Every RTA Bond Form Queensland Landlords Need

Queensland's RTA system uses numbered forms for every stage of the bond lifecycle — lodgement, mid-tenancy changes, refunds, and disputes. The forms are free to download from the RTA website, but knowing which form to use and when is the part that trips up private landlords.

Here is every form that touches a rental bond, in the order you are likely to need them.

Starting a Tenancy

Form 1a — Entry Condition Report. Completed by the landlord before the tenant moves in. You inspect the property, record the condition of every room and fixture, and hand two copies to the tenant on or before the day they take possession. The tenant has seven days to note any disagreements and return one signed copy. You then have 14 days to send back a final copy incorporating the tenant's comments.

Form 2 — Bond Lodgement. Used to lodge the bond money with the RTA. Private landlords can also do this through RTA Web Services (the digital portal) using Queensland Digital Identity (QDI). Whichever route you choose, the funds must reach the RTA within 10 calendar days of receipt. If the bond is partly or fully funded by a Department of Housing Bond Loan, the paper Form 2 is mandatory — Web Services is not available for bond loan lodgements.

During the Tenancy

Form 6 — Change of Bond Contributors. When a co-tenant leaves and a new one moves in, this form updates the RTA's register. The outgoing tenant receives their bond share through a private arrangement with the incoming tenant — the RTA does not pay it out. Available on paper or through Web Services.

Form 5 — Change of Property Manager/Owner. Lodged within 10 days when property ownership transfers or management moves between an agent and the owner (or vice versa). This updates who is authorised to manage or claim the bond.

Form 3 — Bond Transfer. If a tenant moves from one property to another managed by the same owner or agent, the existing bond can transfer to the new address — provided all contributors stay the same and no claims are outstanding.

Ending a Tenancy

Form 14a — Exit Condition Report. The tenant completes this when they vacate. You then inspect the property, complete your section within three business days, and return a copy to the tenant's forwarding address. This is the counterpart to the entry Form 1a, and the two reports together form the backbone of any bond dispute evidence.

Form 4 — Refund of Rental Bond. The standard bond refund form, used by either party. A joint submission (all parties sign, agreeing on the split) triggers immediate payout. A unilateral submission (one party files their claim alone) triggers the 14-day response process.

Form 4b — Excess Bond Refund for Tenants. Tenant-initiated form for reclaiming bond money that exceeds four weeks' rent after a tenancy renewal made after 30 September 2024. The renewed tenancy must have commenced, must still be current, and the tenant must not be moving to a new property. All bond contributors must sign; the landlord's consent is not required.

Dispute Resolution

Form 16 — Dispute Resolution Request. Filed with the RTA to initiate conciliation when the parties disagree on the bond distribution. Must be lodged within 14 days of the issue date shown on the Notice of Claim. Conciliation is free and is a mandatory prerequisite before filing at QCAT for non-urgent disputes.

QCAT Form 2 — Application for Minor Civil Dispute (Residential Tenancy Dispute). Filed at QCAT if RTA conciliation fails. Must be submitted within seven calendar days of receiving the Notice of Unresolved Dispute (NURD), with the NURD attached. The landlord must also notify the RTA within the same seven-day window, or the bond is released to the tenant automatically. Filing fees range from $96.30 to $405.60 depending on the claim amount.

Where to Find Them

All RTA forms are available at rta.qld.gov.au under Forms and Resources. Most can also be completed through RTA Web Services, which requires a Queensland Digital Identity (QDI) login. QCAT Form 2 is available from the QCAT registry website.

The forms themselves are straightforward. The complexity is in the deadlines, the sequencing, and knowing which form triggers which obligation. The Queensland Rental Bond Guide maps every form to its statutory deadline and connects them into a single chronological workflow — from Form 1a at move-in to Form 4 at move-out.

See more Queensland guides →