End of Lease in Sydney: What to Do With the Mattress and Fridge
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Two things reliably go wrong at the end of a Sydney lease: the mattress doesn't fit in the van, and nobody wants the fridge. Both are too big for a bin, both can't legally sit on the nature strip without a booked council collection, and anything left behind at the final inspection can come out of your bond. Deal with them a few days early and it's a non-event.
Why these two, every time
It's an economics problem, not a laziness problem. A three-year-old mattress is worth nothing second-hand, won't fit in a small removal van alongside everything else, and needs two people to carry. A fridge is heavier still, and the new place frequently already has one.
So they get left for the last day, when there's no time and no vehicle, and then they get left full stop — which is the expensive outcome.
What it costs you if you leave them
Anything abandoned at the property is a cost your agent can claim against your bond, and the amount charged is rarely the amount it would have cost you to sort it yourself. Agents book a contractor at short notice, add an administration margin, and deduct the lot.
Leaving items on the nature strip without a booked council collection is worse again: that's illegal dumping, it's fineable, and in a strata block it usually breaches the by-laws too. The fine typically lands on the tenant, and the item still has to be removed.
The timeline that works
- Two weeks out: decide what's coming with you. Be honest about the mattress — if it's older than about seven years, you're moving a problem, not a bed.
- One week out: book the pickup. Choose a date two or three days before your final inspection, not the day of.
- Day before pickup: empty and defrost the fridge, unplug it, mop up. Strip the mattress.
- Pickup day: arrange for them to be safely placed outside at the kerbside before pickup. You don't need to be there once they are ready at the agreed collection point.
- Inspection day: the property is empty and there's nothing to argue about.
Booking before the inspection rather than after is the whole trick. Once you've handed the keys back you've lost access, and anything still inside becomes the agent's problem to solve at your expense.
What it costs to do it properly
- Mattress: $80 flat, any size, any condition
- Fridge or freezer: $80 for a small–medium unit, $150 for a large one
- Old TV or electronics: a flat $80 per load of electronics; an old TV from $80 ($150 for a large TV)
A mattress and a fridge together is $160, or $230 if the fridge is a large one — fixed, no call-out fee, and considerably less than the same items appearing as a bond deduction.
Share houses: sort it as a group
If three people are moving out of a share house, three mattresses is $240 in one booking and one trip. Splitting it is trivial; individually chasing three separate solutions in the last 48 hours is not. This is by far our most common Inner West and Eastern Suburbs job in December, January and February.
Can I just use the council collection?
If your timing allows, yes — it's cheaper. The problems are that you need a booked date which may be weeks away, most councils cap collections per year per property (and your landlord may have already used them), the item has to sit out until pickup day, and in a strata block the owners corporation usually has to arrange it rather than you.
If your lease ends in nine days, the council path generally isn't available to you in practice.
What we don't take
Straight answer so you plan properly: mattresses, sofas and lounges, appliances (fridges, freezers, washing machines and TVs), e-waste and cars. Not bed frames or bases, desks, dryers or general household items. If you've got a whole flat of things to shift, you'll need someone else for the rest — we're the specialist for these.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be home?
No, for mattresses and fridges, provided they are outside at the agreed kerbside collection point before pickup. Please arrange safe placement there in advance. Plenty of people book from the new place.
Will you carry it down from a third-floor walk-up?
No. Collection is kerbside only. Please arrange for the mattress or fridge to be safely moved outside before pickup; our team does not carry items down stairs.
What if the mattress is stained?
Same price, still taken. It's being recycled, not resold.
How fast can you come?
Usually within 24–48 hours, often same-day if you book before noon. Monday to Friday, 6am–4pm.
Can I book it for a specific day before my inspection?
Yes — name the date when you book. That's the sensible way to do it.
Book before your inspection
Mattress $80, fridge from $80, gone before the agent walks through.