Rental bond, deposits and utilities

At the start of a tenancy, a tenant may be asked to pay a rental bond. This is lodged with the RTA until the end of the tenancy.

Tenants must pay their rent on time and use the rent payment method written in their agreement.

Rental bond and deposits

A rental bond is a security deposit a tenant pays at the start of a tenancy.
It is held by the RTA and is paid back to the tenant at the end of the tenancy provided no money is owed to the lessor/agent for rent, damages or other costs.
It may be possible to transfer a bond from one property to another. See the Transferring a rental bond page for more information

In addition to rent, if specified in the tenancy agreement, the tenant/resident may also have to pay for electricity, gas or water.

Key deposit

A key deposit may be taken to allow a prospective tenant to inspect a property. The lessor/agent must provide a receipt for the deposit which must be fully refunded when the key is returned.

A lessor/agent/manager cannot take any other payments from a tenant. If they take other payments, for example a security or linen deposit, they must be part of the bond and must comply with the maximum bond rules.

A lessor/agent/manager cannot charge an application fee to a prospective tenant.

This section includes information on: