Bond Refund & End of Lease Guides

Practical, evidence-based guides for Australian tenants and bond cleaners navigating end-of-lease handovers and tribunal disputes.

Category 1

Bond refunds and disputes

How to claim your bond, the time limits in each state, and what to do if the agent disputes it.

Australia-wide · all states and territories 10 min read

How to get your bond back in Australia: a step-by-step guide for every state and territory

Get your bond back in any Australian state or territory: where to apply, what you need, whether the agent must sign, and what happens if it's disputed.

Read guide
Australia-wide · all states and territories 9 min read

How long does it take to get your bond back? Every state and territory compared

How long does a bond refund take? Time frames for every state and territory: agreed refunds, the 14-day notice, disputes, and what to do when it is late.

Read guide
New South Wales · Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) 10 min read

Bond refund in NSW: how to claim, how long it takes and what happens at NCAT

How to get your bond back in NSW: claiming on Rental Bonds Online, the 14-day rule, how long a refund takes, and what happens if the agent goes to NCAT.

Read guide
Victoria · Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic) 10 min read

RTBA bond refund in Victoria: how to claim, how long it takes, RDRV and VCAT

How to get your bond back from Victoria's RTBA: claiming it yourself, how long it takes, the new evidence rule, RDRV's role and when VCAT decides.

Read guide
Queensland · Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld) 12 min read

RTA bond refund in Queensland: how to claim, check status and dispute

How to claim your bond refund from Queensland's RTA online or with Form 4, how long it takes, how to check its status, and how to dispute a claim.

Read guide
NSW, Victoria and Queensland 11 min read

End of lease cleaning requirements and deductions: NSW, Victoria and Queensland

What NSW, Victorian and Queensland law requires you to clean when you move out, when a landlord can deduct cleaning from your bond, and how to dispute it.

Read guide
Category 2

Fair wear and tear

Forty worked examples, and how an item's age affects what a landlord can claim.

National · NSW RTA 2010 · VIC RTA 1997 · QLD RTRA Act 2008 14 min read

Fair wear and tear vs damage: 40 examples from Australian rentals

What counts as fair wear and tear in an Australian rental: 40 room-by-room examples, how carpet and paint age is treated, and wording to use with agents.

Read guide
Category 3

Condition reports, photos and cleaners

Filling in condition reports, the photos tribunals look for, and how cleaners handle re-clean requests.

Queensland · Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld) 11 min read

RTA exit condition report (Form 14a): how to fill it in, when to hand it over, and the entry report (Form 1a)

How to fill in Queensland's RTA exit condition report (Form 14a), when to hand it over, the agent's 3 business days, and how it's checked against Form 1a.

Read guide
NSW, Victoria and Queensland 10 min read

Do phone photos count as evidence in a bond dispute?

Phone photos count as evidence in NSW, Vic and Qld bond disputes. What regulators say, what landlords must show you, and what apps do to photo dates.

Read guide
NSW, Victoria and Queensland · for cleaners 11 min read

What does a bond clean include? And what it doesn't: a guide for cleaners

What an end of lease clean covers, what counts as an extra, five things cleaners cannot remove, and templates for replying to re-clean requests.

Read guide
Australia-wide · for cleaners and tenants 9 min read

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

When an agent can require professional cleaning in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, what a receipt proves, and free receipt, report and email templates.

Read guide