In NSW, tenants do not pay for fair wear and tear: the normal decline of a property through everyday living. Tenants do pay for damage caused by careless, negligent or deliberate actions, including damage caused by guests or other people living there. Dirt is a third category. It is neither wear nor damage, and you are expected to clean it before you leave.

Knowing which category a mark falls into is the easiest way to avoid paying for something that is not your responsibility.

Fair wear and tear vs damage: examples

These examples are based on the NSW Government’s guidance for rental properties.

Where cleaning fits in

When you move out, the law asks you to leave the property as near as possible to the condition it was in when you moved in, apart from fair wear and tear. In practice, every mark at the final inspection falls into one of three buckets:

• Wear: the landlord’s cost. Example: a worn path in the hallway carpet.
• Damage: your cost to repair. Example: a burn mark on the benchtop.
• Dirt: your job to clean. Example: grease in the oven, soap scum in the shower, dust in the window tracks.

Many bond claims are about the third bucket, because dirt is the easiest thing for an agent to point to. The good news is that it is also the easiest to fix before the inspection. The Tenants’ Union of NSW says the standard is “reasonably clean”, not spotless.

You don’t pay new-for-old

Even when something is damaged, the landlord has to allow for its age. The Tenants’ Union of NSW notes that you should not be charged the full price of a brand-new item to replace an old one. A ten-year-old carpet with one stain is not worth the price of new carpet.

Pets and end of lease cleaning

Since 19 May 2025, if your landlord approved an indoor pet, they may have set conditions for professional carpet cleaning and, for mammals, professional fumigation when you leave. These must be in their written response to your pet application, and they apply even if the carpets look clean or the pet has since passed away. Even without such a condition, you can be asked to fix pest problems or staining beyond fair wear and tear that you caused.

Damage caused by domestic abuse

If property damage was caused by domestic abuse and you were not the person responsible, NSW rules say you are not financially responsible for it, and the landlord cannot take that cost from your bond.

How to protect yourself

1. Fill in your ingoing condition report carefully, with photos, and return it within 7 days of moving in.
2. Report repairs such as leaks during the tenancy, in writing, so later stains are not blamed on you.
3. Take dated photos of every room after your final clean.
4. Keep receipts for any cleaning, carpet cleaning or repairs you pay for.
5. If the landlord claims part of your bond, ask for their evidence. Our guide on how to get your bond back in NSW explains the dispute steps.

Moving out in Western Sydney?

If you would rather hand the cleaning over, NET Cleaning Services does end of lease cleaning across Western Sydney, the Hills District, South West Sydney and the Blue Mountains. We work through the real estate checklist room by room, and if your property manager raises a cleaning issue we come back and re-clean it at no extra cost.