End-of-lease tile and grout cleaning in Adelaide: what gets you your bond back

By Adelaide Tile & Grout · Updated 2026-10-31 · Adelaide SA

What the SA rules actually say

Under South Australia’s residential tenancy law, a tenant has to keep the premises in a reasonable state of cleanliness and leave them that way at the end, allowing for fair wear and tear. “Reasonable” is measured against the inspection sheet and photos from the start of the tenancy, not against brand new. That cuts both ways. If the grout was clean and light when you moved in and it is black now, cleaning it is your cost and the landlord can claim it from the bond. If it was already stained on the day you got the keys, that is wear and tear and shouldn’t be charged to you. Bonds in SA are lodged with Consumer and Business Services, and if the two sides can’t agree on a refund the dispute goes to SACAT, where the ingoing inspection sheet is the evidence either side relies on.

Practical advice: dig out your ingoing inspection sheet now, before you book anything. If it noted stained grout, you may not need a deep clean at all. If it said “clean” and it isn’t, a clean is cheaper than an argument.

What a bond clean does and doesn’t cover

Bond cleaning checklists are long, and “tiles” is on them, but it generally means the tile surfaces are washed. Deep-cleaning the grout lines is a different process (pre-treatment, scrubbing every line, rinse and extraction) with different equipment, and most bond cleaners either don’t offer it or quote it separately. Ask the question directly: “Does your price include deep-cleaning the grout in the shower and the kitchen floor?” If the answer is vague, assume no.

The same goes for mould in the shower and the hard-water film on the tiles. A bond clean will spray and wipe them. Mould that has rooted into the grout and scale that has bonded to it come back within days, often before the final inspection.

The usual end-of-lease tile job

Typical end-of-lease combinations

Job	Total
Bathroom onlyShower recess, floor and wall tiles	$229
Bathroom + ensuiteSame visit	$408
Bathroom + laundry floor + splashbackThe most common handover job	$367
Bathroom + ensuite + laundry + splashback	$546
Add living-area floors, 30 m²$8/m²	+$240

No call-out fee. Minimum booking $149. Pay after the job by secure link. Full list on the prices page.

Timing it right

1. Furniture out first. Floors can only be cleaned where the cleaner can reach.
2. Tile and grout clean the day before the bond clean, or the morning of it. Grout is walkable within an hour or two but dries through more slowly.
3. Bond clean after that, so the cleaner isn’t walking dirt back across damp grout.
4. Skip sealing unless you own the place. Sealing is for keeping grout clean over years; a tenant leaving next week gets no benefit from it. Landlords between tenants are the opposite case: a clean and seal now means less to argue about at the next handover.

Cracked grout is not your problem to fix

Cracked, crumbling or missing grout is normally wear and tear or a maintenance issue, not cleaning, and it is the owner’s responsibility unless you caused the damage. Don’t pay for a regrout to get a bond back; do point it out in writing so it is on the record. Owners who want it fixed between tenancies can get a regrout quote through us.

For landlords and property managers

Between tenancies is the best time to deep-clean and seal grout: the place is empty, the next inspection sheet starts from “clean”, and sealed grout stays presentable through the tenancy. Book on the published prices, tell us who provides access, and the invoice goes to whoever is paying. If the outgoing tenant is paying, we can invoice them directly.

Property managers: see our page for property managers, with a printable price sheet to forward to tenants. Our tile and grout cleaning page covers what is included; the cost guide explains how the prices are worked out.