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

In Queensland, tenants complete the exit condition report using the RTA's Form 14a. You should fill it out and sign it on or before the last day of your tenancy agreement, then provide a copy to the property manager or owner as soon as practicable after your tenancy ends; the RTA recommends handing it over when you return the keys. The property manager has 3 business days to sign the form, note any disagreements, and send a copy to your forwarding address (Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 s 66).

Form 14a is reviewed alongside the entry condition report (Form 1a) you signed at the start of your tenancy, so these two RTA condition reports function as a pair. This guide explains what Form 14a is, when it must be submitted, how to complete it step-by-step, the rules for the entry report, what to do if you never received an entry report, which photos to take, and what happens if the property manager disagrees. For the bond refund itself, see our guide to the RTA bond refund in Queensland.

What is the RTA exit condition report (Form 14a)?

Form 14a is the official form used by Queensland tenants to document the condition of the property and its inclusions at the end of a general tenancy, such as for a house, unit, townhouse, or houseboat. It is made under section 66 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008. The current version is version 13, dated May 2025, and can be downloaded from the RTA's Form 14a page.

The form is organised room by room. For each item, you indicate Yes or No under three categories: clean, working, and undamaged. There is a column for your comments and a separate column for the property manager's remarks on your report. The form states it may be referred to as evidence if there is a dispute over the bond refund.

Different tenancy types use different forms. For moveable dwellings like caravans, sites, or mobile homes, Form 14b is used. The RTA states that rooming accommodation does not require an exit condition report.

When do you have to give Form 14a to the property manager?

You prepare and sign the report on or before the last day of your agreement, and give a copy to the property manager or owner as soon as practicable after the agreement ends (s 66(2)). The RTA's advice is to hand it over when you return the keys, and the form tells tenants to give it "as soon as possible once the agreement ends".

The Act does not set a number of days for the tenant, and it attaches no penalty to the tenant's exit report. The 3 business days often mentioned refer to the property manager's deadline, not the tenant's.

Practically, the deadline is your last day at the property. This is the final opportunity to inspect each room with the entry report in hand and take photos. If you have already left, Tenants Queensland advises completing the report even from memory, as submitting a late report is better than none.

Write your forwarding address on page 1 of the form. The property manager is only required to send the signed copy back if you have provided a forwarding address (s 66(3)(c)).

What does the property manager have to do after you hand it in?

Within 3 business days after receiving your copy, the property manager or owner must sign it, note any disagreements, and, if you provided a forwarding address, send a copy to you there (s 66(3)). The RTA's exit condition report page outlines the usual process: you submit the report with the keys, the property manager reviews your notes during the vacate inspection, adds comments, signs it, and then sends you the completed copy within three business days.

The property manager must keep a copy signed by both parties for at least 1 year after the agreement ends (s 66(4)).

Submitting your report is also what starts the property manager's 3 business days. The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) tells its members that if the tenant does not provide an exit condition report, no time frame applies to their inspection or report, and the law does not require them to complete one unless the tenant supplies it.

If you do not receive your signed copy back, the Act imposes no penalty or automatic consequence. Request it in writing and keep your own copy along with proof of when you handed it over, such as an email with the form attached.

How do you fill in Form 14a?

Complete the form room by room with your entry condition report beside you. These steps follow the instructions printed on the form.

1. Get the current form. Download Form 14a (version 13, May 2025) from the RTA website or use the copy provided by your property manager, and verify the version number in the footer.
2. Fill in page 1. Add the property address, every tenant's name and forwarding address, and the water meter reading with its date. The RTA strongly recommends recording the meter reading in both the entry and exit reports.
3. Mark each item Y or N. For each item, mark Yes or No under clean, working, and undamaged as applicable. Leave a column blank only if it does not apply, for example, "working" for a wall.
4. Comment on every N. In the tenant comments column, say what the problem is, whether the entry report already listed it, and which photo shows it, for example "Oven door glass: brown marks, listed on entry report, photo 12".
5. Add anything the form does not list. Use the additional comments section on page 8 or attach a separate sheet, and note any agreement you had about attaching fixtures or making changes.
6. Attach your photos. Tick "Supporting documentation has been attached" on page 1 and number the photos to match your comments.
7. Initial, sign and keep a copy. Each tenant should initial every page and sign page 8. Keep a complete copy before handing it over.

Be honest when marking items. Marking an item as No with a comment referencing the entry report and a photo clearly shows the property manager what you are relying on.

How is Form 14a compared with the entry condition report?

At the end of the tenancy, the exit report is compared with the entry condition report (Form 1a) to determine if the property is in the same condition as when you moved in, except for fair wear and tear. This requirement comes from section 188(4) of the Act, which requires you to leave the premises, as far as possible, in the same condition as at the start, fair wear and tear excepted.

The RTA provides an example on its entry condition report page: if a property manager wants to claim part of the bond for marks on a bedroom wall, but the tenant shows those marks were recorded on the entry report with date-stamped photos, no money is deducted from the bond.

Fair wear and tear refers to deterioration from normal use and ageing, such as carpet flattened by foot traffic or curtains faded by the sun. Dirt, grease, and damage are not considered fair wear and tear, and the RTA says damage caused by pets is not either. Our fair wear and tear guide covers forty common items.

What are the rules for the RTA entry condition report (Form 1a)?

The property manager or owner must prepare and sign the entry condition report and provide you with a copy on or before your move-in day (s 65(2)). You then have 7 days to review it, note any disagreements, sign it, and return it (s 65(3)). If you receive the report after moving in, the 7 days run from the day you receive it (s 65(4)).

After you return the entry report, the property manager must provide you with a copy within 14 days (s 65(5)) and keep it until at least 1 year after the last agreement it covers ends (s 65(6)). Each of these obligations carries a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units, which equals $3,454 based on Queensland's penalty unit value of $172.70 effective from 1 July 2026.

If you do not return the entry report, the RTA considers you to have agreed with the property manager's description, and failing to complete it is an offence. When renewing your agreement for the same property, the original entry report remains valid unless both parties agree to a new one (s 65(7) and (8)), so the initial report can serve as a reference even years later.

Some older sources, including a 2020 REIQ article, still state tenants have three days to return the entry report, but the Act now specifies 7 days.

The table compares the two reports side by side.

What if you never received an entry condition report?

Complete your own entry report. Form 1a states that if you do not receive the report within 7 days of moving in, you should obtain the form, complete and sign it yourself, and give it to the property manager. It is an offence for the property manager not to provide the report on or before your move-in day (s 65(2)).

If you have reached the end of the tenancy without one, fill in Form 14a as usual and say so in the comments where it matters, for example "No entry condition report given; move-in photo 3 shows this mark". Your move-in photos, early repair requests and emails from the first weeks become your record of the starting condition. If the landlord claims on the bond, the tribunal looks at the evidence supporting the claim (s 136D), and without a signed entry report the landlord has no agreed record of the starting condition to point to.

Which photos should you take for the exit report?

Take photos on your last day after cleaning and before returning the keys. The RTA recommends photos as additional evidence alongside the exit report, and Tenants Queensland suggests keeping cleaning receipts, such as for carpet cleaning or lawn mowing, as further proof.

• One wide shot of every room, taken from the doorway, so the whole room is visible.
• A close-up of every item you marked N, numbered to match your comment on the form.
• Items listed on the entry report, to show they are unchanged.
• The areas you cleaned, such as the oven, rangehood, shower screen, window tracks and carpets.
• The water meter and the keys, to back up the reading and the handover.

Keep the original photo files and send them in a way that preserves their date, such as email attachments or shared folders, rather than messaging apps that compress images. Our guide to phone photos as evidence in a bond dispute explains why.

Can you be at the final inspection?

Section 66 does not require a joint inspection, but the RTA says that ideally the tenant and the property manager complete the exit report together, so that any issues can be sorted out quickly and the bond released sooner. Ask your property manager about their vacate inspection process and whether you can attend.

If you cannot attend, submit your Form 14a with the keys. The property manager will review your notes during the inspection, add their comments, and your photos from the same day will accompany theirs.

What happens if the property manager disagrees with your exit report?

The property manager will mark any parts they disagree with on your report, and the bond refund process will address the rest. If they claim part of the bond, they must provide evidence within 14 days (s 136AA); failure to do so is an offence.

If you dispute the claim, you can request dispute resolution through the RTA within 14 days of receiving the claim notice (s 136A). The RTA's conciliation service is free. If unresolved, the party who requested dispute resolution has 7 days after the notice that conciliation has ended to apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) (s 136B). The tribunal considers your efforts to leave the property as found, compliance with the Act by both parties, and the evidence supporting the claim (s 136D).

All steps, including forms and fees, are detailed in our guide to the RTA bond refund in Queensland. For information on other states and territories, see our guide on how to get your bond back.

Keep your exit report, the signed copy, your photos, and any related emails until the bond is paid out. CleanLog records the time and location of each photo, keeps them with the report and, once you lock it, the report cannot be changed, so you can attach it to your Form 14a as supporting documentation.