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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.