Vista Fox · Planning guides

End-of-lease window cleaning checklist

By Vista Fox · Published 6 November 2026

Illustrative stock photograph, not a local project or provider’s work. Source photograph · Liliana Drew · Pexels License

End-of-lease window cleaning sits in a specific corner of the vacate-clean world: the scope your property manager requests, the condition of the glass when you arrived, the sides that are actually accessible, and the type of glass on the property all shape what a provider needs to know before they quote. This guide helps you gather that information clearly — without overpromising what any clean will do to your bond outcome.

Collecting the requested window-cleaning scope

Before contacting any window cleaner, obtain the written list of what your property manager or landlord is asking for. This is not always obvious. A vacate-clean checklist from an agency often refers to “windows” without specifying:

Interior glass surfaces only, or both interior and exterior
Whether tracks, sills and frames are included
Whether flyscreens are part of the scope
Whether sliding door glass is counted separately from fixed windows
Whether skylights, louvres or high clerestory windows are included

Ask your property manager to mark up the specific items on the vacate checklist. A written reply is worth keeping. Use the reply to prepare a proposed cleaning brief, then ask the provider to confirm the agreed inclusions. An agency checklist records a request; it does not, by itself, establish the legal standard for a bond claim.

Recording accessible sides and existing condition

Not every window in a rental property is reachable from ground level. From safely accessible ground-level positions, note the following without climbing or testing access:

Where upper-storey windows are located; leave equipment choice and safe access assessment to the provider
Any windows over a roof, courtyard void or restricted area
Gates or side passages that a provider would need to enter

Then cross-reference with the condition report you received at the start of the tenancy. If the ingoing report documented existing marks, chips, mineral deposits or scratched glass, those pre-existing conditions are worth flagging to both the cleaner and the property manager before work begins. The SA Government’s moving-out checklist advises comparing the property’s condition with the original inspection sheet and keeping a copy. It also suggests photographs of how you left the property. Keep that comparison alongside the proposed cleaning scope.

Photograph the windows before and after cleaning, noting the date and time on each image.

Understanding glass type before describing scope

This matters more than many tenants realise. Viridian Glass’s cleaning guide notes that the cleaning of heat-treated glass — toughened or heat-strengthened — requires special attention because fine glass dust particles may adhere to the surface during manufacturing, and using a blade to clean this type of glass can drag those particles and permanently scratch or damage the surface. The same guide specifies that razor blades, metal tools, scouring pads, steel wool and abrasive materials should not be used on glass surfaces.

For glass with an exposed Low E surface — such as single-glazed EnergyTech™ or SolTech™ — the Viridian guide states it is not advisable to use alkaline or alcohol-based cleaning solutions, as they can leave visible streaks, and that the coated surface cleans differently to non-coated glass.

Why does this matter for your vacate scope? Because if your rental has specialist glass — coated energy-efficient panes, toughened glass in wet areas or near doors — you should flag this when describing the job to any provider. Ask explicitly whether the cleaner is familiar with the glass type present. Viridian’s guide explicitly recommends seeking advice from professional window cleaners or reputable glazing companies rather than assuming a single method applies to all glass.

If you’re unsure what glass type you have, check for an etched safety mark on the corner of the pane, or ask the property manager to confirm from the building records.

Comparing inclusions before booking a provider

Once you have the requested list and your condition notes, use both when approaching providers. For example, a hypothetical tenant may ask for “the windows” while the agency’s list also names tracks and flyscreens. Before booking, the tenant can ask which items the quote includes, what remains excluded, and whether any requested item needs clarification with the property manager. This identifies a scope gap without assuming extra work or a particular tenancy outcome.

When comparing providers, ask each one to respond to the specific list of items you’ve extracted from the property manager’s checklist. Any quote that doesn’t address your list item by item makes it harder to identify gaps before the visit.

Questions about photographs and service records

Dated before-and-after photographs can help document visible condition and the areas attended. They are a record to consider with the scope and service notes, rather than conclusive proof of every task or a bond entitlement. Ask any provider you book:

Do they photograph windows before and after the clean?
Can they provide a written record of what was cleaned?
If a stain or mark is not removable by cleaning — for example, an etched mineral deposit or a manufacturing inclusion — will they note this in writing?

Viridian’s guide distinguishes between surface contamination that cleaning can address and damage that is permanent. Knowing which category a mark falls into before you submit the property is worth asking about, so ask the provider to record observations and any limits on what they can identify.

Keep any written service record alongside your ingoing condition report and your outgoing photographs. These records may help explain the sequence if there is a later question about condition.

Specialist access and working-at-heights considerations

For windows above ground level, the question of access method is relevant to your booking conversation. SafeWork SA classifies certain work involving fall risk as high-risk construction work, with associated duties for the person conducting the business or undertaking. Whether any particular window-cleaning task at your property meets that classification depends on the actual work and circumstances — it’s a question to put to the provider, not something a referral site can determine.

What you can do is describe the access situation accurately: flag any upper-storey windows, windows whose access needs professional assessment, and any site conditions that might affect how the provider plans the job. Ask what photographs or site assessment the provider needs to select a safe access method and confirm the quote.

Keeping the cleaning booking separate from a bond outcome

This is the most important boundary to maintain in your planning. A professional window clean — however thorough — is a service performed to a described scope. A cleaning booking does not decide a bond entitlement. The SA Government advises checking against the original inspection sheet, discussing the refund with the landlord and using the bond-claim process. For a disputed requirement or uncertainty about your tenancy obligations, use the CBS Tenancies contact on that official page rather than treating a cleaner’s quote or agency checklist as the answer.

What you can control is:

Getting the requested scope in writing before booking
Recording accessible sides and existing condition
Matching the provider’s quote to that written scope
Keeping photographs and a service record

None of that guarantees a bond outcome — but it does mean you have a clear record of what was asked, what was booked, and what was done.

If you’d like to explore whether a referral to a window cleaning provider is available for your end-of-lease situation in Adelaide, you’re welcome to submit an enquiry.