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End of lease cleaning cost in Queensland, and what the RTA requires

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Price guide cover: end of lease cleaning cost in Queensland, and what the RTA requires

Short answer: Queensland law doesn’t make you hire a professional cleaner. You must leave the rental in the condition it was in when you moved in, apart from fair wear and tear. A lease generally can’t make you pay for professional cleaning; the main exception is carpet cleaning as a condition of keeping a pet inside. Cleaners in South East Queensland that publish prices list a bond clean from $245 (excluding GST) to $440 for one bedroom and $280 (excluding GST) to about $700 for three. Two Sunshine Coast cleaners quote houses individually at $400 to $1,400. Carpet steam cleaning is usually extra: $135 to $180 for three rooms on two cleaners’ pages.

We’ve left out the cleaners’ names. Localdex has a cleaning category, so this guide is about prices, not picking a cleaner.

What the law requires when you move out

The rules are in the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld), explained by the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA).

  • During the tenancy you must keep the place clean, having regard to its condition at the start (section 188(2)).

  • At the end you must leave the premises and inclusions, as far as possible, “in the same condition they were in at the start of the tenancy”, fair wear and tear excepted (section 188(4)).

  • Fair wear and tear isn’t defined in the Act. The RTA describes it as what happens through normal use, ageing and weather. Dirt, grime, grease and damage aren’t fair wear and tear, including damage by an approved pet (section 184C(3)).

The RTA’s examples: paint faded by sun and carpet worn by everyday use are fair wear and tear. Paint discoloured by candle smoke, plaster chipped by nails and pet stains on carpet are yours to fix. For touch-ups, our house painting price guide shows what painters charge per room.

The 2024–25 rental law changes didn’t alter this duty (section 188 was last amended in 2021). They changed bond claims, below.

Can a lease make you pay for a professional clean or a carpet steam clean?

Mostly no. Under section 171, the owner or agent can’t require you to buy services from them or anyone they nominate. The RTA says a special term can’t require you to:

  • leave the property better than at the start;

  • buy goods or services, except carpet cleaning connected with a pet;

  • use a particular company for bond or carpet cleaning;

  • pay a set fee for either.

A term like that is void, and you don’t have to follow it. You can hire cleaners or do it yourself.

The starting standard still counts. If the carpets were cleaned to a certain standard before you moved in, such as a professional clean, the RTA says you must clean them to that standard at the end. In a 2019 QCAT appeal it cites, a term requiring professional carpet cleaning and fumigation at the end was upheld because both had been done at the start.

Pets are the exception. Since the 2022 pet reforms, an owner approving a pet allowed inside can require professional carpet cleaning at the end, and fumigation if the pet can carry parasites (section 184F). That means the standard ordinarily achieved by businesses selling the service, but the owner can’t name the business (section 171(3)). What applies to you depends on your lease and pet approval.

Entry and exit condition reports, and photos

  • Entry condition report (Form 1a). The owner or agent must give you a signed copy by the day you move in. You have 7 days to sign it, mark anything you disagree with and return it; they return a copy within 14 days (section 65). Take dated photos or video.

  • Exit condition report (Form 14a). You complete and sign it by the last day and give it to the owner or agent as soon as practicable. They have 3 business days to sign it, mark disagreements and send a copy to your forwarding address if you’ve given one (section 66).

The RTA recommends photos at the end too, and meter readings on both reports.

Getting your bond back, and disputing a claim

  1. Agree if you can. Either side can start an agreed refund through RTA Web Services or Form 4. The RTA aims to process it the same day; allow up to 3 business days for the money.

  2. If someone claims against your bond, the RTA pays any undisputed amount, holds the rest and sends a Notice of claim. You have 14 days to lodge a Dispute resolution request (Form 16) (section 136A), or the bond is paid as first requested.

  3. Evidence within 14 days. Since 30 September 2024, an owner or agent who claims on the bond or disputes your request must give you supporting evidence, such as receipts or repair quotes, within 14 days (section 136AA). Not doing so is an offence (maximum 20 penalty units), and you can ask the RTA to investigate.

  4. Free conciliation. If the RTA’s voluntary dispute resolution doesn’t settle it, the RTA issues a Notice of unresolved dispute.

  5. QCAT. You then have 7 days to apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal and tell the RTA (section 136B). From 1 July 2026 the fee is $96.30 for claims up to $1,000 and $164.30 up to $10,000. QCAT weighs your efforts to meet section 188(4), both sides’ compliance with the Act, and the evidence (section 136D).

For free advice, Tenants Queensland’s QSTARS service is on 1300 744 263.

Northern Rivers (NSW)

NSW Fair Trading’s rule is similar: leave the property as near as possible to its starting condition, apart from fair wear and tear. A NSW agreement can’t require professional carpet cleaning, or its cost, unless the landlord agreed to a pet kept inside and the cleaning suits that pet.

What end of lease cleaning costs in South East Queensland

Bond clean prices from cleaners’ own pages, checked 14 October 2026:

  • A (Brisbane and Gold Coast pages; GST not stated): 1 bed $360, 2 bed $420, 3 bed about $600 (10 hours estimated at $60/hr), 4 bed about $780 (13 hours).

  • A (its Sunshine Coast page; GST not stated): 1 bed $420, 2 bed $490, 3 bed about $700 (10 hours at $70/hr), 4 bed about $910 (13 hours).

  • B (Gold Coast; GST not stated): 1 bed from $440, 2 bed from $550, 3 bed from $660 (1 bathroom), 4 bed from $990 (2 bathrooms).

  • C (Gold Coast; GST not stated): 1 bed from $305, 2 bed from $375, 3 bed from $495, 4 bed quoted.

  • D (national; Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast pages; excludes GST): 1 bed from $245 (7 hours), 2 or 3 bed from $280 (8 hours), 4 bed not listed.

  • E (national; serves Brisbane and the Gold Coast; includes GST): 1 bed $423, 2 bed $455 to $487, 3 bed $487 to $519, 4 bed $551 (2 bathrooms).

  • F (Sunshine Coast; GST not stated): $600 to $1,400 for an average 3-bedroom house.

  • G (Sunshine Coast page; GST not stated): houses $400 to $1,200 after a free inspection.

“About” figures are our arithmetic from A’s estimated hours. Add 10% to D’s prices before comparing. E’s prices assume an empty home kept on top of; it adds $96 for some build-up and $191 for a heavy clean.

For comparison, two commercial sources:

  • What’s The Damage, a cost-guide site that also passes enquiries to businesses, lists Brisbane bond cleans at $220 to $380 for a studio or one bedroom, $250 to $500 for two, $350 to $700 for three and $500 to $850 for four, including GST (October 2026). Its Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast figures are within a few per cent.

  • Airtasker, a marketplace, shows posted end of lease jobs at $250 to $587 across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, not split by home size.

Carpet steam cleaning

Cleaner (area)

Published price

GST

H (Brisbane)

From $45 a room; 3 rooms $135 (minimum), 4 rooms $180, 5 rooms $225; apartments needing a portable machine from $165

Not stated

I (Brisbane and Sunshine Coast pages)

Bedroom from $27.50 empty or $33 furnished (up to 14 m²); lounge from $44; $120 minimum

Not stated

J (Gold Coast)

3 rooms $180 (minimum), 4 rooms $220, 5 rooms $275, then $55 a room (page undated)

Included

What’s The Damage, Brisbane (commercial)

$30 to $60 a room; 3-bedroom house $150 to $350

Included

What drives the price

  • Bedrooms and bathrooms. E’s price rises with each bathroom.

  • Condition. Grease, mould and soap scum add hours. B and E charge more if the home isn’t as described.

  • Fixed or hourly. “From” prices and hourly estimates (A, D) can grow on the day.

  • Extras. Walls, blinds, balconies and carpets are often separate. E includes the oven, inside cupboards and interior windows.

End of lease cleaning checklist

A bond cleaning checklist for Queensland, based on the RTA’s guidance:

  • Compare each room with your entry condition report and photos.

  • Windows and tracks, skirting boards, light fittings, ceiling fans, air conditioning vents and filters.

  • Inside every cupboard, and the oven.

  • Outside: balconies, weeding, mowing and edging, and rubbish removed.

  • Carpets back to their starting standard, or as your pet approval requires.

  • Repair damage you caused.

  • Complete the exit condition report, with photos and meter readings.

  • Return all keys, remotes and access cards, and give the RTA your forwarding address.

How to get an accurate quote

Give every cleaner the same brief:

  1. The home: bedrooms, bathrooms (count ensuites), storeys, empty or furnished.

  2. Condition: photos of the oven, bathrooms and any mould or marks.

  3. Carpets and extras: which rooms, any pet condition, walls, blinds or yard.

  4. Your entry condition report and the date the keys are due.

Then compare quotes like for like, as in our house painting price guide:

  • Fixed price or hourly? Is GST included?

  • What costs extra?

  • If the agent finds a problem, will they come back free, and within how many days?

  • Will the invoice list the carpets? In a dispute over a pet condition, the RTA says it’s up to you to prove the professional standard was met.

Getting quotes through Localdex

Localdex lets you describe the job once and send it to the businesses that can do it, up to three. Nothing is sent until you approve the request. Businesses get the job details you approve, and we don’t share your account name or email (anything you type into the job details is shared). It’s free for customers and covers South East Queensland and Northern Rivers NSW.

Localdex has a cleaning category, but no cleaner is listed yet. If no one covers your job, you can leave it with Localdex for up to 90 days while we look for a business that can take it.

Describe your clean and get quotes

FAQ

How much does end of lease cleaning cost in Brisbane? Two cleaners serving Brisbane list $360 to $423 for one bedroom and about $490 to $600 for three. What’s The Damage puts Brisbane bond cleans at $220 to $850 by size, including GST.

How much is a bond clean for a 3-bedroom house on the Gold Coast? Cleaners’ pages start from $280 (excluding GST) to $660, before carpets.

Do I have to get the carpets professionally cleaned in Queensland? Not usually. You must return them to their starting standard, which may mean a professional clean if that’s how they started. A pet approval can also require it if the pet lives inside.

How long does the agent have to give evidence for a bond claim? 14 days from lodging the claim or dispute.

Sources

Prices are indicative and were current as of 14 October 2026. They’re not a quote.

Written by Localdex

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