What a move-in clean includes
It's the same ground as an end of tenancy clean. Kitchen: benches, the sink, the rangehood and inside every cupboard and drawer. Bathrooms: shower, toilet, basin, mirror and the extractor fan cover. Everywhere else: inside wardrobes, skirting boards, light switches, sills and doors, then every floor.
Add-ons cover the oven, inside windows, carpet steam and wall marks. An empty house shows every mark on the carpet and every fingerprint on the glass, so think about which of those the place needs before you send it.
Move-in cleaning a rental: record it, then clean it
If you're a tenant, the property inspection report is the record of how the place was when you got the keys. Tenancy Services recommends that you and the landlord both sign, date and keep a copy, and a tenant can't be blamed for damage recorded at the start.
So fill in the report and take photos before any cleaning starts. If the place wasn't clean when you arrived, that belongs on the report too. Then book the clean for before the truck turns up, while every cupboard is still empty.
Pre-sale cleaning: two cleans, two moments
The first is before the listing photos and open homes, while you still live there: a deep clean of a furnished home, with extra care on the kitchen, bathrooms and windows, which all show up in listing photos.
The second comes once you've moved out. Settled.govt.nz says your property must be vacant on settlement date and left tidy with all rubbish removed, and it tells sellers to check the sale and purchase agreement for any extra cleaning requirements. The buyer's pre-settlement inspection, usually at least 2 working days before settlement, checks the place and chattels are as they were when the buyer signed.
What to tell the business about a move-in clean
- Whether the home is empty or still furnished.
- The bedrooms and bathrooms, and any add-ons you're ticking.
- Who has the keys, and how the cleaner gets in.
- Any damp, mould or marks you already know about.
- Parking, stairs or a lift, if they'll be carrying gear in.
- Your date, on the call, once they've rung you.
Your jobs before and after move-in cleaning
Worth doing yourself
- The property inspection report and photos, done before any cleaning.
- Getting the last boxes, rubbish and garden waste off the property if you're selling.
- Leaving the chattels in the sale where they belong.
- A quick check of each room once the cleaner has finished.
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- Inside every cupboard and wardrobe while the house is empty.
- Bathrooms and the kitchen, to a level that photographs well.
- Sills, tracks and inside glass right through.
- Carpet steam cleaning, when the carpets need it.
Things to be wary of in a pre-sale cleaning quote
- A promise that the clean will get you a better price for the house.
- Someone offering to take away rubbish or old furniture as part of the clean.
- No written list of what's included, or no NZBN to look up.
- The full amount wanted before anyone has seen the place.
If you're selling or moving in: our cleaning advice
If you're selling, read the cleaning clause in your sale and purchase agreement before you book anything, so the final clean matches what you signed. If you're moving in to a rental, get the inspection report and photos done first; the clean comes after the record, never before it.