Bond clean receipt and completion report: what an agent can ask for, and free templates

A bond clean receipt confirms that payment was made but does not indicate the property's condition after cleaning, which is what bond claims turn on. The document that reflects the property's state is a completion report, detailing the condition upon arrival, what was cleaned, what was excluded, and including photographs. This guide offers free templates for both documents and the accompanying email, starting with the common question from cleaners and tenants: can the agent legally require a receipt?

Whether professional cleaning is mandatory depends on the state and the rental agreement. For details on what a bond clean must cover, refer to our guide to end of lease cleaning requirements and deductions.

Can the agent require a receipt for professional cleaning?

Professional cleaning is only required if the agreement validly demands it, and the rules vary by state.

NSW. An agreement must not include a term "requiring a tenant to have the carpet professionally cleaned, or pay the cost of cleaning, at the end of the tenancy unless the landlord has consented to a pet being kept inside the home and the cleaning is reasonable for the type of pet" (NSW Government, residential tenancy agreements). Where the pet exception does not apply, the page says the term should be deleted.

Victoria. For agreements signed from 29 March 2021, a professional cleaning clause applies only if the property was professionally cleaned immediately before the tenancy and the tenant was informed, or if professional cleaning is necessary to restore the property to its original condition, considering the condition report and normal wear and tear. Consumer Affairs Victoria explains this on its condition reports page, and the clause itself is prescribed by regulation.

Queensland. The RTA's cleaning page advises tenants that they may choose to hire a professional cleaner or clean themselves and to inspect the work before the cleaner leaves.

The Tenants' Union of NSW clearly states in its bond kit that tenants are not required to hire professional cleaners at lease end, that professional cleaning usually exceeds a reasonable clean, and if a cleaner is hired, tenants should inform the agent and keep the receipt.

What does a receipt actually prove?

A receipt confirms that a service was paid for on a specific date and amount but does not provide information about the oven, silicone, or carpet condition, so alone it cannot resolve disputes about the property's state.

Bond rules focus on evidence of the property's condition. In Queensland, the tribunal considers the tenant's efforts to leave the property as found, compliance with the Act, and supporting evidence (s 136D). In NSW, landlords making claims without tenant consent must provide the end-of-tenancy condition report along with quotes, invoices, or receipts within 7 days (s 165). In Victoria, from 13 October 2026, rental providers must give renters bond claim evidence at least 3 days before making a claim (s 411(1A)).

This is why receipts accompany completion reports. The receipt confirms payment, while the report, with before and after photos, shows the condition the agent is asked to accept. The RTA also recommends taking photos as additional evidence alongside the exit condition report.

Free template: bond clean receipt

Complete the fields in brackets. If your business is not registered for GST, use the alternate version: the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) states that invoices from non-registered businesses must not include the term "tax invoice."

Four elements in that template are required by tax regulations rather than customary practice.

The ABN line. If a business pays an invoice without an Australian Business Number (ABN) and the payment exceeds $75 excluding GST, it must withhold 47% of the payment. The supplier can claim this withheld amount back when filing their tax return.

The title. Registered for GST: the document is a "tax invoice". Not registered: it is an invoice, and the words "tax invoice" must not appear on it.

The 28 days. If registered for GST and a customer requests a tax invoice, you have 28 days to provide it unless the sale is $82.50 including GST or less.

The last line. The receipt distinguishes your fee from the tenant's bond. What the agent deducts from the bond depends on the entire property and the entry report, not on whether your invoice was paid.

Keep your copy of the documents. The ATO requires business records to be retained for 5 years.

Free template: completion report

The report consists of six sections. Tenants who clean the property themselves use the same template, replacing "cleaner" with "tenant" and removing the ABN line.

Part 2 is the part that decides re-clean requests, so every item you tried to clean and could not belongs there, with a photo number and one line. The sentence "the items in part 2 are excluded from any re-clean" is worth putting in the quote as well as the report.

Part 6 should only state facts. If the file can be reopened and edited, label it "prepared" rather than "final," and send it the same day so the email timestamp serves as the date.

Which photos fill the report?

Twenty photographs divided into three groups are sufficient for a two-bedroom apartment.

• Six on arrival, one per room from the doorway, before anything is touched.
• Six close-ups of anything that will not come off, side lit, each matching a line in part 2.
• Eight on completion, of the places agents check first: oven, rangehood filter, window tracks, shower screen, cupboards and carpets.

Keep original photo files and send them in a way that preserves the date, such as email attachments or shared links. Our guide to phone photos as evidence in a bond dispute explains how messaging apps can alter photo dates. The room-by-room method and captions for each photo are detailed on our exit condition report page.

Free template: the email that sends both

Send the report and receipt on the cleaning day to both tenant and agent before returning the keys. Sending both simultaneously ensures each party knows the other has the same record.

Attach the report and receipt as separate files to ensure the report is not overlooked, and keep the sent email as proof of when each party received the documents.

What if you cleaned it yourself and have no receipt?

If no receipt is available or required, use the completion report instead, including your own before and after photos and any receipts for hired equipment or products.

If the agreement includes a professional cleaning clause, verify it against your state's rules before paying for cleaning you may not be obligated to cover. In NSW, carpet cleaning clauses are prohibited except for the pet exception. In Victoria, the clause is limited to two situations related to the property's initial condition. In Queensland, tenants may choose professional cleaning or do it themselves.

What if the agent asks for a re-clean after you send it?

Respond using the report by referencing the item in part 2, its photo number, and the quoted scope. Items present upon arrival or not included in the quote are not subject to re-cleaning.

Our guide to what a bond clean includes has three replies you can send, and the fair wear and tear guide categorises forty common items into wear or damage, which is central to most re-cleaning disputes.

Keep the report, receipt, and email until the bond is paid out. CleanLog records the time and location of each photo, transcribes notes in English from your spoken description, and locks the report so it cannot be altered after the cleaning day. Cleaners receive the first report free, then 5 reports for $12 or 10 for $20, with no subscription required.