and trying to find an end of lease cleaner that you can rely on in the middle of so much going on can be very trying. How do you know that you’re choosing the right one? Are you getting a good price? Can you rely on them? Are they going to clean everything that needs cleaning? That is why we’ve put together a guide that tells you what to look for when you’re in the market for an end of lease cleaner.

1. Know your priorities

Who is the clean for? If your clean is for a real estate agent then your aim is likely to get your bond back from them. To do this you will need to return the property to the condition that it was in when you moved in. If you are renting, find your property condition report and return your property to that state. An end of lease cleaning checklist is a good idea to make sure that nothing is missed. You can find our end of lease cleaning checklist here.

Real estate agents can be very fussy. Which is great news if you’re the new tenant moving in, but can make it challenging to meet their prescriptions if you’re the tenant moving out.

To ensure that you meet all of your real estate agent’s specifications, you will need to find an end of lease cleaner who is experienced and will attend to all the things a real estate agent will look for. If your priority is to get your clean done cheaply then there are plenty of people who will do it cheaply for you, just be aware that you may be sacrificing attention to detail, customer service, accountability and peace of mind for a cheaper price.

2. Be Organised

Depending on who you ask, some say that moving home is among the most stressful life events. The best way to mitigate some of the stress associated with moving house, is to be organised about the process. As soon as you find out your moving date and when your keys have to be returned, start looking for an end of lease cleaner. Having as many things as possible arranged and booked in ahead of time will reduce your stress and uncertainty. As well as the fact that the earlier you have everything booked in, the less susceptible you will be to booking changes and alterations. You’ll want to call a few different end of lease cleaners to compare their services in terms of price, whether they bill by the hour or fixed quote, which services are included in their end of lease clean, what kind of guarantee they offer with their services as well as check with your partner. As well as, obviously, the hundreds of tasks involved in moving house. So leave plenty of time!

3. Fixed price quote vs by the hour

Different end of lease cleaning companies quote differently for their services. Some provide a fixed price estimate, usually based on the square meterage of your property, while others charge by the hour, but will generally give you a ballpark estimate for how long your job will take upfront. So which one is better?

Fixed price estimates could end up being great value if they under quote, but they could take a lot less time than the estimate as well. Companies will generally only quote over the phone and they will add a bit to the estimate to cover their bases so they don’t lose out if the job takes a bit longer than estimated so it can be a gamble.

For hourly rates, you’ll be paying for the time that the cleaners spend working. You’ll still get an estimate of how much you’re spending but as long as the cleaners work efficiently, you’re getting exactly what you’re paying for, which is hours of labour.

It’s a good idea to make sure before the job that both you and your end of lease cleaners are clear on which items are included and excluded from the clean, so that there are no surprises.

Whichever method of pricing you choose, the most important thing is that you’re getting all the service you pay for. You can determine this by comparing prices and services from a few different quotes. Keep in mind though, that price isn’t the only factor. You also want to ensure that you settle with a reliable and trustworthy end of lease cleaner. One of the best ways to determine this is to appraise their communication with you.

4. Communication

Communication is one of the most important qualities that you want your end of lease cleaner to have. At such a stressful time you want your end of lease cleaner, as a professional service person, should have a clear plan and be able to communicate it to you clearly. You also want them to be able to communicate to you clearly things like what time they’re going to be there, if any issues arise, if the job may take longer than expected, what they have cleaned, what they haven’t been able to clean, what will happen if you find anything that they’ve missed and to assure you that your house will be up to inspection standard. Your cleaner being able to communicate these things to you clearly shows that they know what's required, they are doing it; and that they are professionals. This will help put your mind at ease and give you one less thing to worry about. Because you’re paying to have your house cleaned, but you’re also paying to not have to worry about it.

5. Know what’s included and excluded

Different cleaning companies have a different idea of what an “end of lease clean” includes. So it is worth asking. Not all companies include window cleaning and carpet cleaning in a standard end of lease clean. Some companies don’t include oven cleaning and may charge extra for it, but your oven will need to be cleaned. Outdoor areas usually aren’t included in a basic quote, but your cleaner may be willing to do some outdoor cleaning upon request. Window cleaning is generally quoted separately to general cleaning and at a set rate. Keep in mind that not all companies clean out tracks, sills and mullions. Ask your cleaner if this is something that is included in their window quote. So when booking a vacate clean, always ask for a breakdown of what they’re going to do, ask for a list of tasks and make sure that will be enough to pass your rental inspection.

6. Insurance

Is the company you’re hiring fully insured? If something gets broken or damaged and you’ve hired an independent contractor off of your local marketplace website, they simply may not be able to afford to pay for the damages. It is best to ensure that the company that you’re employing is fully insured, if necessary you can ask to see their certificate of currency.

7. Flexible

Will your cleaner be flexible around your moving timetable? Do they have various timeslots available? This is another reason it’s good to choose a business, rather than a solo contractor for your end of lease clean. A business with several employees with have more flexibility in scheduling your clean. With so much going on when you’re moving house, it’s good to have the option of rescheduling your clean if things don’t go according to plan.

A business will also be able to send several employees and reduce the time your clean will take. A solo cleaner might take several days to do the whole job.

Another thing to check is, will they allow you to do some of the cleaning yourself before they arrive or work along side you? This is a great way to save money if you have the time and inclination.

8. Satisfaction guarantee

Does your vacate cleaner have a satisfaction guarantee? Will they stand behind their work?

This is probably the key quality to look for in a vacate cleaner. If they guarantee their work and are willing to fix up any mistakes or anything they’ve missed, then you can rest easy knowing that they’ll be responsible for the clean and you can get on with all the other tasks involved in moving house.

We hope our guide makes choosing a vacate cleaner much easier. Remember, there’s plenty of options so compare them against each other on the above criteria to find the best one for you. The more questions you ask potential cleaners, the more you’ll get an idea of whether they’ll be a good fit for you.