Let's create the BOND between you and your tenant!

A rental bond is a security deposit that a tenant pays at the start of a tenancy which is then lodged with the relevant state government agency. The bond plays a role in providing peace of mind for a landlord and providing a financial penalty to deter tenants from behaving badly. As a result, it is incredibly important that there is a bond in place at the beginning of every tenancy.

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The bond lodgement process is different in each state as there are different rules and regulations regarding bonds. We are here to guide you through this process and you'll find guides inside the RentBetter platform. You can check out a demo of the RentBetter platform for free here.

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How do I Lodge a Bond for My Property?

1. Collect the money from your tenant. Visit our blog for more information on How To Collect Rental Payments From Your Tenant.

2. Follow the specific procedure required by your state government agency (specific details for each state can be found below)

3. Send the bond along with the required forms to your government agency

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We know this can be confusing, but we hope we have made this easier for you by outlining the steps for each state below.

You can find a state-by-state guide below:

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New South Wales (NSW):

Ph: Rental Bonds Online (RBO) 1800 990 724

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The Rental Bonds Online will direct you to a website where you can access bond lodgement. NSW rental bond can be lodged online.

1. Register

You will need to register by completing the Registration Form and submitting it to Service NSW.  You should then receive an email from NSW Fair Trading to activate your log in details, and they will provide you with an information kit (similar to this one attached).

2. Invite Tenants

You may then log in by clicking ‘Agents and landlords login’. Once you’ve registered, you will be able to invite tenants to the RBO Portal and they will be able to pay the bond directly. This will record and manage the bond electronically.

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For additional help, you can contact Rental Bonds Online Security and Support by emailing rbosupport@customerservice.nsw.gov.au.

Victoria (VIC):

Ph: Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) Online 1300 137 164

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All rental bonds for properties in Victoria must be lodged with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) and is done as an electronic transaction (more info available here).

1. Collecting Payment from the Tenant

As a property owner, you will need to collect the bond from the tenant after a lease has been signed for a new tenancy. It is recommended that keys are not handed over until the bond has been paid.

2. Register to RTBA Online

You will need to visit RTBA Online and indicate that you are a ‘landlord’. If you are already registered and have a UserID, you can click here to lodge another bond.

3. Provide Property and Tenancy details

You will then be directed to an online Bond Lodgement form where you will need to enter property details.

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After completing information about the rental property, you will need to fill in tenancy and bond details. You will need to provide a name and unique email address for each of your tenants.

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Once reviewing lodgement details to ensure they are correct, select ‘Confirm details’. You can change information by clicking ‘Back to tenant details’.

4. Lodging the Bond

You can then lodge the bond by clicking ‘submit lodgement’ which will direct you to a confirmation page and provide a transaction number. Be sure to record this number so that you are able to track your transaction.

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Each tenant will receive an email or SMS that will direct them to confirm the lodgement. If the tenant requests changes to the lodgement, you will be notified. Reminders will be sent out after 7 days if the tenant has not responded to the link.

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Once verified, RTBA will debit the bond from the owners' given bank account and should be processed within 2 business days.

Tasmania (TAS):

Ph: Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) 1300 654 499

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All bonds in Tasmania are to be managed online through MyBond.

1. Register

You will need to register for MyBond by clicking here, and once you have signed up you will be able to manage your bond online.  Both you and the tenant will need to create an account.

2. Create the Bond

Once the bond details are completed, the tenant will be notified by MyBond and request payment. The tenant will be able to pay the bond directly to the authority through their MyBond account. All bonds must be held by the Rental Deposit Authority. The RDA holds the money until the end of the tenancy when the registered persons claim it back.

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Once the tenant has paid, you should receive a Bond Receipt Number which should be recorded in order to manage your bond in the future.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT):

Ph: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Revenue Office(02) 6207 0028

1. Register

Rental bonds in ACT are centralised through an online Portal which can be accessed here.

2. Create the bond

The owner must pay the ACT bond authority via Direct Deposit on behalf of the tenant. Collect the bond money from the tenant, and then it can be submitted through the form online. Once completed, both parties should receive a receipt via email to confirm.

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For more information, step-by-step instructions on how to lodge a bond through the ACT Revenue Office Portal can be found here.

Queensland (QLD):

Ph: Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) 1300 366 311

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Lodging a bond in QLD is best done online through the Residential Tenancies Authority website and should take about 10 minutes to complete.

1. Accept T&C’s

You will first need to accept RTA’s Terms and Conditions to receive electronic notifications about lodging your bond online.

2. Register

You will then need to register here and provide state-issued identification. Your digital identity will need to be verified through the Queensland Government’s QGov service.

3. Complete Lodgement Form

You will then need to complete an online Bond Lodgement Form. It can be helpful to refer to the lease agreement when completing the form. You will also need:

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• 100 points of Australian issued ID
• Phone number

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In this form you will list your tenant as a ‘bond contributor’. They will receive an email to verify their identity and confirm association to the property.

4. Pay the bond

The rental bond must be paid in a single payment directly from the person lodging the bond online.  All contributors as well as the owner will receive a digital receipt to confirm payment of the bond.

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You may either request that the tenant pay the bond to yourself directly, and then you can lodge the bond through the site.  Alternatively, you can have the tenant lodge the bond themselves through the RTA website. Be sure to attach this form to make their life easier!

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Alternatively, you can complete this by downloading a paper-based bond lodgement form.

Western Australia (WA):

Ph: Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) 1300 304 054

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All rental bonds for properties in WA must be lodged via the BondsOnline system.

1. Register for BondsOnline

New landlords will have to complete a lodgement of bond form and email it to bondsonline@dmirs.wa.gov.au.

2. Complete bond lodgement form

Complete this bond lodgement form online and then send it to the tenant to be signed prior to the lease start date.

3. Lodge the bond

You will have to collect the bond money from your tenant directly by entering their bank account details on the last page of the bond lodgement form. The bond will then be Direct Debited from the given bank account and lodged with the Bond Administrator WA.

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The bond will need to be lodged within 14 days of receiving it from the tenant.

South Australia (SA):

Ph: Consume and Business Services (CBS) Bonds 131 882

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All bonds in South Australia are managed online. Landlords must lodge a bond within 2 weeks of receiving it.

1. Register

You can register for Residential Bonds Online (RBO) here. You will need to create a username and password. Don’t forget to record these so you can log in to manage your bond at any time.

2. ‘Landlord’

You will need to enter the PIN sent to your mobile to verify your account and register as a ‘landlord’.

3. RBO debit bond from owner

The tenant will receive a link to verify the bond lodgement. You will need to collect payment from the tenant then transfer the money via Direct Debit to the RBO. The owner should record the receipt number in case they need to manage the bond in future.

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Alternatively, you can download a lodgement form and send it through post.

Northern Territory (NT):

Ph: Northern Territory Government 08 8999 5511

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Since there is no centralised bond institution in the Northern Territory, bonds are paid to private landlords and held by them in trust. This means the tenant will need to directly pay you, and you will need to provide them with a receipt. The bond must be deposited into a bank or other financial institution account in the Northern Territory.

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Lodge Your Bond through the RentBetter Platform!

Let RentBetter help you make the process easy!

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Our bond feature allows you to collect the rental bond from your tenant through our platform based on our recommendations according to your state. You can add your bond details and send them through to your tenant to collect either through the RentBetter platform or outside of RentBetter. Check out a demo for free here.

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Create the Bond Details

Fill out the bond details and attach any related documents you would like to share with your tenant on the platform.

Send the Bond Details to Your Tenant

You can choose to save the bond details and send them to your tenant right away or at a later date. Your tenant will be notified and receive the bond details on the platform.

The Tenant Pays

The payment status and the bond details will be available on the card. You can upload any bond-related documents for your personal record.