Carpet Cleaning Misconceptions

Under the new NSW Residential Tenancies Act terms requiring a tenant to have the carpet professionally cleaned or to pay for the cost of having the carpet cleaned are prohibited  unless of course the tenant has been allowed to keep a pet at the property.

These requirements came into effect on 31 January 2011, as part of the new tenancy laws. Before that, many tenancy agreements stated that the tenant had to pay for professional carpet cleaning, even though this was not supported by the law. The new laws have made the situation a lot clearer.

However, this does not mean that the tenant cannot be made to pay for cleaning of stained or dirtied carpet.

Tenants are required to keep the premises reasonably clean and to leave the premises in the same condition as they were at the start of the tenancy, other than fair wear and tear. Where a tenant moves out leaving the carpet dirty, for example by spilling red wine, or high traffic areas, the landlord can ask the tenant to pay for cleaning or can make a claim on the tenant’s bond. However, where a tenant regularly vacuums and looks after the carpet and leaves it clean, there is no automatic right to ask the tenant to pay for professional cleaning.

Also, while trying not to go all religious on you, the Catholic's Golden Rule - Do unto others, as you would have done to yourself - I feel applies in this instance. Personally I like to know that the carpets have been professionally steam cleaned before I move into a property - you know, hygene and all that?? - So I will always make sure the carpets are professionally steam cleaned when I leave a property.

It's just a nice thing to do...

Another messy one

They come in all shapes and forms, but this one must take the cake, not only was there clothes, rubbish and dirty dishes every where, but this one also had adult nappies scattered about this place. So it's clearly just laziness...




Yes, that's kitty litter on the bathroom floor.

Be happy you can't smell this house, or that you, unlike me on this day, are not leaving this house, now covered in fleas. According to the neighbour, the RSPCA turned up the day after she had moved out, to seize her pets. It's a bit sad that they weren't there earlier to help the poor animals.

The thing that still makes me laugh about this tenant, is she tried to tell me that she didn't clean because she had OCD, she believed if she started cleaning she wouldn't be able to stop...

some back stories

So of course, as soon as I decide to start writing about everything that goes on in Property Management, the worst I have to deal with is piles of paperwork!!

so, here's some old stories that have happened in the past, to showcase some of the nasty things we have to put up with.

For example, here are some photos of a house during a routine inspection.

(Sorry for the bad quality of some of these images)














The sad - and scary - thing is, she had children living with her, and didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with the way she lived...