How much to charge for bond cleaning
Bond cleaning is not domestic cleaning with a different name. You are underwriting a tenant's deposit against a property manager's inspection, and the free re-clean you promise is the real cost of the job.
Quick answer
A standard Australian bond clean for a two to three bedroom property runs roughly 250 to 600 dollars in 2026. Two bedroom properties commonly sit at 300 to 450 and three bedroom at 500 to 700, with NSW at 300 to 500 for two bedrooms and 450 to 700 for a three bedroom house, Victoria at 350 to 550 for two to three bedrooms, and Queensland lower at roughly 230 to 550 across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Carpet steam cleaning typically adds 40 to 60 per room. The commercially important part is the bond back guarantee: agents routinely reject DIY cleans, so the guarantee is why tenants pay you, and the re-clean window you offer is a liability you should price deliberately.
Australian bond cleaning prices by state and size, 2026
| Market | 2 bedroom | 3 bedroom |
|---|---|---|
| National typical | 300 to 450 | 500 to 700 |
| New South Wales | 300 to 500 | 450 to 700 |
| Victoria | 350 to 550 for 2 to 3 bed | Upper end |
| Queensland | 230 to 550 for 2 to 3 bed | Upper end |
| Carpet steam clean | 40 to 60 per room | 40 to 60 per room |
Step-by-step
- 1
Price the guarantee, because that is what is being bought
Tenants do not hire you to clean. They hire you so a property manager signs off and the bond is returned, and agents in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria routinely reject tenant-done cleans. That guarantee is your product. It also means a free re-clean is a cost you will incur on some percentage of jobs, so build that percentage into the price.
- 2
Define the re-clean window precisely
How many days after the clean does your guarantee last? Does it cover the whole property or only the items the agent listed? Does it still apply if the tenant moved furniture back in, or if the agent inspected a week later? Write it down. A vague guarantee is an unlimited one, and the tenants most likely to test it are the ones whose property was worst to begin with.
- 3
Quote from the condition, not just the bedroom count
A three bedroom that has been maintained and a three bedroom after four years with a large dog are not the same job, and a bedroom count alone will not tell you which one you are quoting. Ask about pets, smoking, oven condition and how long the tenancy ran, and either inspect or build a condition loading into your quote.
- 4
Price carpets and extras as separate line items
Carpet steam cleaning at 40 to 60 a room, external windows, garages, blinds, walls and pest treatment where a lease requires it are all distinct services. Listing them separately protects your headline price against competitors quoting a bare clean, and it stops you absorbing a half day of carpet work inside a fixed fee.
- 5
Work the agents, not just the tenants
Tenants are one-off customers by definition. Property managers place bond cleans continuously, for every vacating tenant on their books. One relationship with an agency is worth dozens of individual jobs, and what wins it is passing their inspection first time, every time.
- 6
Photograph the property before you start
Pre-existing damage, stained carpets and a scratched benchtop are a dispute waiting to happen when a bond is on the line. A timestamped photo set taken on arrival resolves it in seconds. It also documents the standard you delivered if an agent later claims otherwise.
Tips & best practices
- Your guarantee is the product. Price the expected cost of re-cleans into every job.
- Ask about pets and oven condition before quoting. Those two answers predict most of the variance in how long the job takes.
- One property manager relationship is worth dozens of tenant jobs, because their pipeline never stops.
Common questions
How much should I charge for a bond clean?
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Around 250 to 600 dollars for a standard two to three bedroom property in Australia. Two bedrooms commonly sit at 300 to 450 and three bedrooms at 500 to 700, with Queensland generally lower and New South Wales and Victoria higher.
Should carpet cleaning be included?
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Usually priced separately at 40 to 60 dollars per room. Quoting it inside the headline price makes you look expensive against competitors who do not, and absorbs a substantial job into a fixed fee.
What should my bond back guarantee cover?
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Define the window in days, whether it covers the whole property or only agent-listed items, and what voids it, such as the tenant moving belongings back in. An undefined guarantee is effectively unlimited.
Why is bond cleaning more expensive than regular cleaning?
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Because it is a different product. You are cleaning to an agent's inspection standard with a deposit at stake, guaranteeing the outcome, and carrying the cost of returning free if it fails. Domestic cleaning carries none of those obligations.
How do I get consistent bond cleaning work?
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Through property managers rather than tenants. Agencies place bond cleans for every vacating tenant, so one relationship produces continuous work. Passing inspections first time is what earns and keeps it.