For a lot of students, the end of Semester 2 is also the end of a lease. Exams finish, and the share house in Mawson Lakes or the flat near the city campus has to be handed back in the same week. The end-of-lease clean is the job that gets squeezed.
It's easier with a plan made before exams start. This guide covers when to do the clean, how to use your inspection sheet, a room-by-room checklist, how to split the work in a share house, and what happens with the bond. If you would rather hand it over, our end-of-lease cleaning team works across Adelaide.
Mark the Date: Adelaide University releases its Semester 2 exam timetable on Monday 12 October, and the exam period runs from Monday 16 to Sunday 29 November 2026. Once you know your last exam, you know your cleaning window.
Plan the Clean Around Exams
A proper move-out clean is a long job, longer again in a share house, and nobody wants to do it the night before an exam. Work backwards from the date the keys are due, then fit the clean into the gap after your last paper.
Before Exams
- Confirm the end date of your lease and when keys are due back
- Sell or give away furniture you won't take, so it's gone before clean-up day
- Book a cleaner now if you want one, so you get the date you need
After the Last Exam
- Pack and move everything out before you start cleaning
- Clean the empty rooms, then the kitchen and bathroom last
- Leave a day spare before the keys are due, in case something needs a second go
Pro Tip: Studying somewhere other than Adelaide University? Check your own exam timetable, since dates differ between universities and TAFE.
Start With Your Inspection Sheet
The inspection sheet you filled in when you moved in is the most useful document you have. South Australia's Law Handbook says both the tenant and the landlord or agent should inspect the property at the end of the tenancy, using that sheet to compare its condition now with its condition when you arrived.
So read it before you clean. If the sheet noted a stained carpet or a chipped tile on day one, that's on record. If it says the oven was clean, that's the standard the oven will be checked against.
Can't Find It? Ask your agent or landlord for a copy now, not on handover day. Photos you took when you moved in help too.
Room-by-Room Move-Out Checklist
Work from the top of each room down, so dust from fans and shelves lands on floors you haven't cleaned yet. These are the spots that most often get missed at the end of a student lease.
Kitchen
- Oven, racks and trays, plus the stovetop and the rangehood filter
- Fridge emptied, wiped inside and left with the door ajar if it's switched off
- Cupboards and drawers emptied and wiped, inside and out
Bathroom
- Shower screen, tiles and grout, where soap scum builds up over a year
- Toilet, basin, mirror and the exhaust fan cover
- Drains cleared of hair
Bedrooms and Living
- Wardrobes and shelves emptied and wiped
- Scuffs, Blu Tack marks and tape removed from walls where you can do it without damage
- Skirting boards, light switches and door handles
Floors, Fans and Windows
- Ceiling fan blades and light fittings dusted first
- Window sills, tracks and flyscreens, which collect a full spring of dust
- Carpets vacuumed and hard floors mopped, last of all
Pro Tip: Window tracks are slow work by hand. Our flyscreen and window track guide has a quicker method, and carpet cleaning can be booked alongside the main clean if the carpets need more than a vacuum.
Keys, the Final Inspection and Your Bond
Once the place is clean and empty, take dated photos of every room, return every key and remote, and go through the final inspection if you can be there for it.
In South Australia, bonds are claimed through Consumer and Business Services' Residential Bonds Online portal. If you and the landlord agree, the bond is paid as agreed. If a claim is lodged that the other side doesn't accept, they have 14 days to dispute it, and the Tenancies Branch tries to resolve it before it can go to the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Need Advice? If you and the landlord disagree about the condition of the property, either of you can call Consumer and Business Services on 131 882.
Book an End-of-Lease Clean
If exams and packing leave no room for a full clean, our Adelaide team can do it for you. We cover the city and inner east, the Hills, the western beaches and the northern suburbs, with fully insured and police-checked cleaners. Tell us your move-out date and we'll send a personalised quote.
Kitchen & Oven
Oven, stovetop, rangehood, fridge and cupboards
Bathroom
Shower screen, tiles, grout, toilet and fan
Sills, Tracks & Floors
Window tracks, skirting boards and every floor
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.When are Adelaide University's Semester 2 exams in 2026?
Adelaide University lists the Semester 2 primary exam period as Monday 16 November to Sunday 29 November 2026, with the exam timetable released on Monday 12 October. If you study somewhere else, check your own university's timetable, because dates differ between institutions.
Q.What do I need to clean when I move out of a rental in South Australia?
Use the inspection sheet from the start of your tenancy as your guide. At the end of the tenancy, both the tenant and the landlord or agent should inspect the property and compare it with the condition recorded when you moved in. In practice that means the kitchen, oven and fridge, the bathroom, every room's floors, walls, sills and window tracks, and taking all your belongings and rubbish with you.
Q.How do I get my rental bond back in South Australia?
Bonds are claimed through Consumer and Business Services' Residential Bonds Online portal. If you and the landlord agree, the bond is paid as agreed. If one side lodges a claim the other doesn't agree with, the other party has 14 days to dispute it, and the Tenancies Branch will try to sort it out before it goes to the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Consumer and Business Services can give advice on 131 882.
Q.Can MyHomeCleaning do an end-of-lease clean after my exams finish?
Yes. Tell us your move-out date, the size of the place and whether carpets or windows need doing, and our Adelaide team will put together a personalised quote. Booking early gives you the widest choice of dates.
