The Refund of rental bond (Form 4) should be completed and sent to the RTA when the tenancy has ended.
The quickest and easiest way to get a bond refund is for the tenant and the property manager/owner to reach agreement about how the bond is to be paid out.
Agreed refunds
- there must be an agreement on how the bond should be paid
- everyone listed on the bond signs the refund form
- refunds are generally processed within 2-3 working days
Please note, the time it takes for your refund to appear in your account will vary from one financial institution to another.
Refunds are only paid into Australian bank accounts (no cheques).
Disputed refunds
- not everyone signs the same bond refund form, and/or
- there is no agreement about how the bond should be paid
When this occurs the RTA:
- releases any undisputed amounts
- holds any disputed amount/s, and
- sends a Notice of claim to the people who did not sign the refund form. They will have 14 days to dispute the bond claim.
The RTA may assist with dispute resolution if a dispute resolution request is received with 14 days.