To get your bond back you should leave the property in the condition it was in when you moved in, apart from fair wear and tear.

If the tenants and the lessor/agent/provider agree about the bond refund:

• they all sign the Refund of rental bond form (Form 4) or Form R4 for rooming accommodation and submit it to the RTA
• if the form is signed by all parties the bond is refunded to the parties, as agreed, within a few days
• the fastest way to get a bond refund is to provide bank account details on the bond refund form

If the tenant and lessor/provider do not agree about the bond refund at the end of the tenancy:

Either the tenant or the lessor/agent/provider can complete and post (not fax or email) a Refund of rental bond to the RTA without all the signatures. This is called making a claim on the bond. A Refund of rental bond only requires one signature of a person named on the bond record to begin the bond refund process.

The RTA will process this form by:

• releasing any undisputed amounts of the bond as directed on the Form 4/R4
• holding any disputed amounts
• sending a Notice of claim to any party who did not sign the form

Then the process is:

• If they do not respond within 14 days, the bond is paid in full to the party who lodged the bond refund form first.
• If they do respond and dispute the claim, the RTA Dispute Resolution Service will try to help resolve the disagreement.
• If an agreement is reached, all parties sign the Refund of rental bond form and the bond is paid out as agreed.
• If an agreement is not reached, the party who did not lodge the first Refund of rental bond form can apply to the tribunal for a decision. They must do so within 7 days and notify the RTA that they have lodged the Tribunal application by the due date.
• If no tribunal application is lodged, the RTA will pay the bond to the party who first lodged the Refund of rental bond form.

Fast facts

• The Refund of rental bond form must contain original signatures and indicate how the refund is to be paid.
• All tenants listed on the tenancy agreement need to sign the Refund of rental bond form.
• The quickest bond refund method is direct credit.
• Tenants must ensure their forwarding address is on the bond refund form if payment is by cheque. The agent is not responsible for informing the RTA of the tenant’s new address.
• If the tenant has not specified a forwarding address for a cheque refund, or bank account details for direct credit refund, their bank details can be submitted using a Direct deposit nomination form.