Changes to Claiming Bond

Since 13 October, a bond claim has to arrive with its evidence attached.

If a rental provider intends to claim part of your bond at the end of a tenancy, they must now tell you beforehand and show you what the claim rests on: the condition report, the photographs, the quote. Not a figure in an email.

It is a good change, and not only for renters. Most bond disputes we see are not about dishonesty. They are about two people remembering the same carpet differently, six months apart. Evidence up front settles most of them long before VCAT.

Three other things started the same day. No fees for applying or for paying rent. Gas and electrical safety checks every two years, not just before you move in. And records proving the place met minimum standards before it was advertised.

Unsure where you stand? Ask us, or Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 55 81 81.