What Does a Real Estate Agent Check at Final Inspection Melbourne?
Melbourne agents use a standardised outgoing condition report form. They compare the property’s current state against the entry condition report completed at the start of your tenancy. Anything below the original standard — adjusted for fair wear and tear — is documented and may result in a bond deduction claim.
Here’s exactly what they’re looking at, and where most tenants get caught.
The Inspection Process
The outgoing inspection typically takes 30–60 minutes for a standard apartment, longer for houses. The agent walks room by room with the entry condition report on a tablet or clipboard, noting any discrepancies. They photograph anything that may support a bond deduction claim.
You have the right to be present at the outgoing inspection. Most tenants don’t attend, but being there allows you to address minor issues on the spot or contest claims before they’re formalised.
Kitchen — What They Check
- Oven: opens the door, looks at the interior walls, racks, tray, and glass. Grease or carbon residue = fail. The oven is the most commonly failed item on Melbourne outgoing inspections.
- Rangehood: filter pulled out — grease visible on the mesh = noted
- Cupboards: opened and inspected inside, particularly base of lower cupboards
- Stovetop: checked for grease and residue around burners
- Dishwasher: door opened, filter checked
- Sink: limescale and drain condition
- Splashback and benchtops: grease, staining, residue
Bathrooms — What They Check
- Shower glass: held up to the light — calcium and soap scum shows clearly. This is the second most failed item.
- Grout: checked for mould and discolouration. They distinguish between mould (cleanable, tenant’s responsibility) and grout that’s deteriorated (fair wear and tear).
- Toilet: full inspection including under the rim and behind the base
- Vanity and taps: limescale and water marks noted
- Exhaust fan: dust on the grille is commonly missed by tenants
Bedrooms and Living Areas — What They Check
- Walls: they run their eyes along the walls, specifically where furniture was positioned. Scuffs, marks, and holes from picture hooks are noted. Small scuffs are usually fair wear and tear; large marks or multiple hooks without backfilling may be flagged.
- Carpet: checked for staining, smell, and condition. If professional steam cleaning is required by the lease, they ask for the receipt.
- Skirting boards: checked along the full perimeter, particularly at wall-floor joins behind furniture positions
- Windows and tracks: glass checked for smear marks, tracks checked for dust and debris (a very common miss)
- Ceiling fans: blades checked top-down — dust visible from below on close inspection
- Light fittings: covers removed on inspection if the entry report noted them as clean
- Blinds: opened fully — dust and mould on individual slats checked
Outdoors
- Balcony: swept, marks on walls and balustrade wiped
- Garden: lawn mown, edges trimmed, garden beds clear — if the lease requires garden maintenance
- Garage: swept, oil stains noted (oil damage may exceed “cleaning” and become a repair claim)
Most Common Reasons Bonds Are Withheld in Melbourne
- Oven not properly cleaned (most common)
- Shower glass calcium and soap scum
- Carpet not professionally steam cleaned (where required by lease)
- Walls marked or scuffed behind furniture
- Window tracks not cleaned
- Bathroom grout mould
- Exhaust fans not wiped
- Skirting boards dirty behind furniture positions
Your Rights at Outgoing Inspection
Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic), you have the right to:
- Be present at the outgoing inspection
- Receive a written copy of any bond deduction claim before it’s lodged with the RTBA
- Contest any bond deduction claim at VCAT — the filing fee is $73.90 as of 2026
- Request re-inspection if cleaning issues are identified (negotiate this directly with your agent)
If you hired a professional cleaning company, your completion certificate and the company’s re-clean guarantee are your primary defence documents.
Book a professional end of lease clean with a bond-back guarantee →