Bond Claims for Landlords in Queensland

How Bond Claims Work in Queensland

Every rental bond in Queensland is held by the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA), not by you. When a tenancy ends and you believe the tenant owes money for damage, unpaid rent, or cleaning, you cannot simply keep the bond. You must follow the statutory process.

Within the bond refund period, either party can lodge a Form 4 (Refund of Rental Bond) through the RTA's online portal. If both parties agree on the split — full refund to the tenant, partial claim by the landlord, or a combination — the RTA processes the payment. If you disagree, the matter goes to dispute resolution and potentially to QCAT.

The maximum bond you can collect is four weeks' rent, lodged with the RTA within 10 days of receipt using Form 2. Failure to lodge on time is an offence carrying a penalty of up to $3,454 (20 penalty units at $172.70 per unit as of 1 July 2026).

Wear and Tear vs Tenant Damage

This is where most bond disputes are won or lost. QCAT applies a strict depreciation framework: items that have deteriorated through normal use over time are wear and tear, and you cannot claim for them. Items that have been damaged beyond what ordinary occupation would produce are the tenant's responsibility.

Wear and tear includes carpet gradually flattening or fading after years of foot traffic, minor scuffing on painted walls, light scratching on timber floors from furniture feet, and general ageing of fixtures. Tenant damage includes large holes in walls, cigarette burns on carpets, broken door hinges from force, and stains that go beyond normal use.

The age and condition of an item at the start of the tenancy determines how much you can claim. A five-year-old carpet that was already showing wear at move-in cannot be replaced at full cost with a new carpet and charged to the tenant. QCAT adjudicators will calculate a depreciated value — and if you did not document the carpet's condition in your Entry Condition Report (Form 1a) with photographs, you will not be able to prove it was in better condition when the tenancy began.

Building a QCAT-Ready Evidence File

Bond disputes at QCAT are decided on documentation. The landlord who arrives with a comprehensive evidence file wins. The one who relies on memory and verbal descriptions loses.

Your evidence package should include:

• Form 1a Entry Condition Report with dated, high-resolution photographs of every room taken at or before handover. This is your baseline.
• Exit condition photographs showing the same rooms and angles, taken at the final inspection after the tenant vacates.
• Side-by-side comparisons of entry and exit photos for disputed items — QCAT adjudicators respond well to visual evidence presented this way.
• Repair quotes or invoices from licensed tradespeople for the specific damage claimed. A general quote for "make good" will be scrutinised; itemised quotes for specific items carry more weight.
• Tenancy records including the signed lease (Form 18a), any Notice to Remedy Breach (Form 11) issued during the tenancy relating to property damage, and maintenance correspondence.

Photographs taken with a phone camera are acceptable, but they must have date metadata intact. Batch-renaming photos or printing them without timestamps weakens their evidentiary value.

The Dispute Process Step by Step

When you and the tenant disagree on the bond refund:

1. Lodge your Form 4 with the RTA, specifying the amount you are claiming and the reasons (damage, cleaning, unpaid rent, or a combination).
2. The RTA will issue a Notice of Claim to the other party, giving them 14 days to respond. If no response is received, the RTA pays the claim as lodged.
3. If the tenant disputes, the RTA offers free conciliation — a phone-based mediation session where both parties discuss the claim with a neutral RTA officer. Many bond disputes are resolved here.
4. If conciliation fails, either party can apply to QCAT within the statutory timeframe. The application fee is modest, and the hearing is typically held within weeks.

At QCAT, the adjudicator reviews both parties' evidence against the tenancy agreement, the condition reports, and the applicable law. They will apply depreciation, consider the length of tenancy, and make a binding order on how the bond is split.

Mistakes That Sink Bond Claims

Claiming the full replacement cost of aged items is the fastest way to lose credibility at QCAT. A 10-year-old hot water system that was functioning but showing its age when the tenant moved in cannot be charged at new-unit replacement pricing.

Failing to complete a thorough Form 1a at the start of the tenancy is equally damaging. If there is no documented baseline, the tenant simply argues the damage was pre-existing, and you have no evidence to prove otherwise.

Delaying the exit inspection is another common error. Conduct the final inspection as soon as practicable after the tenant vacates — ideally the same day — and photograph everything before any cleaning or repair work begins.

The Rental Minimum Standards in Queensland guide includes an evidentiary photo indexing worksheet that maps photographs directly to Form 1a line items, specifically designed to build the evidence file QCAT expects.

Cleaning Claims and the "Reasonably Clean" Standard

You can claim for cleaning costs if the tenant returns the property in a condition below the standard recorded on the Form 1a. However, "reasonably clean" is the benchmark — not "professionally cleaned." If the property was not professionally cleaned before the tenant moved in, you generally cannot require a professional clean at exit.

Keep the cleaning section of your Form 1a detailed. Record specific items: the condition of oven interiors, rangehood filters, window tracks, and bathroom grout. At exit, photograph the same items. If the difference is beyond reasonable wear, you have grounds for a cleaning claim supported by a receipt from the cleaning contractor.

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