When a renter asks me about getting their bond back, I sometimes ask what their bond number is. A lot of people have no idea. Some have never seen a receipt, and a few are not sure the money ever left the agent’s account.
That is worth sorting out before the final inspection, not after. In Victoria the bond is supposed to be held by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA), and the paperwork that proves it is also what you use to claim it back.
Where your bond is supposed to be
Consumer Affairs Victoria puts it plainly: if your agreement requires a bond, it “must be paid to the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) where it will be held in trust until the end of the rental agreement.”
The landlord does not keep it. The agent does not keep it. Only a rental provider, property manager or agent can start the lodgement on the RTBA website, but every renter has to review and accept it before it is finalised.
The timeline, with the numbers from CAV
| Step | What CAV says |
|---|---|
| You pay the agent or landlord | They must lodge it with the RTBA within 14 days, not counting public holidays |
| Lodgement is submitted | Every renter gets an email with a link to review and accept |
| You review it | You have 14 days to accept, or it lapses and has to be restarted |
| Lodgement accepted | Usually finalised within one business day, although payments can take up to 8 days to process |
| Bond lodged | The RTBA sends each renter a receipt with the bond number, expected within 7 days |
| Still no receipt | After 15 days, call the RTBA on 1300 137 164 |
One thing I noticed while checking this. CAV’s bond pages say 14 days to lodge. Its penalties table describes the same obligation under section 406 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 as “within 10 days after a bond is received”, with a maximum of 150 penalty units. I am not going to tell you which number a tribunal would use. For a renter the practical point is the same: if weeks have gone by and you have no lodgement email and no receipt, ask.
How to check your bond yourself
- Search your email for the RTBA lodgement notice and the receipt. Check junk and spam. CAV notes each renter needs their own email address on the lodgement, so if you share an inbox with a partner, look in both.
- Use “Look up your bond” on the RTBA website (rentalbonds.vic.gov.au). CAV says you can search with your contact details if you do not have the bond number.
- Check the details once you find it. Bond amount, property address and the names of every renter. If something is wrong before you accept, you can request a change. After you accept, CAV says you “can’t decline or request further changes”.
- Write the bond number down somewhere you will still have in two years. A note on your phone is fine. You will need it again.
If you still cannot find a lodgement, ask the agent in writing for the bond number and the date it was lodged, then call the RTBA with what they tell you.
Paying the RTBA directly instead
If you would rather the money never passes through the agent, CAV allows that. You tell the rental provider in writing, before they start the lodgement, that you will pay the RTBA directly. Once you accept the lodgement you get a payment link for BPAY, direct debit or credit card, and CAV says payment has to be made within 48 hours of the link being created. With several renters, only one of you pays the full amount.
Moving from one Victorian rental to another? The same route is how the portable bond scheme works, and you have to opt in when you review the new lodgement.
Why this matters at the end of the lease
CAV says the bond number is what you need “to make changes to your details on the bond or to make a claim at a later date.” At the end of the lease the rental provider should start the claim within 14 days of the agreement ending, and if they drag their feet you can start a renter-initiated claim yourself on the RTBA website. Both go faster if the details on the bond already match you.
The cleaning side is covered in how to get your bond back, and the paperwork that decides most bond disputes is the condition report you signed at the start.
The short version Your bond belongs with the RTBA. If you paid the agent, CAV says they have 14 days to lodge it, and you should get a receipt with a bond number within 7 days after that. No receipt after 15 days? Check junk mail, look the bond up on the RTBA website with your contact details, then call the RTBA on 1300 137 164. Keep the bond number safe. It is how you update your details and how you claim the bond back when you move out.
Frequently asked questions
How long does my landlord have to lodge my bond in Victoria?
Consumer Affairs Victoria's bond pages say that if you paid the rental provider, they must lodge it with the RTBA within 14 days of receiving it, not counting public holidays. CAV's penalties table still describes the section 406 obligation as "within 10 days", so the two pages do not use the same number. Either way, a bond that has been sitting unlodged for a month is a problem.
How do I know my bond has been lodged?
When the bond is lodged the RTBA sends a receipt to every renter on it, and CAV says you should get it within 7 days. The receipt has your bond number. You can also search for your bond on the RTBA website using your contact details, even without the number.
I never got a bond receipt. What should I do?
CAV says that if you have not received the receipt within 15 days, call the RTBA on 1300 137 164. Before you call, check your junk folder and confirm the agent used your correct email address, since lodgement notices and receipts go by email.
Can I lodge the bond myself?
No. CAV says renters can't start a bond lodgement by themselves. You can choose to pay the bond straight to the RTBA instead of to the agent, but you have to tell the rental provider in writing before they start the lodgement. Every renter still has to review and accept it, within 14 days.
Why does the bond number matter at the end of the lease?
CAV says you need the bond number to change your details on the bond or to make a claim later. A renter-initiated claim at the end of the lease runs through the RTBA website, so a lost number is one more delay at the point where you want your money back.
This guide is general information based on official sources current at the date shown above. Tenancy law differs by state and by agreement. For decisions about your own bond, check the official body linked above or get advice for your situation.
Keep reading
In Victoria a rental provider or agent can only list you on a tenant database after the lease has ended, and only if a breach left you owing more than the bond or led to a VCAT possession order. They have to warn you in writing and give you 14 days to object first. A listing is gone after three years at most, and sooner if you pay what you owe within three months.
A rental provider in Victoria can only end your tenancy for a reason on Consumer Affairs Victoria's list, and most of the end-of-lease reasons need 90 days' notice and paperwork attached. If the evidence is missing the notice is invalid, you have 30 days to challenge it at VCAT, and you can leave sooner on 14 days' notice of your own.
In your last weeks the agent will want to bring through new renters, buyers or a photographer. Consumer Affairs Victoria sets 48 hours' written notice for showings, a 21 day window before your end date, a cap of twice a week for an hour, and $30 or half a day's rent for every sales inspection.