Taking Care – Inside the property

General Cleaning

It is expected that the property be kept reasonably clean, and this is also a tenancy agreement requirement.

Pay particular attention to:

1. Walls, switches, power points, skirtings, doors and doorways - please keep these free from marks and dirty finger marks.
2. Cobwebs/dusting - please remove cobwebs to windows, walls and ceilings. Keep vents dusted. Light fittings and ceiling fans - keep them dusted regularly.
3.  Curtains/blinds - keep these cleaned, dusted and also (if suitable) machine or dry clean curtains and netting on an annual basis.
4. Windows/sills/window tracks and flyscreens - keep regularly cleaned and dusted. Please note most modern windows are easily removed from their tracks by lifting the sliding window up at the bottom, and pulling this out for easy cleaning.
5. Floors - please keep regularly swept and mopped. Floors in the kitchen and wet areas may need to be scrubbed to keep surfaces, tiles and grouting looking clean.
6. Ventilation - please ensure that all rooms are kept adequately ventilated to avoid problems associated with condensation, causing mould and possible health problems.
7. Wet Areas, bathroom, toilet and laundry grouting/tiles - please ensure all tiles are kept free from grime, soap scum and mould.

Carpet Cleaning

We recommend all carpets to be cleaned on a 6 to 12 month basis, simply because of general living. The best time is after winter or at the end of a wet period.
We recommend professional steam cleaning and we do not recommend the use of ‘do-it-yourself’ hire machines. These machines lack the ability to adequately withdraw soapy water the machine may have squirted in. Sometimes it is tempting to not have the carpets cleaned on vacating because they have been used only minimally, and some rooms hardly used at all.

We liken this type of situation to borrowing a shirt. Even if we may have worn this for only an hour and not a full day, it is expected that it be returned clean. It is the same for carpets as the next tenants taking possession also need to have clean carpets so this expectation can be transferred to them.

In the Kitchen

Chopping Boards

Please ensure chopping boards are used on bench tops, so that bench tops are preserved from unnecessary cut marks and associated damage.

Bench Top Joins

Be on the lookout for joins in the bench top that have gaps, and the surface laminate has started to bulge or lift at a join. Please let your agent/landlord know if this is starting to occur as this may indicate moisture has seeped into a join, and is swelling the chipboard wood underneath.

Grouting/Tiling/Taps
Be sure that if you notice grouting or silicone sealing coming off/loose around any tiles near or around the taps and/or taps dripping/leaking to let your agent/landlord know by a repair request. If moisture should get in between tiles, this can damage the wall behind, and even seep into chipboard that is usually present in bench tops causing swelling and irreversible damage to the wood.

Oven and Stove Tops
Ensure that stove tops, grillers and ovens are kept free of burnt on food. Food, crumbs and spills when left long enough become burnt on, blackened and carbonised, making them very difficult to remove.
Use care when using scourers as these may scratch and damage enamel surfaces. When cleaning stoves/ovens use a spray-on oven cleaner. Be sure to read and follow the product instructions carefully, as even though these types of products are very effective, they tend to contain harmful caustic fumes and require rubber gloves to be worn at all times when using the product. Please also check that the product is suitable to the type of surface you are applying this to, as some surfaces like stainless steel may become permanently marred/stained using an oven cleaner.

Exhaust Fans/Vents and Range hoods
Ensure any vents and range hood filters are kept clean.
Ensure the exhaust fan cover is clean and kept free of grime build up. From time to time these should be taken down and removed to be soaked in hot soapy water, and then scrubbed clean. Please use extreme caution when removing these. If you believe this is unsafe (i.e. a high exhaust fan), then let the agent/landlord so they can arrange to have these cleaned.

Cupboards/Drawers
Most cupboards and drawers are lined with white lining, which is great for easy cleaning. However substances spilled like sauces will in time prove difficult to remove and may leave permanent stains. Cupboard shelving, doors, doorframes and inside drawers/cutlery tidies should be cleaned at least on an annual basis. Also keep food in sealable containers to avoid insects and vermin gaining access to food and breeding and also creating a disease risk from germs, faeces and urine.

Dishwashers
Dishwashers provided as part of your tenancy need to be cleaned on a regular basis, and any build up of food remains removed.

In the Wet Areas- Bathroom, Toilet and Laundry

Shower Screens
If you notice cracking to glass in shower screens or shower doors please report this immediately. Wired shower screen glass can crack under thermal expansion (consistent hot and cold temperatures) where as toughened glass usually only cracks if impacted (hit by something). If the shower screen is cracked due to impact damage, this will in most cases need to be paid by the tenant.

Blocked sinks/drains
Should a sink or basin become blocked, first try a drain cleaning product like draino. Be sure to follow the product instructions carefully. If the sink or basin is still blocked after treatment, please let your agent/landlord know so they can arrange for a plumber to attend to the problem.

Foreign objects down drains
Please take care not to allow children to place toys or other items down drains, do not flush foreign objects like sanitary products (even baby wipes) down the toilet.
If a plumber is employed to clear pipes, drains, basins or sinks and it is determined that the blockage was caused by something considered foreign, this expense will be billed to the tenant for payment.

Loose tiles
Should you notice loose tiles to walls, the shower recess or to tiles over the laundry trough etc, be sure to report this.

Wall water damage
Should you notice water damage to a wall adjacent to a shower recess, bathroom basin etc please your agent/landlord know immediately. This can be identified by bubbling or peeling paint, or even water or mould marks to the flooring/carpet. This usually identifies either loose tiles or a broken/leaking pipe in the wall, and will need attending to immediately to prevent further damage from occurring.

Taps leaking
Please report any taps leaking either from a tap head or tap handles. This includes washing machine taps. Sometimes washing machine taps will leak only when connected to automatic washing machine hoses as the tap water pressure exposes leakage in the taps.

Toilets leaking
Water trickling or leaking into the bowl from the cistern usually indicates a worn cistern washer and needs to be fixed by a plumber. Water left to trickle into the bowl continuously may inflate your water bill and therefore needs to be reported to your agent/landlord when noticed. Also leaking may occur to the tap behind the toilet.

Hot water system leaks
Should you notice the hot water service leaking from the valve or from the base of the unit please report this. The leaking valve is usually fixable by a plumber, however water leaking from the base of a water storage unit usually indicates the unit has rusted through and may need replacement in the near future.