We're in NSW. The owner of the house we're currently renting has just switch his portfolio to a new agent. As a result, they immediately wanted to inspect the place and they've now given us a list of things to tidy up before a re-inspection as the first was apparently not up to standard.
The switch happened with minimal communication, only demands to switch our rental payments and to allow inspections so I'm inclined to not take what they're doing laying down.
Our rental agreement states that "The tenant agrees to keep the residential premises reasonably clean", which I believe we have done. After we received the feedback from their inspection, it felt a lot more like the type you'd have once you'd left the premises, to assess if your bond will be returned (ie. "The tenant agrees…before giving vacant possession of the premises…to leave the residential premises as nearly as possible in the same condition, fair wear and tear expected, as at the commencement of the tenancy").
For the recent inspection, things were clean, surfaces wiped down, floors vacuumed & mopped - definitely liveable and cleaner than it normally looks tbh but not the kind of clean we would have done before moving out. Some of the things they've now asked us to do before re-inspecting include cleaning exhaust fans, detail cleaning the oven, carpet cleaning, sweeping and mopping areas that had already been cleaned, cleaning window coverings. Obviously you can only take my word for it but none of the things they've pulled up have ever been an issue in any inspection I've had, bar final ones.
Does anyone have any experience with tenants rights? Do we have any recourse or is it easier to just clean and get it over with?
How long since your last inspection? Here in Victoria they can only come every 6 months.