The level of cleanliness of a rental property is crucial for both landlord and tenant. As a landlord, ensuring your home is in top-top condition at the start of the rental period will help ensure this is the state the property is returned in. A beautifully prepared and presented home will also often achieve higher rental return and a greater number of high-quality applicants. 

When a tenant is vacating a property at the end of their term, the condition of the home is required to be similar to the condition it was provided in at the start of the term - as documented on the ingoing condition report and accompanying photos. If not, the rental bond paid at the start of the tenancy can be withheld to recover costs of cleaning and repairs which may be required to return the property to its previous condition. 

So, how can a landlord be sure that their investment property is as clean as it can be before a tenant moves in? And how can a tenant ensure they have covered everything when cleaning the home at the end of their lease term? Our detailed and downloadable cleaning checklist will help!

As we write this article, there is a deluge outside our office. The combination of rain and wind is reminiscent of the April 2015 super storm in which many parts of the Hunter received record rainfall.

Regardless of the whether outside your window, it's never a bad time to check your level of preparation should a severe storm appear on the horizon.

If you're a landlord or landlord-to-be and you're asking the question "Do I Need Landlord Insurance?" - the answer is undoubtably yes. This article explains why. 

However even if you have landlord insurance for your investment property, it's worth taking the time to consider these few questions to ensure your policy is up to date and your investment is covered securely.