Vacating in Western Australia
Vacating a rental in WA: cleaning, property condition report and the 2026 bond process
Quick answer: In WA you give at least 21 days' notice on a periodic lease, or at least 30 days before handover at the end of a fixed term. Leave the home reasonably clean compared with the start: the lessor can claim the cost of cleaning what isn't. The final property condition report is due within 14 days, and since 28 March 2026 the Commissioner for Consumer Protection decides disputed bonds.
What the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 and Consumer Protection say about the vacate clean, the property condition report and getting your bond back, with the section for each rule. For tenants in Perth and across Western Australia.
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How much notice do you give in WA?
At least 21 days on a periodic lease (section 68). At the end of a fixed term, give notice naming your possession day at least 30 days before it, and the day can't be before the term expires (section 70A).
WA works differently from most states at the end of a fixed term. Under section 70A, the term doesn't end on its expiry day just because the date arrives: one party has to give notice naming the day possession is handed back. You give that notice at least 30 days before the possession day, and the possession day can't be earlier than the expiry day.
On a periodic lease, section 68 lets you end the tenancy without giving a reason, with at least 21 days' notice. That doesn't apply during a fixed term.
Consumer Protection's guide to leaving a rental home also asks you to pay your bills up to the day you move out and to return all keys and remotes. We found no WA rule tying the last day of rent to the day you hand back the keys, so check your notice and your lease.
The order that works is: removalists out, vacate clean, keys back, then the final inspection. The full sequence is in our moving out checklist, and the timing is in when to book your end-of-lease clean.
How clean does a vacate clean need to be in WA?
Reasonably clean, judged against the condition at the start of the tenancy. The Act says the lessor can claim the cost of cleaning any part you didn't leave reasonably clean, having regard to its condition when you moved in (section 81E(1)(d)).
The Act doesn't set out a list of tasks. During the tenancy you keep the premises in a reasonable state of cleanliness (section 38(a)). For the end, the standard shows up in the bond rules: section 81E(1)(d) lets the lessor claim the cost of cleaning any part not left reasonably clean, having regard to its condition at the start. The lessor also had to hand the home over in a reasonable state of cleanliness when you moved in (section 42).
Consumer Protection's tenant guide puts it plainly: leave the home in a similar condition to when you moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear. Its Landlord's guide encourages lessors to give tenants a cleaning checklist, because people's ideas of clean differ. If your property manager has one, ask for it early.
Fair wear and tear
The Act uses the phrase but doesn't define it. The Landlord's guide gives examples: carpet worn in high-traffic areas is wear and tear, while stains and burns are the tenant's responsibility. Damage caused by a pet is not fair wear and tear (section 50I(c)).
So find your entry property condition report and move-in photos before you clean. They're the benchmark. Our end of lease cleaning checklist takes you through the clean room by room.
Do you need a professional vacate clean in WA?
No WA law makes you pay for one. We found no WA law or official statement either way on a lease term asking for a professional clean. The one clear case is a pet: consent to keep one can carry a reasonable cleaning condition.
Consumer Protection's tenant guide says to hire professional cleaners if necessary. That's advice, not a rule. You can do your own vacate clean, or hire whoever you choose. Whoever cleans, the test is the condition you leave, and a lessor can still claim for rent, repairs or damage. No cleaner can promise how a bond claim will turn out.
If you're weighing it up, do you need professional end-of-lease cleaners? compares the two honestly.
Pets
When a lessor consents to a pet, the consent can carry a reasonable condition about cleaning, maintenance or fumigation in relation to the pet (section 50C(a)(ii)). Consumer Protection's example of a reasonable condition is carpets professionally cleaned every 12 months and at the end of the tenancy. A pet bond of up to $350 can also apply. Check your pet consent for the exact wording.
Your choice of cleaner
Consumer Protection's guidance is that lessors and property managers can't insist you use a particular company or tradesperson for cleaning or repairs. That's regulator guidance: we didn't find a matching section in the Act. A property manager can still recommend a cleaner, and Consumer Protection suggests asking them for recommendations. The choice stays yours.
WA vacating rules at a glance
The main WA rules for leaving a rental, with the section of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 or the Consumer Protection guidance each one comes from.
| What | The rule | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Notice, periodic lease | At least 21 days; not during a fixed term | s 68 |
| Notice, end of fixed term | At least 30 days before the possession day; not before the term expires | s 70A |
| How clean | Reasonably clean, compared with the start; the lessor can claim the cost of cleaning what isn't | s 38(a), s 81E(1)(d) |
| Professional clean | No general rule found; a pet consent can carry a reasonable cleaning or fumigation condition | s 50C(a)(ii); Consumer Protection, Renting with pets |
| A named cleaner | Lessors and property managers can't insist you use a particular company | Consumer Protection guidance |
| Entry property condition report | Two copies within 7 days of moving in; mark and return one within 7 days if you disagree | s 27C(1)–(3) |
| Final property condition report | Lessor inspects and gives you a copy within 14 days after the tenancy ends; you get a reasonable opportunity to attend | s 27C(4)–(5) |
| Bond release form | You can't be asked to sign one before the tenancy ends, or one that doesn't state each party's amount | s 81C(5) |
| Responding to an application | 14 days, plus 6 days for posted notices | Consumer Protection, bonds FAQs |
| Disputes | Decided free of charge by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection; appeal to the Magistrates Court within 7 days | s 13C; Consumer Protection, bonds FAQs |
| Evidence | Actual costs only; an invoice is stronger than a quote | Consumer Protection guidance |
| Lessor cleans it themselves | Materials and other out-of-pocket costs, not their time | Consumer Protection, Landlord's guide |
Checked against the Act and Consumer Protection on 5 October 2026. General information, not legal advice. Sources are listed at the end of this guide. Checked 5 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
The final property condition report
The lessor or property manager inspects the home and gives you a copy of the final property condition report within 14 days after the tenancy ends. You must get a reasonable opportunity to be there (section 27C).
In WA the lessor or property manager prepares both reports. At the start, they give you two copies of the entry report within 7 days of moving in. If you disagreed with anything, you marked a copy and returned it within 7 days; if you didn't return one, you're taken to accept it (section 27C(1)–(3)).
At the end, section 27C(4) requires the lessor or property manager to inspect, prepare the final report and give you a copy as soon as practicable, and in any event within 14 days after the tenancy ends. Section 27C(5) says you must be given a reasonable opportunity to be present.
Go if you can. The Commissioner for Consumer Protection advises attending, so issues can be sorted out on the spot. Take your entry report and photos, and take dated photos of every room after the clean.
If a cleaning item is raised, ask exactly which areas and see whether a quick fix settles it before anyone lodges a claim. For what property managers tend to look at, see the final inspection.
Getting your bond back in WA: the process since 28 March 2026
Apply after the final inspection and the outgoing property condition report. If the other party disagrees, they have 14 days to respond (plus 6 for posted notices). Disputes are decided free by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, with an appeal to the Magistrates Court within 7 days.
WA's bond release process changed on 28 March 2026. Disputed bonds no longer start in the Magistrates Court.
Applying
Any party can apply to the Bonds Administrator (section 81C(1)), but not before the tenancy ends unless every tenant has given vacant possession and you've agreed in writing to end it early. Consumer Protection says to apply after the final inspection and the outgoing property condition report. Property managers use BondsOnline; tenants use the paper form. In August 2026, Consumer Protection said manual applications were taking up to 4 weeks.
A lessor or property manager must not ask you to sign a release application before the tenancy ends, or one that doesn't state the amount for each party (section 81C(5)). Don't sign a blank form.
When someone disagrees
The other party has 14 days to respond, plus 6 days for posted notices. A disputed application goes to Consumer Protection's Determinations Branch, free of charge, and the Commissioner decides it. If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal to the Magistrates Court within 7 days of being notified of it (section 13C).
What a cleaning claim needs to show
Actual costs, not estimates. Consumer Protection prefers invoices from ABN-registered businesses, says a quote is weaker evidence, and says a lessor who cleans themselves can claim materials, not their time.
Lessors must list claims under set categories and should provide proof, such as receipts. Consumer Protection's guidance on what counts:
- Actual costs only. Not pre-estimated or speculative charges.
- Invoices over quotes. Invoices from ABN-registered businesses are preferred, and a quote is weaker evidence than an invoice.
- The lessor's own time isn't claimable. If the lessor does the cleaning, they can claim out-of-pocket costs such as materials, not their time.
The same goes for you. Keep the invoice and photos from your own clean, and your entry report. If a cleaning claim arrives, compare each item with what the entry report recorded at the start.
Hiring a vacate cleaner in WA
On 13 August 2025 Consumer Protection warned tenants about vacate cleaners after 87 complaints in two years. Its advice: check the ABN and references, don't pay upfront, walk through the job first, and inspect before you pay or hand back the keys.
Consumer Protection said 80% of those complaints alleged the cleaner hadn't done the job with due care and skill. Its advice for hiring a cleaner:
- Start looking early.
- Check the business's ABN and references.
- Don't pay upfront.
- Walk through the job with the cleaner before they start.
- Inspect the work before you pay or hand back the keys.
- Get a receipt, especially for carpets.
- Don't hire blindly off social media; ask your property manager for recommendations.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, a cleaning service must be done with due care and skill, fit for the purpose you told the business about, and finished in a reasonable time. Any re-clean promise a cleaner offers sits on top of those rights. Ours: if something we cleaned is flagged, tell us within 48 hours and we come back within seven business days.
Practical notes for a vacate clean in Perth
The clean itself is rarely what holds up handover day. Building access, parking, sand, outdoor areas and the keys are, so sort them when you book.
- Book the lift and loading bay. Many strata apartment buildings have rules about move times. Book the removalists' slot first, then leave a gap before the cleaners arrive.
- Sort parking. Tell your cleaner where they can park: a visitor bay, the driveway or the nearest unrestricted street.
- Plan for sand. Sand from the beach, the garden and the verge ends up in window and door tracks, under rugs and along skirting boards. Do a last vacuum of the tracks after the furniture goes.
- Check the outdoor areas. Consumer Protection's tenant checklist covers outdoor areas, and patios, alfresco areas and gardens come up often in Perth tenants' questions about final inspections. See what your lease and entry report say about them, and ask whether your quote covers them.
- Keep the power and water on until you've handed over. The cleaner needs hot water, and you need the lights to check the work.
Prices by home size are on our Perth end of lease cleaning prices page, and what's included is on end of lease cleaning in Perth.
Your WA vacating checklist
The WA-specific steps, in order. The room-by-room cleaning list is in the end of lease cleaning checklist.
Every step in this view is ticked. Untick ‘Hide steps I’ve ticked’ to see them again.
When you decide to move
At the end of a fixed term, the possession day can't be before the term expires.
A pet consent can carry a reasonable cleaning or fumigation condition.
The end of the tenancy is measured against them.
The last two weeks
Consumer Protection's advice for hiring a vacate cleaner.
Handover and after
You must get a reasonable opportunity to be there, and the report is due within 14 days.
Plus 6 days if the notice was posted. The Commissioner decides disputes free of charge.
Questions people ask
How long does a landlord have to return the bond in WA?
In WA the bond is released through the Bonds Administrator at Consumer Protection, after an application by either party once the tenancy ends. If the other party disagrees, they have 14 days to respond, plus 6 days for posted notices. In August 2026 Consumer Protection said manual (paper) applications were taking up to 4 weeks.
Do I have to get carpets professionally cleaned in WA?
Not as a general rule: we found no WA law requiring it outside a pet condition. If your pet consent includes one, such as carpets professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy, follow it and keep the receipt. We don't offer carpet steam cleaning, so book a carpet cleaning company if you need it.
Can my property manager make me use their cleaner?
Consumer Protection's guidance is that lessors and property managers can't insist you use a particular cleaning company. They can recommend one, and that can be a useful starting point, but the choice is yours.
What is the property condition report?
It records the state of the home. The lessor gives you two copies within 7 days of moving in, and you mark and return one within 7 days if you disagree. Within 14 days after you leave, the lessor inspects, completes the final report and gives you a copy, and you must get a reasonable chance to attend (section 27C).
What happens if I disagree with the bond claim?
Respond within 14 days of the notice, plus 6 days if it was posted. Since 28 March 2026, a disputed application goes to Consumer Protection's Determinations Branch, free of charge, and the Commissioner decides it. You can appeal to the Magistrates Court within 7 days of being notified of the decision (section 13C).
Can I do my own vacate clean in WA?
Yes. The test is whether each part of the home is reasonably clean compared with the start of the tenancy (section 81E(1)(d)), not who did the cleaning. Consumer Protection's tenant guide says to hire professional cleaners if necessary.
When you're ready
Vacating a rental in Perth?
Get a fixed price for your home, then pick a date after your removalists and before you hand back the keys. If something we cleaned is flagged, tell us within 48 hours and we come back within seven business days. Nothing is booked or paid at this step.
Want the details first? End of lease cleaning in Perth
Sources
The laws, regulators and services this guide relies on, with the date we read each one.
- Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA), Western Australian Legislation. Read 5 October 2026. Appeals s 13C; condition reports s 27C; cleanliness ss 38, 42; pets ss 50C, 50I; notice ss 68, 70A; bond release s 81C; bond claims s 81E. Official version as at 29 Apr 2026.
- The new bonds process FAQs, Consumer Protection, Government of Western Australia (30 Mar 2026). Read 5 October 2026. When to apply, response times, the Determinations Branch, invoices and quotes.
- Releasing or claiming a bond, Consumer Protection, Government of Western Australia (20 Aug 2026). Read 5 October 2026. BondsOnline and paper forms, processing times, final inspection, claim categories.
- Leaving a rental home – Tenant's guide 3, Consumer Protection, Government of Western Australia (19 Dec 2024). Read 5 October 2026. Notice, bills, keys and the cleaning checklist.
- Renting out your property – A landlord's guide, Consumer Protection, Government of Western Australia (Apr 2026). Read 5 October 2026. Cleaning checklists, fair wear and tear examples, a lessor's own cleaning costs.
- Renting with pets, Consumer Protection, Government of Western Australia (11 Aug 2026). Read 5 October 2026. Reasonable pet conditions and the pet bond.
- Don't get taken to the cleaners when a tenancy ends, Government of Western Australia (13 Aug 2025). Read 5 October 2026. Complaints about vacate cleaners, hiring advice and actual costs.
- Commissioner's Blog: Leaving a rental home, Government of Western Australia (14 Jun 2023). Read 5 October 2026. Attending the final inspection; choice of cleaner; actual costs.
- Terms of service, Simply Maid. Read 5 October 2026. Re-clean terms.
General information, not legal advice. Tenancy law differs by state and changes; check the official source for your state before you act.