A regular apartment clean in Melbourne typically costs $45 to $60 per hour in 2026, or $139 to $175 flat for a 2-bedroom. This guide breaks down real 2026 prices for regular, deep, end of lease and Airbnb cleans, what is actually included, the high-rise access rules nobody explains, and the complaint that comes up more than any other: the price changing on the day.
Written by Metecan Kalkan, founder of OneDrop FM (ABN 74 499 285 939), a Melbourne cleaning company. We clean apartments across Melbourne CBD, Southbank, Docklands, Port Melbourne and more than 20 other suburbs. Last updated: 21 October 2026.
The Short Answer: Melbourne Prices
Regular cleans (established companies):
- Hourly: $45 to $60 per hour (weekly $45, fortnightly $48 at the big operators)
- 1-bedroom flat rate: $129 to $155
- 2-bedroom flat rate: $139 to $175
- 3-bedroom flat rate: $174 to $218
- Studio: no provider publishes a studio rate. You pay the 1-bedroom rate or the 2-hour minimum, about $115 to $155
- Minimum: 2 hours, with minimum call-outs of $100 to $130
- Recurring discount: 10 percent is typical for weekly or fortnightly (range 5 to 20 percent)
Deep and one-off cleans: $55 to $70 per hour, or flat $192 to $215 (1-bed), $204 to $245 (2-bed), $239 to $275 (3-bed).
End of lease cleans (fixed per property, not hourly): studio $200 to $300, 1-bed $250 to $380, 2-bed $300 to $520, 3-bed $400 to $600.
Airbnb turnovers: 1-bed from $130 plus GST clean-only, from $165 with hotel linen. 2-bed from $163 plus GST, 3-bed from $228 plus GST.
GST is included in some published prices and not others. Confirm the GST-inclusive total before you book, not after.
What Is Included in a Standard Clean?
A proper regular clean in a Melbourne apartment covers:
Kitchen. Benchtops, splashback, sink, appliance and cupboard exteriors, floors. Interiors are add-ons.
Bathrooms. Sanitising, mirrors, and light soap scum only. Heavy grout and limescale work is deep-clean territory.
Bedrooms. Dusting, vacuum, mop, bed-making if you ask.
Living areas. Dusting, light skirting wipe, cobwebs within reach, floors, a general tidy.
Not standard: the balcony. Balcony cleaning is an add-on almost everywhere. So are oven interiors, fridge interiors and inside cupboards, even on some deep cleans. Get the exclusions in writing.
A deep clean adds degreasing, grout and limescale scrubbing, detailed skirting boards, switches and handles, spot wall marks, and edges and corners.
What Costs Extra?
Common add-ons with typical Melbourne prices:
- Inside oven: $64 to $79 as an add-on ($139 to $179 standalone).
- Inside fridge: $34 to $60. It must be empty.
- Interior windows: $50 to $100 per apartment.
- Blinds: $20 to $33 each.
- Carpet steam cleaning: $35 to $69 per room. See our carpet cleaning cost guide.
- Balcony sweep and mop: $29 to $64.
- Balcony pressure wash: $50 to $159.
- Inside cupboards: $40 to $64.
- Bedsheet change: about $17.
For end of lease cleans, agents check window tracks, oven and rangehood, grout, skirting and balcony door tracks harder than anything else. Our end of lease cleaning checklist covers what they look for.
High-Rise Access: Fobs, Lifts and Building Rules
No competitor explains this, and it causes more failed cleans than price does.
Fob-only lifts. Most CBD, Southbank and Docklands towers need a fob for the lift, not just the front door. The cleaner cannot reach your floor without one. Plan for a meet in the lobby, the concierge, or a loaned fob.
Lift bookings. For move-outs and big end of lease cleans, many towers require a booked, padded lift. Moves usually run Monday to Friday, 8 to 5, with Saturday mornings by approval and Sundays off limits in most towers. No booking can mean no access.
Parking and loading. Ask about visitor parking or loading dock access before the day. CBD loading costs catch people out.
Common areas are not yours. Hallways, lobbies and shared facilities are the owners corporation’s contract, not your cleaner’s job. See our strata cleaning cost guide for how that side works.
Sort access before you sort price. A fixed quote means nothing if the cleaner cannot get in.
Airbnb Hosts: Turnover Costs and the Short Stay Levy
Turnover pricing is above. Two Victorian rules matter more:
The 7.5 percent Short Stay Levy. Since 1 January 2025, stays under 28 days carry a 7.5 percent levy on the total booking fee, and that includes the cleaning fee. If you book through a platform, the platform pays it. If you take direct bookings, you register and pay it yourself. Your principal place of residence is exempt.
Owners corporations can ban short stays. Since 1 January 2025, an owners corporation can ban short-stay letting by a 75 percent special resolution, except on lots that are the host’s principal residence. Three breach notices in 24 months can also lead to a ban on your lot. About 84 percent of City of Melbourne short stays sit in CBD, Southbank, Docklands and Carlton high-rises, so check your building’s rules before you list, not after.
Prices Across Melbourne Suburbs
OneDrop FM is based in Taylors Lakes, near Watergardens. These are the areas our apartment work concentrates in:
- Apartment cleaning Melbourne CBD: towers with concierges and fob lifts. Access planning matters more than the clean itself.
- Apartment cleaning Southbank: high-rise stock, heavy Airbnb turnover demand.
- Apartment cleaning Docklands: newer towers with strict lift booking rules for move-outs.
- Apartment cleaning Port Melbourne: waterfront apartments, a mix of regular and short-stay work.
We also cover more than 20 suburbs across Melbourne. Every quote starts with the apartment size and access details, because a 2-bed in a walk-up and a 2-bed on level 30 are different jobs.
Booking Terms: Minimums, Cancellation and Guarantees
What is common in Melbourne in 2026:
- Minimum booking: 2 hours is near-universal.
- Free cancellation: usually 24 to 48 hours out. Inside that, 50 percent is common, up to 100 percent for same-day or no-access.
- Guarantees: almost all are re-clean guarantees, not money back. Windows run 72 hours to 7 days. Check the window and what triggers it.
- Insurance: established firms carry $5M to $20M public liability and police-checked staff.
- No lock-in: regular cleans are almost never locked in.
- Timing for end of lease: book 3 to 5 days before the final inspection so the re-clean window still protects you.
Red Flags: How to Spot a Bad Apartment Cleaner
The complaints Melbourne apartment residents report most:
- Quote creep on the day. The number one pattern. The booked price jumps once the cleaner is inside: extra time, extra rooms, windows and balcony suddenly extra. One Melbourne reviewer was quoted about $100 over the first quote and ended up re-cleaning rooms themselves.
- No-shows. Cleaners cancelling on the morning, sometimes after payment, with re-cleans also missed.
- Missed basics. End of lease cleans where the oven and splashback were done and little else.
- Bond fails. Cleaners assuring a pass, the agent failing the property, and the renter losing the fee and the bond.
- Keys and access chaos. Keys taken and calls unanswered, or a charge to pick up a key for the re-clean.
- Products not supplied. Some companies include everything, others expect your vacuum, mop and products. In a furnished-empty apartment, that kills the clean.
- Guarantee friction. A 24-hour complaint window that expires before you even see the apartment.
A fixed written quote with the exclusions listed kills most of these before they start.
How to Choose an Apartment Cleaner
Before you book, check these:
- Fixed quote for end of lease, deep and Airbnb cleans. Hourly only for regular cleans, with pre-approval needed for extra time.
- The exclusions in writing: oven, cupboards, window tracks, blinds, balcony, carpet, walls.
- Public liability insurance sighted, and police checks for staff.
- Ask the access questions upfront: fob, concierge, parking, building hours.
- The guarantee window (72 hours minimum is fair) and what triggers a free re-clean.
- Products and equipment confirmed explicitly. Who brings the vacuum and mop?
- Same cleaner each visit, plus a sick-cover policy.
- GST-inclusive total and a tax invoice. Agents usually want the carpet invoice for bond release.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does apartment cleaning cost in Melbourne?
$45 to $60 per hour for a regular clean in 2026, or flat rates of $129 to $155 for a 1-bed and $139 to $175 for a 2-bed. End of lease cleans run $250 to $380 for a 1-bed, fixed per property.
How much does it cost to clean a 2-bedroom apartment?
$139 to $175 for a standard regular clean, $204 to $245 for a deep clean, and $300 to $520 for an end of lease clean depending on bathrooms. Airbnb turnovers start from $163 plus GST.
Is a studio charged as a 1-bedroom?
Usually, yes. No major Melbourne provider publishes a studio rate, so studios pay the 1-bedroom flat rate or the 2-hour minimum, about $115 to $155.
Do I legally have to pay for professional cleaning to get my bond back?
Not automatically. Victorian law requires the property left reasonably clean, in the same condition as at the start, fair wear and tear aside. A professional or carpet clean can only be required if the property was professionally cleaned just before your tenancy and you were told, or if it is needed to restore the starting condition. Blanket lease clauses demanding it are not enforceable.
Does the cleaner bring products and equipment?
It depends on the company. Some include everything, others expect your products, vacuum and mop for regular cleans. Confirm before booking, especially in an empty apartment with nothing on site.
How does the cleaner get in with a fob-only lift?
Plan it in advance: meet the cleaner in the lobby, arrange a loaned fob, or ask the concierge or building manager. Cleaners cannot reach fob-secured floors alone, and failed access is often charged.
Is the balcony included in a standard clean?
No, almost never. Balcony cleaning is an add-on, typically $29 to $64 for a sweep and mop. For end of lease cleans, agents check the balcony and its door track closely, so add it.
How much does an Airbnb turnover clean cost?
From $130 plus GST for a 1-bed clean-only in Melbourne, from $165 with hotel linen, and from $228 plus GST for a 3-bed. The cleaning fee also counts toward the 7.5 percent Short Stay Levy on bookings under 28 days.
Book Your Apartment Clean With OneDrop FM
Fixed written quotes with the exclusions listed upfront. Get in touch with OneDrop FM to get a fixed quote.
We are local. Based in Taylors Lakes, cleaning apartments across more than 20 Melbourne suburbs.
Call 0402 160 946 for a fixed quote.