Tasmania Bond Claim After Tenant Moves Out: The 3-Day Window

The Clock Starts When the Tenancy Ends

The statutory trigger is termination of the tenancy. Under Section 28 of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997, the owner must give the tenant a signed claim form within three working days of termination. If the form says the owner is entitled to a bond disbursement, the owner must also give the tenant a notice stating the reasons.

Consumer Affairs Tasmania's MyBond guidance tells owners to start a claim within three working days of key return or advise the tenant why a claim has not yet been lodged and when it will be. Three working days exclude weekends and state-wide public holidays. If keys come back on a Friday, the third working day is Wednesday. If the owner fails to provide the claim form or indicate when a claim will be made, the tenant may start a claim.

How to Start a Bond Claim in MyBond

Log into mybond.tas.gov.au and open the bond record for the property. Select "Initiate Claim" and specify how you want the bond split:

• Full refund to tenant — if the property is clean, undamaged and rent is paid up
• Partial claim — you nominate an amount for unpaid rent, cleaning costs or damage repairs, with the remainder going back to the tenant
• Full claim by landlord — rare, but appropriate when arrears and damage exceed the bond

MyBond notifies the tenant and any registered deposit contributor. The tenant then has 10 days from the owner or agent lodging the claim to approve or dispute it. If they do not act within that window, the bond may be paid out as claimed.

What If You Need More Than Three Days?

Sometimes you can't submit a claim within three days — you might be waiting on a specialist repair quote or need a professional cleaning assessment. If you have not lodged the claim, tell the tenant why and when you intend to do so before the three-day window closes.

Put the explanation in writing (email works). State what you're waiting for and when you expect to submit the claim. Verbal explanations don't create a record and won't help you if the tenant files a full-refund claim while you're still getting quotes.

What Happens When the Tenant Claims First

If the tenant initiates a claim because you did not make a claim or indicate when you would, you will receive a MyBond notification. Respond within the time shown in the notice; if you do not respond, the bond may be paid out as claimed.

Forum discussions on r/tasmania show tenants actively advising each other to claim the full bond on day four if the landlord hasn't acted. The three-day window is not a suggestion — it's a hard operational deadline.

Mutual Consent: The Fast Track

When both parties agree on how to split the bond, digital sign-off in MyBond triggers disbursement via electronic funds transfer within three to five banking days. This is the cleanest outcome: no dispute referral, no evidence bundles, no waiting on the Residential Tenancy Commissioner.

Agree on the split before or during the exit inspection if you can. A written message confirming the agreed amounts makes the MyBond step straightforward.

Building Your Claim Before Key Return

The three-day window is tight. The evidence you need — condition report comparison, photos, repair quotes, rent ledger — takes time to compile. Do the preparation work before the tenant moves out:

• Complete your exit condition report during the final inspection
• Take timestamped photos room by room
• Run the rent ledger to confirm any arrears
• Get preliminary repair quotes for known damage

Our Tasmania Rental Bond Guide includes an End-of-Tenancy Claim Tracker that maps each step from final inspection through MyBond submission, so the three-day window is a formality rather than a scramble.

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