What you need to know to get your rental bond back?
It’s crucial to get your whole rental bond back when you move out. Your rental history will suffer if your landlord or property management withholds your bond repayment, and if you have a dispute, you should approach the civil and administrative tribunal as per the residential tenancy act.
Rent is frequently withheld for money due or property damage. It can affect future rental applications and waste hundreds of dollars.
You can prevent this, though. Here are some suggestions for getting your bond back.
Rent bond:
Your rental bond is a security deposit of four weeks’ rent that you must pay before moving in as per the tenancy agreement. Paying a rental bond isn’t required, although it’s often required.
Your landlord or property management may collect your rental bond, but they don’t keep it. Instead, they must submit it to the state bond trust together with your papers for the life of your lease.
Most landlords need a rental bond as security. Their rental property is an asset, so they want to safeguard it. After the lease ends, renters often get their full bond refund within 14 days.
If renters leave the property damaged, haven’t paid rent or utility bills, or for any other reason, the landlord has the rental bond to pay part (or preferably all) of their losses from bond claims.
When is rental bond returned?
After you move out at the conclusion of your lease, you’ll get your rental bond returned. Your landlord or property management will send the return to your bank account after you complete a bond refund form.
Your rental bond repayment normally takes a few days. If it takes longer, your landlord or property manager should handle it if you’ve done everything on your end. You can return your bond through your state’s tenancy authority if your property manager or landlord agrees.
You may require a bond clean, a vacate inspection, and an exit condition report before receiving a rental bond return. Depending on the property’s state, you may not need to complete a departure report.
Your landlord or property management may keep some or all of your bond if the property isn’t left in excellent shape or there is unpaid rent. If you disagree, you can contest this through the applicable state body, although it might take time and effort.
What if your rental bond isn’t returned?
Your renting future isn’t bleak if your landlord or property management keeps your bond refund. Tenants sometimes tell property managers, “Just take the bond out of my bond” If you say that’s why your bond was kept, it’s usually fine.
In a rental market with record-low vacancy rates and lots of competition, you should do everything you can to make yourself the ideal renter. That means having no red flags in your rental history.
Private rental agencies will usually provide a rental reference when you apply. This includes your prior rental payments and behavior. If you make late payments or ignore bills, your application may be tossed.
If you don’t receive your rental bond returned because you damaged the property or owe your landlord money, the bond will be the least of your concerns. You may be banned from TICA. If you’re on a TICA search, you’re probably awful.
You can go off TICA, but it takes time and fixing whatever got you there. Private real estate agents won’t rent to TICA clients, so you’ll need to act fast.
If your landlord or property manager was a monster and couldn’t separate normal wear and tear from property damage, you can get your money back. It happens, therefore it’s best to be prepared.
How to handle a landlord who keeps your bond?
You can dispute the withholding of your rental bond. I’ve heard horrible stories of poor landlords mistreating their tenants, from untreated mildew to unfounded charges that renters lit the carpet on fire.
How to contest a bond varies by location. Below are Australia’s bond dispute organizations:
- VCAT: Victoria
- Trade NSW
- www.nt.gov.au
- RTA QLD (RTA)
- SA.Gov.au
- TAS: Consumer, Building, Occupational
- Victoria’s Consumer Affairs
- WA Mines, Industry, and Safety
- To keep your bond, your landlord requires proof. If they say you owe rent, they must provide ledgers/bank statements. You may need to prove they shouldn’t withhold your bond return. This is why a complete entry condition record and exit condition report are so crucial.
How to guarantee bond refund?
How to get your bond back. This is probably why you clicked on this post. You may have a difficult landlord or property management, or you may be moving into your first rental and want to be prepared. These simple techniques might help you get your money back.
Record Everything
Keep track of everything related to your rental property. That includes the long email chain to correct your shower and entrance paperwork. Keep records until your lease ends and you get your bond returned.
Keeping records may save hours of arguing who is correct and what happened. If your landlord is suspicious, keep emails, papers, and phone calls. Cover all your bases so you can produce evidence when needed.
Bond cleaner
Hire a bond cleaner if you’re not a fantastic cleaner or just want peace of mind. Bond cleaners ensure the home is clean so you can collect your full bond. You won’t have to fix anything before getting your bond restored. If there are any issues with the clean, the cleaners will return free of charge and can contact the property management or landlord.
Organizing the bond cleaner from Dirt2Tidy is a fantastic choice for several reasons. First, obtain quotations to find the best offer. Then you’ll get your bond refund (duh). Even if part of your relationship was innocuous, it seems nicer to have it back in whole.
Send your property management or landlord the receipt. So they know you cleaned up, they won’t hold your bail.
