The end-of-tenancy checklist: from notice to handover, step by step

When the tenancy is ending

Most tenancies end one of three ways:

1. Tenant gives notice — they're moving out at lease end, or breaking their fixed term. 2. Landlord gives notice — fixed-term ending, sale, owner moving in, breach. 3. Mutual agreement — both parties sign a tenancy-end agreement.

Whichever path, the practical workflow from "notice given" to "bond returned" is similar: about 4–6 weeks of activity. Doing it in order keeps it calm.

60 days out (or as soon as notice is given)

• Confirm the handover date in writing with the tenant.
• Confirm the forwarding address for any correspondence after they've moved.
• Pull out the entry condition report from when they moved in. This is the document you'll compare against.
• If you didn't already, photograph the property's current state — even before the tenant starts packing — as a baseline.

30 days out

• Schedule the exit condition report inspection for handover day, ideally with the tenant present. If they can't attend, agree it'll be done after they vacate and you'll send them a copy.
• Send the tenant a plain-English exit checklist:
• Vacate by [time] on [date].
• Property to be returned in same condition as entry condition report (allowing for fair wear and tear).
• Carpets professionally cleaned if pets were on the property (mandatory in some states; check your lease).
• Garden tidy if "tenant to maintain" was a special term.
• Take final meter readings on the day of vacating, send the photos.
• Return all keys, garage remotes, and any other access devices.
• Provide forwarding address for bond paperwork.
• If you're going to re-let, start your re-letting process now — photographs, listing, screening prospective tenants. Don't lose the gap.

Property Journal's email template library has "Lease ending — exit instructions" pre-written; merge fields fill in your tenant's name, address, lease end date.

14 days out

• Confirm the exit inspection date and time with the tenant.
• If you have any maintenance the tenant raised that hasn't been done, decide whether to do it now or roll it into the bond claim.
• If you're going to bring in cleaners or tradies post-handover, line them up now.

Handover day

The exit condition report is the day's main work.

• Walk through with the tenant if at all possible.
• Use the entry condition report as your reference.
• Note every variation room-by-room, photographing any damage / cleaning issues.
• Check meters — final readings, take photos.
• Receive all keys / fobs / remotes; tick them off against the inventory you took at entry.
• Sign off the exit condition report with the tenant (with any disagreements noted).
• Confirm forwarding address.

If anything is in dispute, write it down on the exit report at the time rather than reconstructing later.

Day 1–7 after handover

• Bond refund proposal. Itemise any claims (cleaning, repairs, unpaid rent, water charges) — see our [bond claims guide](/guides/bond-claims). Email the tenant the proposed split with evidence (photos, quotes/invoices).
• Aim for a "both parties sign the matching bond refund form" outcome — fastest path to settlement.
• If they agree, lodge the refund form with the relevant state bond authority. Most settle in 7–10 business days.
• If they don't agree, you can negotiate or proceed to the dispute path (each lodges their own form, the bond authority holds while the matter goes to the relevant tribunal).

Day 7–30 after handover

• Bond settles (or dispute progresses).
• File the closing-out documents with your records: signed exit condition report, photos, signed bond refund form, any invoices.
• Update the tenancy in your records: status = 'ended', date_ended = handover day. This matters for your FY rent income tally.
• If there were tribunal-level issues (rent arrears claim, contested damages), keep documents for at least 6 years (statute of limitations).
• If the tenant left a forwarding address, store it — you may need it for any follow-up correspondence.

Avoid these common mistakes

• Skipping the walk-through. Doing the exit report after the tenant has moved out makes your evidence position much weaker. The tenant can claim "it was already like that when I left and someone else damaged it" — and without the joint walk-through, you can't easily refute.
• Vague claims. "Cleaning $400" without a quote or invoice gets refused by bond authorities. "Cleaning by [Company X], invoice attached, $400" gets approved.
• Holding onto the bond as leverage. Bond authorities won't release the bond until both parties either sign the same form or the tribunal decides. You can't "withhold" pending some other dispute.
• Forgetting the ledger. Final water charges, last week's rent, electricity if you pay it — all need to be reconciled at handover.
• Re-letting before exit inspection. Don't have a new tenant moving in the same day. Give yourself at least 48 hours for the exit walk-through, any cleaning, and any urgent maintenance.

What this means for you

End-of-tenancy is the highest-stakes part of the management cycle. Done well, it's a 4–6 week sequence with predictable steps and a clean bond settlement. Done badly, it's a six-month tribunal saga that costs you weeks and sometimes more than the bond was worth.

Property Journal's Bond Refund Wizard + inspection module with per-room photos + email template library + communications log are designed to handle this whole sequence on the rails.

> Not legal advice. Specific deadlines and forms vary by state. Verify with the relevant regulator and bond authority for your state.