Vacate Cleaning Checklist
for Darwin Units and Apartments

Darwin's unit and apartment market — particularly in the CBD, Parap, Nightcliff and other inner suburbs — means a large proportion of Darwin bond cleans happen in multi-storey buildings rather than standalone houses. The standard for a unit bond clean is the same as for a house on a per-room basis, but there are specific considerations that apply to units that don't arise in houses, and some areas that are commonly missed specifically in smaller properties.

This checklist is structured for Darwin units and apartments, with notes on the areas that differ from a house and where unit bond cleans most commonly find issues at inspection.

Before You Start: Unit-Specific Considerations

Confirm What's Your Responsibility

In a strata or apartment building, there's a distinction between the private lot (your unit) and common property (hallways, lifts, stairwells, common laundry). You're only responsible for cleaning your private lot — common areas are the body corporate's responsibility and aren't part of your bond clean.

Check whether the following are part of your private lot and therefore your responsibility:

• Allocated car park or garage space
• Allocated storage cage or room
• Balcony
• Private garden area (some ground-floor units have exclusive use garden areas)

Cleaning Team Access

Darwin high-rise units require practical planning for cleaning team access: lift access for equipment, secure building entry, and whether visitor parking is available for a cleaning van. Communicate these details when booking so the team arrives prepared rather than resolving access issues on the day.

Room-by-Room Checklist for Darwin Units

Kitchen

Units typically have smaller kitchens than houses, but the inspection standard is identical — every surface, every appliance, every cupboard.

• ☐ Oven interior — cavity, racks, door glass, drawer if present
• ☐ Range hood — filter removed and degreased, interior and exterior of hood
• ☐ Stovetop — under burner plates for gas, full surface for ceramic
• ☐ Inside all cupboards and drawers
• ☐ Benchtops including behind taps and at wall junctions
• ☐ Splashback — degreased
• ☐ Sink including drain and under-bench plumbing access
• ☐ Inside dishwasher including filter
• ☐ Inside microwave
• ☐ Fridge interior if a fixture
• ☐ Floor swept and mopped

Bathroom(s)

Units commonly have one bathroom, sometimes with a separate toilet. Both need thorough attention — and Darwin's humidity makes bathroom mould a specific focus.

• ☐ Shower tiles and grout — scrubbed and treated for mould
• ☐ Shower screen — inside and outside, including tracks
• ☐ Showerhead descaled
• ☐ Bath if present
• ☐ Silicone sealant checked and cleaned
• ☐ Toilet — bowl including under rim, seat both sides, base and behind
• ☐ Vanity basin, taps, mirror
• ☐ Inside vanity cabinet
• ☐ Exhaust fan cover
• ☐ Towel rails
• ☐ Floor mopped including behind toilet and under vanity
• ☐ Ceiling checked for mould spots — common in Darwin units

Living and Dining Area

• ☐ Floors vacuumed and mopped throughout
• ☐ Skirting boards wiped
• ☐ Window glass, frames and tracks
• ☐ Sliding door glass and tracks
• ☐ Light switches and power points
• ☐ Ceiling fan blades
• ☐ Light fittings
• ☐ Air conditioning — vent covers, filters cleaned or replaced
• ☐ Any built-in storage or shelving

Bedroom(s)

• ☐ Built-in wardrobe interior — shelves, rails, floor
• ☐ Sliding wardrobe door tracks
• ☐ Window glass, frames and tracks
• ☐ Skirting boards
• ☐ Light switches and power point
• ☐ Ceiling fan if present
• ☐ Light fitting
• ☐ Floor vacuumed and mopped

Laundry (if within the unit)

• ☐ Inside washing machine drum and door seal
• ☐ Tub or basin
• ☐ Taps and fixtures
• ☐ Behind and under washing machine where accessible
• ☐ Floor including under appliances

Balcony

Balconies are frequently given minimal attention in unit bond cleans — and are frequently flagged at inspection as a result.

• ☐ Floor swept and mopped — Darwin balconies accumulate significant dry season dust
• ☐ External glass cleaned — fingerprints, bird droppings, dust
• ☐ Balustrade wiped
• ☐ Any fixtures removed or cleaned
• ☐ Any outdoor furniture removed — your responsibility, not included in the unit at handover
• ☐ Drain cleared of debris
• ☐ Ceiling of balcony if covered — cobwebs, dust

Allocated Parking or Garage

• ☐ Floor swept
• ☐ Any oil drips or stains treated
• ☐ Walls wiped if marked
• ☐ Personal items removed

Darwin-Specific Unit Considerations

Air Conditioning

Darwin units run AC almost year-round. The inspection increasingly covers AC condition — not just aesthetics but whether the unit has been maintained. Cleaning or replacing filters before inspection is standard for a thorough Darwin unit bond clean.

Window Tracks in Units

Darwin units often have louvred windows and sliding doors with tracks that accumulate significant debris during the dry season. Window tracks in a Darwin unit after a year or more of occupancy can have substantial build-up that requires specific tools to clear properly — a toothbrush for grout lines and corners, not just a quick wipe.

Ceiling Mould

Darwin's humidity creates ceiling mould in bathrooms and occasionally in poorly ventilated areas of units. Ceiling mould in the bathroom is a specific inspection item that house bond cleans also address, but it's more prevalent in units where ceiling height is lower and ventilation may be less effective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Darwin unit and apartment bond cleans follow the same standard as house bond cleans on a per-room basis. The specific considerations for units — building access, balcony cleaning, AC condition, ceiling mould from lower ceilings and less ventilation — are worth planning for specifically rather than assuming the unit is simpler than a house. The balcony and window tracks are the areas most commonly given inadequate attention in unit bond cleans, and are both reliably checked at inspection.