Moving home can involve two different kinds of cleaning, and the payment rule matters. Cleaning required to meet a tenancy agreement at the end of a lease is a direct tenancy cost. The NDIS list of supports that are not NDIS supports specifically includes exit cleaning, so this part of the move should be arranged and paid for privately. Disability-related household support before or after the move is a separate question and must be considered against your plan.
Use a three-record moving plan
Keep the move clear by opening three records: one for disability-related support at the home you are leaving, one for the private end-of-lease clean, and one for disability-related support at the new home. Give each record its own address, date, task list, decision-maker, quote and payment method. This prevents a tenancy cost from being mixed into an NDIS invoice and makes later questions easier to answer.
| Record | Purpose | Payment boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Before the move | Disability-related household tasks needed while you still live at the old address | Only consider NDIS funding when the support is disability-related, is an NDIS support and is in line with the participant’s plan |
| Exit clean | Cleaning required because the tenancy is ending or the property must be handed back | Private payment; do not charge this tenancy-required exit cleaning to the NDIS |
| After the move | Disability-related household tasks needed to establish or maintain the new home | Assess separately against the participant’s plan and current NDIS rules |
Start the private exit-clean record
Write down the old address, property type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, move-out date, key-return time and who is authorised to approve the work. Note whether the home will be empty, whether furniture remains and how the cleaner can enter. If a landlord or property manager supplied a checklist, attach it as a reference rather than assuming every item is included.
Turn the property into an area list
Walk through the property room by room. For each area, record the surface or fixture, its present condition, the cleaning action requested and anything that must not be touched. A kitchen entry might separate benches, cupboard fronts, the oven and the rangehood. A bathroom entry might separate the shower screen, tiles, basin, toilet and exhaust cover. Record balconies, garages, internal windows or wall marks separately so they are not silently added to the job.
Mark inclusions, exclusions and dependencies
A useful quote states what is included and what is not. It should also identify tasks that depend on access, utilities, safe working conditions or an empty room. Ask how oven interiors, inside cupboards, blinds, tracks, carpet treatment, high areas, rubbish removal and external areas are handled. Damage repair, pest control, moving services and specialist remediation are different services and should not be assumed to be part of a cleaning quote.
Separate cleaning from property outcomes
A cleaner can agree to perform the quoted tasks, but cannot control a landlord’s inspection, a property manager’s checklist interpretation or a bond decision. Record pre-existing damage and maintenance issues before work starts, and send those matters to the person responsible for the property. Do not ask the cleaner to certify damage, promise a bond return or decide a tenancy dispute.
Plan access and handover
Confirm who opens the property, where keys are collected and returned, whether lifts or loading areas are booked, and whether electricity and water will remain available. Add the latest time work can finish before inspection or key return. If another removalist, tradesperson or cleaner will be present, agree the order of work so completed areas are not used again. Keep alarm, lockbox and access details to the minimum authorised information and state when they must be deleted.
Keep NDIS household support in its own record
A participant may still need disability-related assistance with household tasks while moving. For example, routine support may be needed before departure or after arrival because of the participant’s disability. That does not convert the tenancy-required exit clean into an NDIS support. Describe the disability-related task, the address where it occurs, the support period and the plan outcome separately, then check that it is an NDIS support and is in line with the participant’s plan before using NDIS funds.
Match the approval path to plan management
For an NDIA-managed plan, check the current registered-provider requirement before choosing a provider. For a plan-managed plan, send the plan manager the separate disability-support quote and ask what information is needed before approval. For a self-managed plan, keep the evidence and records required under current NDIS rules. These checks apply only to the disability-related support record; the tenancy-required exit clean remains private-pay.
Ask for two documents when two services exist
If private exit cleaning and disability-related household support are both being discussed, request separate quotes and separate invoices. Each document should show one address, service dates, itemised tasks, price basis, approver and payment route. Reject a document that bundles the private tenancy cost into an NDIS line item or uses a vague description that prevents the two services from being reconciled.
Use a written change rule
Nominate the person who may add, remove or defer work. If the condition of the property differs from the information supplied, pause the affected task and record the new scope, price and timing before continuing. Housemates, support workers, landlords and property managers may provide information, but only the authorised customer should approve a change to the cleaning agreement unless another authority has been documented.
Close the records independently
At completion, compare the private exit-clean invoice with its quote and approved changes. Close the old-home and new-home disability-support records against their own task evidence and funding decisions. Keep only the minimum information needed for payment, enquiries and record obligations. A problem in one record should not be used to rewrite or rebill another.
Choose references for the three-record split
Use the national cleaning guide for general household-task planning, the bathroom guide for room-specific scoping, and the services-and-areas guide when deciding which service page fits the enquiry.
- NDIS Cleaning in Australia
- NDIS Bathroom Cleaning Assistance
- NDIS, DVA & Aged Care Cleaning Across Australia
Request a private end-of-lease quote
Prepare the old address, room list, condition notes, requested tasks, exclusions, access plan, move-out date and key-return deadline. Call 1300 525 336 or email info@smurfettescleaningservice.net to request a written private-pay quote. Compare any response with the private exit-clean record and require the proposed scope and price to be explicit; a booking is not confirmed until the scope, price, timing and access arrangements have been agreed in writing.