Housing – frequently asked questions

What is a bond?
What is a condition report?

What is a bond?

A bond is an amount of money that a tenant or resident pays when they move into a place as a security deposit.

The bond is completely separate to the rent.

The owner or their agent must lodge your bond with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) within 10 business days of you paying the bond. After the form has been submitted, the RTBA will send you a receipt with your bond number.

You can view your bond details at Residential Tenancies Bond Authority Online (link below).

If you have paid all your rent and the property is left in good condition when you move out, the bond should be refunded in full.

If you owe rent, have damaged the property or failed to meet your responsibilities, the owner or their agent may want to keep some of the bond to cover money owing or the cost of repairs.

You and the owner or their agent should attempt to agree on how the bond money is to be divided up. The agreed division should be set out in the ‘Bond Claim’ form, which is sent to the RTBA.

Never sign a blank Bond Claim form.

If there is disagreement about the division of the bond, the owner must apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s (VCAT) Residential Tenancies List within 10 business days of you vacating the premises.

Residential Tenancies Bond Authority Online

VCAT Residential Tenancies List

What is a condition report?

If a bond has been paid, when you move into a place the owner or their agent must fill in a condition report. This report lists all the relevant details about the paintwork, fittings, anything that is broken or any other problems with the property.

You should be given two copies of the condition report so you can add your own comments or disagree with anything. If necessary, take photos.

After you have written your own comments on the report, keep one copy and give the other to the owner or their agent.

If there is a dispute about the condition of the place between you and the owner at the end of the lease you can refer to the condition report.