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Moving out of a rental

Moving out of a rental: the checklist from notice to keys

By 7 min readUpdated Sources checked

Quick answer: Give written notice first, then book removalists and the end-of-lease clean. Keep the power and water on, move out, have the home cleaned, and attend the final inspection with your entry report. Hand back every key on time, then agree the bond claim through your state's bond authority.

Start the checklist
Your home

Takes about a minute. Nothing is booked or paid at this step.

Enter your lease end date and the checklist dates every step. What to keep as evidence is marked as you go.

End of lease clean
From $423, live from our booking calculator, checked 6 October 2026
Our record
1,726 completed end of lease cleans

The order things happen

Notice, bookings, packing, moving day, the clean, the final inspection, the keys, the bond. Each step depends on the one before it.

  1. Notice

    In writing, with the right amount of notice for your state and lease type (table below).

  2. Bookings

    Removalists first, then the clean for after they leave, one to three days before the final inspection.

    When to book your end-of-lease clean

  3. Move out

    Everything out, including rubbish and anything you planned to leave.

  4. The clean

    With power and water still on.

  5. Final inspection

    Compared with your entry condition report.

  6. Keys and bond

    Every key back on time, then the bond claim agreed through your state's bond authority.

The moving out checklist

Dated from your lease end. Tick as you go; your ticks stay on this device.

  1. 4 weeks or more before

    Some states need more than four weeks' notice. Check the table below before you start.

    • Some lease terms can't be enforced. The rules differ by state.

    • Email, the agent's portal or the official form for your state.

    • When to book your end-of-lease clean

    • Some councils need a few weeks' notice.

  2. 2 weeks before

    • Rent runs to the end of your notice or lease, not the day you hand back the keys.

    • The cleaner needs power and hot water, and the agent may test the lights and the oven.

    • Who to tell about your new address

    • Picture hooks, broken blinds, marks beyond normal wear. Ask first; a poor repair can cost more than none.

  3. The last week

    • Who lets the cleaner in, where they park, and any building rules for lifts.

    • Mow and weed if your lease makes the garden your job.

    • The oven, exhaust fans, window tracks and skirting boards are the areas most often missed.

      End of lease cleaning checklist

    • Not in a box on the truck. You'll want the bond number when you claim.

  4. Moving day

    • Cleaners don't remove rubbish or left items.

    • Many move cleans start in the afternoon, after the truck.

  5. After the clean

    • Wide shots, then close-ups: the oven, the bathroom, the window tracks, the floors. This is your exit evidence.

    • Our terms: tell us within 48 hours and we come back to fix it within seven business days.

  6. Inspection day and keys

    • In NSW, Victoria and WA you must be given a reasonable opportunity to attend; in the ACT the inspection is joint.

      The final inspection: what gets checked

    • Rent can keep running until you do.

    • In Queensland you fill in the exit condition report (Form 14a); the manager then has three business days to sign it and send you a copy.

  7. After you leave

    • Give the agent your forwarding address and bank details. Don't lodge a claim before you've handed the home back.

    • Electricity, gas, water usage and internet each send a closing bill.

    • Then arrange any re-clean quickly. Each state has its own dispute process and deadlines.

General information, not legal advice.

How much notice you need to give

It depends on your state and whether your lease is fixed or periodic: from 14 days to 28 days or more.

Renter's notice to end a lease, by state
StateAt the end of a fixed termPeriodic lease
NSW14 days, ending on or after the term ends (s 96)21 days (s 97)
Victoria28 days, not before the term ends (ss 91Z–91ZA)28 days (s 91Z)
Queensland14 days, not before the term ends14 days
Western AustraliaAt least 30 days before you hand back possession; the term doesn't end without notice (s 70A)21 days (s 68)
South Australia28 days (s 86A)21 days, or one rent period (s 86)
ACT3 weeks3 weeks

Leaving before a fixed term ends is breaking the lease, with different rules. Ask your state's tenancy authority. Sources are listed at the end of this guide. Checked 5 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Who does the final inspection

Usually the agent or rental provider, but not everywhere: in Queensland the renter prepares the exit condition report, and in the ACT the final inspection is joint.

The exit condition report, by state
StateWho does itTiming
NSWYou and the agent, together (s 29(4))At or as soon as possible after the end
VictoriaThe rental provider; you get a reasonable opportunity to attend (s 35(5))Within 10 days
QueenslandYou prepare it (Form 14a) (s 66)By the day you leave; the lessor replies within 3 business days
Western AustraliaThe lessor or property manager; you get a reasonable opportunity to attend (s 27C)Within 14 days
South AustraliaGuidance: you and the agent complete the inspection sheetNot set in the Act text we read
ACTJoint inspection (s 30A)At the end

Sources are listed at the end of this guide. Checked 5 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Your evidence pack

Keep four things until the bond is paid: the entry condition report, your move-in photos, dated photos of the home after the clean, and every message about the bond.

Photograph each room from the doorway, then the places agents look closely: the oven and rangehood, the bathroom, window tracks, skirting boards and floors. Keep any invoice for the clean.

If the agent raises cleaning items, ask for them in writing with photos. A quick re-clean is usually simpler than a dispute.

What our customers tell us before a move clean

Parking and carpets come up most, then a vacant home with a fixed handover, keys and access.

Simply Maid booking history · not today’s price

15.6%
of booking notes were about parking
12.2%
mentioned carpets
10.5%
said the home was empty or vacant
9.6%
were about keys or access
5.8%
mentioned the agent, the inspection or the bond

1,716 completed move cleans (moving in and moving out together) on our previous booking platform, December 2015 to March 2025, for 1,604 customers; 82% of them in Sydney. Computed 5 October 2026.

Questions people ask

Should the house be empty for the final inspection?

Yes. The inspection compares the home with your entry condition report, and anything you leave can be treated as rubbish to remove.

Do I have to get the carpets professionally cleaned?

Not in every case. It depends on your state, your lease, pets and how the carpets were at the start.

When should I turn off the electricity?

The day after the final inspection. The cleaner needs power and hot water, and the agent may test lights and appliances.

Can I hand the keys back early?

Usually, but rent often runs to the end of your notice or lease anyway. In NSW, rent runs to the termination date even if you leave early.

What if the agent says the clean isn't good enough?

Ask for the items in writing with photos, and contact your cleaner straight away. If you booked with us, tell us within 48 hours and we come back within seven business days.

When you're ready

Book the clean for after the removalists

Choose your home size and postcode for a fixed price. Nothing is booked or paid at this step.

Not sure when? When to book your end-of-lease clean

Your home

Takes about a minute. Nothing is booked or paid at this step.

Sources

The laws, regulators and services this guide relies on, with the date we read each one.

  1. Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW), NSW Legislation. Read 5 October 2026. Notice ss 96–97; condition reports s 29; rent to termination s 110.
  2. Moving out of a rental home, NSW Fair Trading. Read 5 October 2026.
  3. Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic), Victorian Legislation. Read 5 October 2026. Notice ss 91Z–91ZA; condition reports s 35.
  4. Giving notice as a renter, Consumer Affairs Victoria. Read 5 October 2026.
  5. Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld), Queensland Legislation. Read 5 October 2026. Exit condition report s 66.
  6. Vacating a property, Residential Tenancies Authority. Read 5 October 2026.
  7. Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA), WA Legislation. Read 5 October 2026. Notice ss 68, 70A; condition reports s 27C.
  8. Leaving a rental home: tenant's guide 3, Consumer Protection WA. Read 5 October 2026.
  9. Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), South Australian Legislation. Read 5 October 2026. Notice ss 86–86A.
  10. Ending a tenancy, Consumer and Business Services SA. Read 5 October 2026.
  11. Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT), ACT Legislation Register. Read 5 October 2026. Joint final inspection s 30A.
  12. The Renting Book (January 2026), ACT Government. Read 5 October 2026. Notice and keys.
  13. Terms of service, Simply Maid. Read 5 October 2026. Re-clean, cancellation and lockout terms.

General information, not legal advice. Tenancy law differs by state and changes; check the official source for your state before you act.