A Complete Guide on End of Lease Cleaning for Pet Owners in Melbourne

Preparing a rental home at the end of a tenancy can be tough. Tenants often feel overwhelmed when juggling their multiple responsibilities for the sake of hard earned bond money. What’s more challenging? Conducting a detailed end of lease cleaning with pets causes added pressure. Whether you have a kitty, a furry pooch and other small pets, they tend to create a lot of mess around the home, putting your bond at risk.

From embedded pet hair to unexpected pet messes, tenants have to deal with everything to hand over the property to a reasonably clean condition. Plus, they need extra care and attention to prevent injuries during the laborious task. Don’t worry! Here is a comprehensive end of lease cleaning guide for pet owners in Melbourne. Before hiring end of lease cleaning Melbourne experts, ensure you understand the laws when renting with pets in Victoria to avoid last minute chaos.

Let’s Get Started!

1. What are the Legal Responsibilities in Victoria When Renting with Pets?

In Melbourne, tenants can have a pet at the property with the landlord’s approval. New laws require rental providers to provide a valid reason for refusing the request. They can apply to VCAT to refuse permission.

All tenants, including those with dogs and cats, have a responsibility to maintain a tidy property, avoid damage, and refrain from creating a nuisance to others. Landlords and property managers have the right to hold back your bond if a pet causes damage, dirt and other issues.

If the property manager approves a pet, a lease agreement should list the number and types of animals allowed, along with specific terms, such as indoor and outdoor restrictions, special cleaning clauses, such as pest treatment or professional carpet cleaning.

2. Pet Owners' Guide: What to Look for in a Lease Agreement?

Believe it or not! Your tenancy agreement is a clear guide to understanding your end of lease cleaning requirements. Ensure you pay special attention to clauses, such as:

Understanding Pet Ownership:

This outlines rules for pet related cleaning, such as removing fur from surfaces, deodorising carpets, and tackling pet stains. A detailed cleaning checklist will help prevent nasty stains and grime. They may include a professional carpet and upholstery cleaning in the agreement when moving out of your tenancy. Ensure you adhere to your duties to prevent bond deductions or penalties.

Normal Wear and Tear Vs Pet Damage:

When you’re renting with a pet, make sure you return the property to its original state, minus wear and tear. While some minor deterioration is acceptable, pet scratches, unpleasant odours, and stains can’t be overlooked. Tenants are responsible for fixing the damage caused by pets.

Pest Control:

The landlord can ask a renter to pay for pest control costs if the infestation was caused by pets.

3. Remove Pet Fur or Hair From Your Rental Property

Pet hair is one of the most annoying things to handle when preparing your rental property for the final inspection. It tends to cling to couches, deep inside the fibres of carpets, rugs, couches and even clothing.

Ensure you invest in a HEPA friendly vacuum cleaner with a pet hair attachment to clean your carpets and other delicate surfaces to remove pet fur. A pet hair roller and motorised brush head attachments can do wonders in banishing embedded pet hair without causing any damage to the surface.

Make sure you run it through high traffic areas and keep your mattress and floor clean to ensure a clean and healthy indoor air. You can also use a lint roller or slightly dampen rubber gloves to remove pet hair from couches. You can also prefer hiring experts for a guaranteed end of lease cleaning Melbourne for meticulous results and avoid bond deductions.

4. Clean Walls and Skirting Boards

There is no denying that pets tend to brush up against walls, leaving scratches and dirt behind. This could lead to bond deductions. You can use a castile soap solution and a Magic Eraser to remove scuff marks and grime from walls and skirting boards. Be gentle and work in a circular motion to remove stains without damaging the surface.

5. Use Enzyme Based Cleaners to Tackle Nasty Pet Stains

Many tenants don’t understand the difference between deep cleaning vs a standard bond clean and end up losing their bond. A standard checklist may not include steam cleaning of carpets, thorough scrubbing, etc. However, if you are preparing your rental with pets, pay special attention to pet related messes, such as urine stains and vomit.

Always use enzyme based cleaners to remove deeply seated pet stains from carpets, upholstery, and other surfaces. They break down bacteria easily without causing any damage to the surface. Apply and leave it for a few minutes to achieve spotless results.

You can also use a white vinegar and rubbing alcohol solution, gently blot the affected area and clean it.

Tip: You can also include carpet cleaning as an added service to secure your bond.

6. Say Goodbye to Pet Odours

No matter how spotless your home is, lingering pet odours or wet carpet smell can deter new occupants. Ensure you sprinkle baking soda over carpets and upholstery before vacuuming to neutralise the smell. Clean litter box with baking soda and white vinegar, and vacuum air purifier and filters to remove pet dander and allergens.

Tip: Disinfect pet toys, bowls and beddings to kill lingering germs

7. Mop the Floors

Professional end of lease cleaners thoroughly mop the floors to remove pet messes, paw marks and gunk from the surface. Use pH neutral floor cleaner or spot clean affected area using vinegar based solution to leave a great impression on your landlord.

Infographic For Bond Cleaning Tips for Pet Owners

Wrapping up

These are some of the best tips and tricks to help pet owners spruce up their rental property and pass the inspection with ease. Ensure they follow a proper checklist and deep clean every nook and cranny and pet related messes to secure the bond.