Most of the bond questions I get on end-of-lease jobs are about getting it back. Every so often someone asks the other question, usually while I’m packing up: “The new place wants six weeks’ bond. Is that normal?”
In Victoria it usually isn’t allowed. The rule is short, and Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) updated its bond page on 24 September 2026, so this is worth checking before you hand any money over.
The cap: one month’s rent
CAV puts it plainly: in most cases a bond can’t be more than one month’s rent.
There are only two ways a rental provider can ask for more:
| Situation | Bond limit |
|---|---|
| Weekly rent is $900 or less | One month’s rent |
| Weekly rent is more than $900 | No maximum |
| VCAT has set a higher bond for the property | No maximum (whatever VCAT allows) |
CAV says VCAT might set a higher bond because of the character of the property or the quality of its fittings and furniture. That’s an order the landlord has to go and get. It isn’t something an agent can decide because the house is nice.
So if your rent is $650 a week and the listing asks for six weeks, that’s more than a month and the extra isn’t allowed. Ask the agent which exception they’re relying on.
Rooming houses and caravan parks have their own limits. CAV gives 28 days’ rent for a fixed-term rooming house agreement, 14 days for other rooming house residents, and one month’s rent or hiring charge in a caravan park.
Bond and rent are separate
CAV is clear that the bond can’t be used to pay rent. Rent in advance has its own cap, which I went through in the post on rent in advance at the end of a lease. An agent asking for “bond plus a month up front” is asking for two different things under two different rules.
A landlord doesn’t have to ask for a bond at all. CAV says bonds aren’t mandatory. Once the lease asks for one, the renter has to pay it, and if it isn’t paid the rental provider can give a notice to vacate.
Once a bond has been paid, the rental provider must complete a condition report and give you a copy before you move in. That report is what everyone argues over when you move out, so keep it.
How the money gets to the RTBA
The bond isn’t held by the agent. It goes to the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA). CAV lists three ways to pay:
- Pay the rental provider, who pays it to the RTBA when they lodge the bond.
- Pay the RTBA directly during the lodgement.
- Use the Portable Rental Bond Scheme to move your existing bond across, if you’re eligible.
If you want option 2 or 3, CAV says you have to tell the rental provider in writing before they start the lodgement. The landlord picks the payment method when they set it up, so tell them early. I covered the portable option in how portable bonds work.
If you paid the rental provider, they have 14 days to lodge it with the RTBA, not counting public holidays. The RTBA then has 7 days to send a receipt with the bond number to the rental provider and every renter. No receipt after about three weeks is a reason to check the bond was actually lodged.
For share houses on one lease, CAV notes that only one renter can pay the full bond when you pay the RTBA directly, because it has to be lodged as a single payment. Sort out who pays and how everyone pays them back before the link arrives.
When they can ask for more bond later
A rent increase on its own doesn’t let a landlord top up the bond. CAV says extra bond can only be asked for in two cases.
A long-term lease. The agreement has to be longer than 5 years. The renter has to have lived there continuously for 5 years, and there have to be 5 or more years left on the agreement. CAV’s example is that a 10-year lease qualifies at year 5, but a 7-year lease doesn’t, because only 2 years would be left. The rental provider must give 120 days’ written notice on CAV’s Notice requesting additional bond form, and can’t ask more than once in any 5 years. The most they can ask for is one month’s rent at the current amount, minus the bond already paid.
Modifications you’ve asked for. If you make a change and the agreement is that the rental provider will reverse it at the end, they can ask for extra bond to cover that. CAV says they can’t ask if the extra amount would be under $500, if it isn’t reasonable for the cost of reversing the change, if you’d already agreed before lodgement that you wouldn’t need to restore it, or if the change was funded under a government scheme that says it can’t be reversed. This one ties into restoring modifications at the end of a lease.
You can challenge either kind of top-up at VCAT. CAV says VCAT will consider whether paying the extra bond would cause severe hardship and can change or cancel it.
Skip the bond replacement products
You may see ads for products that promise to “free up” your bond money for a fee. CAV says bond replacement products, including loans and guarantees from private businesses where the renter pays a fee, are illegal in Victoria. A rental provider who accepts one may be breaking the law.
They can also cost more. CAV says the fee isn’t refundable, there’s often a renewal fee if you stay past the original lease, and the company can come after you for anything it pays the landlord. Bonds lodged with the RTBA have no fees.
If the problem is that you can’t afford the bond, the legal route is a Homes Victoria or RentAssist bond loan. CAV says these are for people on low incomes with no other financial options, applicants have to meet eligibility rules including being an Australian permanent resident, and the loan can cover all or part of the bond. You apply through Housing Victoria’s RentAssist page and get a voucher to give the landlord.
What I’d do before paying
- Check the bond against the weekly rent. At $900 a week or less, it can’t be more than a month.
- If it’s more, ask in writing which exception applies.
- Decide how you’re paying and tell the agent in writing before they lodge.
- Get the condition report before you move in and keep it with your lease.
- Watch for the RTBA receipt. You’ll want that bond number at the end, when you’re getting the bond back.
The short version
In most Victorian rentals the bond can’t be more than one month’s rent. The cap only lifts when weekly rent is over $900 or VCAT has set a higher bond. Bond goes to the RTBA, not the agent. If you pay the landlord, they have 14 days to lodge it, and you should get an RTBA receipt within 7 days after that. Extra bond later is only allowed on 5-year-plus leases or for modifications the landlord will reverse, and private bond replacement products are illegal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum bond a landlord can charge in Victoria?
Consumer Affairs Victoria says that in most cases a bond can't be more than one month's rent. A rental provider can only ask for more when the weekly rent is over $900, or when VCAT has set a higher bond for the property, for example because of its character or the quality of its fittings and furniture.
Is there a limit on bond if the rent is over $900 a week?
No. CAV says there is no rule about maximum bond when the weekly rent is more than $900 or when VCAT has set a higher bond for the property.
Can my landlord ask for more bond after a rent increase?
Not on an ordinary lease. CAV says extra bond can only be requested in a long-term agreement of more than 5 years, after the renter has lived there for 5 years and with at least 5 years left, or when a renter makes changes to the property that the rental provider will reverse at the end. For the long-term case they must give 120 days' written notice.
How long does the landlord have to lodge my bond?
If you paid the bond to the rental provider, CAV says they must lodge it with the RTBA within 14 days, not counting public holidays. The RTBA must then send a receipt with the bond number to the rental provider and all renters within 7 days of receiving it.
Are bond replacement products or bond guarantees from private companies legal?
No. CAV says bond replacement products, including loans and guarantees from private businesses where the renter pays a fee, are illegal in Victoria, and a rental provider who accepts one may be breaking the law. If you can't afford a bond, the legal option is a Homes Victoria or RentAssist bond loan for people on low incomes.
- Consumer Affairs Victoria, Bond amounts and payments (updated 24 September 2026)
- Consumer Affairs Victoria, Bond top-ups (updated 18 December 2025)
- Consumer Affairs Victoria, Homes Victoria or RentAssist bond loans
- Consumer Affairs Victoria, Illegal bond replacements
- Victorian Legislation, Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Part 2 Division 2, sections 34A and 34B)
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
Since 13 October 2026, a Victorian rental provider who wants any of your bond has to tell you at least 3 business days before lodging the claim with the RTBA, and hand over invoices, receipts, quotes or photos that don't contradict the condition report. Here is what changed and how to use it on the way out.
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.
In Victoria your bond has to sit with the RTBA, not in your landlord's account. If you paid the agent, they must lodge it within 14 days, the RTBA sends every renter a receipt with a bond number, and you can look the bond up online. Check it before you move out, because you need that bond number to claim it back.