Friday, 16 October 2020
Though the traditional reasons for spring cleaning do not apply to modern Australian life, spring remains the perfect time to do a thorough cleaning of your home.
Sure, the tasks ahead feel daunting. But think about the exhilarating feeling afterwards from being able to see the the sun shine through sparkling clean windows and lying on clean sheets without seeing dusts or cobweb on your ceiling.
If you own your home, you can clean to your heart’s content. But, if you are renting, the property is still owned by your landlord, who may still retain a few responsibilities for cleaning and upkeep.
Check your lease
As a tenant, you don’t have the right to do whatever you want in the space you’re living in. If you’re in the dark regarding this, your responsibilities in the upkeep and cleaning of the premises are usually stated in the terms of your lease. Your lease will tell you what your limits are in terms of what part, furnishings or appliances in the home you can and cannot touch.
This lease is legally binding, which means you have to follow it to the letter.
You may be in violation of your lease if you fail to abide by these terms, or if you don’t take general care of the property. You may face fines or eviction if you don’t do your part in keeping the home clean and safe.
Spring cleaning in rental properties
What are the responsibilities of the tenant and of the landlord?
Renters often take on the task of cleaning and small maintenance. Major maintenance, such as structural repairs or inspections, is usually undertaken by the landlord. But each task is different for a given situation, so coordination is important between the renter and the landlord.
Just remember that the rule of thumb is: landlord and tenants should never do anything that would damage or put at risk each other’s possessions.
Spring cleaning tasks for landlords
The change of season to spring is the perfect opportunity to clean the outside of your property – and inspect it at the same time to see what damage the past seasons have done to it. Doing this would save you a lot of money down the road.
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Check if the gutters have accumulated debris like leaves and other organic materials over the autumn and winter seasons. Also check the roof and ceiling for damage ot break that little critters can use to get inside the property.
Inspect the window screens whether they are damaged or need cleaning. Check for cracks or damage in caulks and sealants. If you see that the interior windows need cleaning, kindly remind the tenant to take care of it.
Spring cleaning for tenants
One of the benefits of renting is that you have fewer responsibilities for the upkeep and maintenance of the property. However, you are still responsible for making sure your space is always clean and properly maintained.
Your responsibilities maybe fewer, but there is still work to be done. Inspect the HVAC system for dust and debris and replace the filters. Clean the bathroom fan. Also, replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Spring is the perfect weather to do all the deep cleaning tasks around the house. Here are a few tasks that should be on a tenant’s spring cleaning to-do list:
- Dust from to bottom, taking special care in hard-to-reach places that are neglected during the daily cleaning tasks.
- Clean the walls that may have been scruffed by moving furniture, by children or by general use.
- Wash window screens and sills.
- Vacuum low-traffic areas such as under the furniture, the floors of closets, and other hard to reach spots.
- Clean carpets with a vacuum or carpet cleaner. Talk to your landlord about paying part of the cost for hiring a professional carpet cleaner.
Bottom line, both tenants and landlords have the responsibility of maintaining the property. Tenants should make sure that the home is regularly cleaned and maintained to protect their rental bond and save them a lot of work during the end-of-lease cleaning. And landlords shouldn’t fail to remind tenants on how important it is clean and properly maintain the property.
