Every residential bond in Australia must be lodged with the relevant state bond authority — your landlord or agent cannot legally hold your bond themselves. Yet many tenants never check whether this has actually happened. Here is what to know.
Why bond lodgement matters
When your bond is lodged with the state authority, it is protected. The authority holds it independently, and your landlord cannot access it without your agreement or a tribunal order.
If your landlord holds your bond themselves — which is illegal — you are exposed to the risk that they will simply keep it at the end of your tenancy. You would then need to sue them to recover it, which is far more difficult than a standard bond dispute through the official process.
Always confirm your bond has been lodged.
Bond lodgement by state
Each state has a different authority and process:
NSW — Rental Bonds Online (rbo.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au):
The agent or landlord must lodge within 10 business days of receiving the bond. You will receive a confirmation email or letter from NSW Fair Trading.
VIC — Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (rtba.vic.gov.au):
Landlords must lodge within 10 business days. Tenants can check their bond status online at the RTBA website.
QLD — RTA Bond (rta.qld.gov.au):
The lessor must lodge within 10 days. You can log into the RTA portal to verify lodgement.
WA — Bond Administrator (commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection):
The landlord must lodge within 14 days. Tenants can request a bond receipt from the agent.
SA — Consumer and Business Services:
Bond must be lodged with CBS within 7 days of receipt.
TAS — Consumer, Building and Occupational Services:
Bond must be lodged within 30 days.
How to verify your bond has been lodged
Check your email: Most state bond authorities send an email confirmation to the tenant once the bond is lodged. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for an email from your state authority.
Log into the portal: All major state bond authorities have tenant portals where you can check the status of your bond using your reference number.
Ask the agent: Request written confirmation of the bond lodgement, including the bond reference number. Most agents will provide this readily.
If more than 10–14 business days have passed since you paid your bond and you have received no confirmation, follow up in writing. If the agent cannot provide a bond receipt, this may indicate the bond has not been lodged — which is a breach of the legislation.
What to do if your bond has not been lodged
If you confirm the bond has not been lodged within the required timeframe:
Failing to lodge a bond is a legal breach in every state and can result in significant penalties for the agent or landlord.
- Send a written notice to the agent or landlord requiring them to lodge the bond immediately
- If they refuse or do not respond, report to your state tenancy authority or consumer protection agency
- In serious cases, apply to the tenancy tribunal
Claiming your bond back at the end of the tenancy
When your tenancy ends, the bond is released through the state authority's process:
Do not leave bond matters unresolved. Follow up promptly after vacating and document all communication.
- If both parties agree, a mutual bond release is lodged (online in most states) and the bond is released within 3–5 business days
- If the landlord makes a claim you disagree with, you can dispute it — the bond stays held until the dispute is resolved
- If your landlord does not respond to a bond release request within a specified period, you can apply to the authority for release unilaterally