Ending a Tenancy: Step by Step

Giving notice

Notice must be given in writing, and the required period depends on your situation: whether your fixed term is ending, you’re on a periodic lease, or you need to break a fixed-term lease early. Contact us before you commit to moving dates and we’ll confirm exactly what applies to you; breaking a lease early involves costs that are worth understanding upfront.

Before you hand back the keys

• Work through the end-of-tenancy cleaning guide: cleaning is the #1 cause of bond delays
• Complete any carpet cleaning or pest treatment required by your lease and keep receipts
• Arrange disconnection of electricity, gas and internet for after your vacate date
• Redirect your mail and update your address everywhere that matters
• Return every key, remote and access card: rent can accrue until they’re all returned

The final inspection

After you’ve returned the keys, we inspect the property against your ingoing condition report, allowing for fair wear and tear. If anything needs attention, we’ll contact you. In most cases tenants prefer to fix small items themselves rather than have costs come from the bond.

Getting your bond back

Once the property is signed off, we lodge the bond disposal with the Bond Administrator for release to you. When the inspection goes smoothly, this happens within days. The tenants who get their full bond back fastest are, almost without exception, the ones who used the cleaning checklist and took photos of everything.