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How do I get my bond back?

36 quoted answers, each with its source

The short answer

In Victoria, a rental bond is held in trust by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority; Victoria does not allow a separate pet bond, and in most cases a bond cannot be more than one month’s rent, while a rooming house bond cannot be more than 28 days’ rent for a resident on a fixed term rooming house agreement and 14 days’ rent for a resident who is not on a fixed term agreement, and a caravan park bond cannot be more than one month’s rent or hiring charge. A rental provider who receives the bond must lodge it, but the stated deadline conflicts: section 406 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, Tenants Victoria and several published sources say 10 business days, while Consumer Affairs Victoria’s bond page says 14 days not including public holidays. A rental provider must start a bond claim with the RTBA within 14 days of the rental agreement ending unless a renter initiates a claim first, and any renter named on the bond can start the claim themselves after the agreement ends without the rental provider’s agreement. From 13 October 2026 a rental provider must notify the renter in advance of a claim at the end of the agreement and provide supporting evidence; from 1 July 2026 a renter can move their bond to the next rental home under the Portable Rental Bond Scheme; the RTBA only repays the bond when everyone listed on the bond agrees or VCAT orders repayment, and rental providers cannot claim bond for fair wear and tear.

Every part of this comes from the quotes below. How we write these.

What the rules actually say24

Quoted straight from Consumer Affairs Victoria, the Residential Tenancies Act or a tribunal.

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Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria states that…

  • it helps parties reach a solution to bond disputes.
  • many disputes are sorted in days to a week after a facilitated discussion.
low confidencefirst-party
2 quotes from 2 sources
We can help the parties to reach a fair and reasonable solution to any bond dispute, ensuring the outcome reflects the requirements of Victoria’s rental laws.
A fast resolution: after a facilitated discussion many disputes are sorted in days to a week (subject to the complexity of the case)
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that in most cases a Victorian rental bond cannot be more than one month's rent.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
In most cases, a bond can't be more than one month’s rent.
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  • Victorian rental bonds are held in trust by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority.
  • The Residential Tenancies Bond Authority is a statutory authority within the Department of Government Services.
first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Bonds are held in trust by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) , a statutory authority within the Department of Government Services.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria's bond page states that…

  • a rental provider who receives the bond from the renter must lodge it with the RTBA within 14 days.
  • the 14-day period for a rental provider who receives the bond from the renter to lodge it with the RTBA does not include public holidays.
first-party
1 quote from 1 source
If the renter paid the rental provider, the rental provider must lodge the bond with the RTBA within 14 days (not including public holidays) of receiving the bond amount.
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The RTBA must give a receipt with the bond number to the rental provider and all renters within 7 days of receiving a Victorian rental bond.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The RTBA must give a receipt with the bond number and other key information to the rental provider and all renters within 7 days of receiving the bond.
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A bond for a Victorian rooming house resident on a fixed term rooming house agreement cannot be more than 28 days' rent.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The bond can't be more than 28 days’ rent for residents on a fixed term rooming house agreement.
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A bond for a Victorian rooming house resident who is not on a fixed term agreement cannot be more than 14 days' rent.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The bond can't be more than 14 days’ rent for residents who aren't on fixed term agreements.
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A bond in a Victorian caravan park cannot be more than one month's rent or hiring charge.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The bond can't be more than one month’s rent or hiring charge in a caravan park.
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A Victorian rental provider can give a renter a notice to vacate if the renter does not pay a bond requested in the rental agreement.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Bonds are not mandatory. However, if a bond is requested in the rental agreement, the renter must pay it. If the bond is not paid, the rental provider can give the renter a notice to vacate.
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Section 406 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 requires a Victorian residential rental provider to give the bond to the Authority within 10 business days after it is received.

first-party
3 quotes from 1 source
406 Duty to pay bond to Authority
provider must, within 10 business days after the amount of bond is received, give the amount of bond to the Authority together with the completed bond lodgment form.
Penalty: 150 penalty units.
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Section 411AB of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 entitles a Victorian residential rental provider to claim bond for the reasonable cost of repairs for damage caused by the renter or a renter's visitor, taking into account fair wear and tear.

medium confidencefirst-party
2 quotes from 1 source
411AB Matters that may be subject of bond claim
(a) the reasonable cost of repairs to, or the restoration of, the rented premises or goods leased with the premises, as a result of damage caused by the renter or a renter's visitor, taking into account fair wear and tear;
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A Victorian rental provider…

  • must start a bond claim with the RTBA within 14 days of the rental agreement ending.
  • is not required to start a bond claim with the RTBA within 14 days of the rental agreement ending if a renter initiates a claim first.
first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Rental providers must start a claim with the RTBA within 14 days of the rental agreement ending, unless a renter initiates a claim first.
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The RTBA only repays a Victorian rental bond when everyone listed on the bond agrees how it should be repaid, or when VCAT has ordered it.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The RTBA only repays the bond when everyone listed on the bond agrees on how it should be repaid or has been ordered by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) .
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Victorian rental providers cannot claim a renter's bond for fair wear and tear.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Rental providers cannot claim bond for fair wear and tear or for damage which was the rental provider’s responsibility to repair .
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  • Consumer Affairs Victoria states that Victorian law does not define 'reasonable use' of a rental property.
  • Consumer Affairs Victoria's fair wear and tear test rests on the term 'reasonable use'.
medium confidencefirst-party
3 quotes from 1 source
Reasonable use of the property means use that most people would think is fair. The law does not define ‘reasonable use’.
Fair wear and tear is deterioration because of:
reasonable use of the property
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  • The RTBA must notify the other parties on the bond when a Victorian renter starts a bond claim.
  • When a Victorian renter starts a bond claim, the RTBA must give the other parties on the bond 14 days to contest the bond claim by applying to VCAT or Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria.
first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The RTBA is required by law to give notice to all other parties on the bond and provide other parties with 14 days to contest the claim by making an application to VCAT or RDRV. If no party contests, the bond will be repaid as directed in the claim at the end of the 14-day period or sooner if all parties agree.
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Any Victorian renter named on a bond can start the bond claim themselves after the rental agreement ends, without the rental provider's agreement.

first-party
2 quotes from 1 source
Any renter with their name on the bond can start the bond claim themselves after the agreement ends.
A renter can also start a renter-initiated claim without the agreement of the rental provider.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria names sections 411AB and 411AD of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 as the law on bond claims and refunds.

first-party
3 quotes from 1 source
If you want to know what the law says about bond claims and refunds, you can read these sections of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 :
Section 411AB – Matters that may be subject of bond claim
Section 411AD – Disputed bond claims

Changed on4

A dated change. This is where advice quietly stops being true.

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Sections 3 to 8 of the Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025 commenced on 30 June 2026.

medium confidencefirst-party
3 quotes from 1 source
Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025, No. 46/2025
Commencement Date: Ss 3–8 on 30.6.26: Special Gazette (No. 367) 30.6.26 p. 1
transfer of bond scheme means the scheme in
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  • Consumer Affairs Victoria lists a change to bond claim requirements.
  • The change to bond claim requirements requires Victorian rental providers to notify a renter in advance of a bond claim and to provide supporting evidence.
first-party
3 quotes from 1 source
13 October 2026
Strengthened bond claims
Rental providers must notify the renter in advance if they will be making a claim on the bond at the end of the rental agreement and must provide evidence to support the claim.
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Tenants Victoria states that from 1 July 2026 a Victorian renter can move their bond to their next rental home under the Portable Rental Bond Scheme.

1 quote from 1 source
From 1 July 2026, you can move your bond to your next rental home with the new Portable Rental Bond Scheme.

Disputed between sources3

Sources that do not agree, presented without picking a winner.

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Consumer Affairs Victoria's bond page gives the Victorian bond lodgement deadline as 14 days not including public holidays.

first-party
2 quotes from 2 sources
If the renter paid the rental provider, the rental provider must lodge the bond with the RTBA within 14 days (not including public holidays) of receiving the bond amount.
provider must, within 10 business days after the amount of bond is received, give the amount of bond to the Authority together with the completed bond lodgment form.
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  • Consumer Affairs Victoria states the Victorian bond lodgement deadline is 14 days not including public holidays.
  • Tenants Victoria states the Victorian bond lodgement deadline is 10 business days.
first-party
2 quotes from 2 sources
If the renter paid the rental provider, the rental provider must lodge the bond with the RTBA within 14 days (not including public holidays) of receiving the bond amount.
The landlord or agent lodges your bond with the RTBA within 10 business days of receiving it.

Often said, but we could not find it in the rules5

Lots of people say this. We went looking for an official source that backs it up and could not find one, so treat it as something people repeat rather than something settled.

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Landlord Wise states that a Victorian rental provider must pay the bond to the RTBA within 10 business days of receiving it.

vendor
2 quotes from 1 source
You must pay the bond to the RTBA within 10 business days of receiving it.
Rental Bond VIC — Complete Guide for Self-Managing Landlords
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Landlord Wise states that…

  • Victoria does not allow a separate pet bond.
  • the maximum bond is one month's rent regardless of whether pets are permitted.
vendor
2 quotes from 1 source
No Pet Bond: Victoria does not allow a separate pet bond — the maximum bond is one month's rent regardless of whether pets are permitted
Rental Bond VIC — Complete Guide for Self-Managing Landlords
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Aussie Rent Laws states that under Victoria's rules the landlord or their agent must lodge a tenant's bond with the RTBA within 10 business days of receiving the bond.

vendor
2 quotes from 1 source
Under Victoria’s rules the landlord or their agent must lodge a tenant’s bond with the RTBA within 10 business days of receiving it.
How to Lodge a Bond with the RTBA in Victoria
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A Victorian landlord who collected the bond themselves must lodge the bond within 10 business days of receiving the bond.

vendor
2 quotes from 1 source
If you collected the bond yourself, you must lodge within 10 business days of receiving it.
How to lodge the bond in VIC