Claiming a bond

Property owners/agents, tenants and deposit contributors must start a bond claim to recover bond monies.  The claim must be approved by all parties to authorise the release of bond monies to the other party.

You can claim a bond at the end of the tenancy, when everyone has moved out and returned the keys. An owner/agent must start a claim in MyBond within 3 days of receiving the keys.

A tenant cannot start a claim in MyBond until three days after returning the keys or until after a reasonable time for the owner/agent to finalise their claim amounts.

There are rules about what can and can’t be claimed from a tenant’s bond. See the Guide to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner.

How to claim a bond

Owner or agent claims

An owner or agent must:

• start a claim in MyBond within 3 working days of the tenant(s) returning the keys, or
• advise the tenant(s) why they have not yet lodged a claim and when they are intending to do so.

Once a claim is lodged, the tenant(s) will receive a notification including details of what the claim is for. A tenant can then approve or dispute the claim.

Tenant claims

A tenant may make a claim if:

• the owner/agent has not made a claim within 3 working days of the tenant handing back the keys or
• the owner/agent has not indicated when they will make a claim.

A tenant must:

1. Approve or dispute the claim within 10 days of the owner/agent lodging the claim. If the tenant does not do anything within the 10 day timeframe, the bond may be paid out as claimed by the agent/owner.
2. Enter their bank account details so that a payment can be made.

View our with Quick Reference Guide – Claiming a bond (PDF, 192.3 KB)

Deposit Contributor claims

A Deposit Contributor can:

1. Approve or dispute a claim
2. Start a claim against their part of the bond if an agent/owner has not done so within 10 days of the keys being handed back.

Once a claim is initiated by a deposit contributor, all parties will receive a notification. They will then have an opportunity to approve or dispute the claim.

When a bond payment is made

The Rental Deposit Authority (the RDA) will pay the bond if bank account details have been provided in MyBond and:

1. The tenant approves the claim - if there is a Deposit Contributor portion they must also agree to the claim before it will be paid, or
2. The bond amount is awarded in a Determination made by the Residential Tenancy Commissioner (see Disputing a bond claim), or
3. An agent or owner does not respond to a tenant or Deposit Contributor’s claim.

When a payment is made, allow 3 - 5 days for bank processing times.

If a tenant does not have access to MyBond, they can provide their bank account details directly to the RDA by calling 1300 654 499.