What to do now
If your tenancy has ended and your landlord won't return your bond:
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Start a claim with RTBA at rentalbonds.vic.gov.au or call 1300 137 164. You do not need the landlord's permission. Renters authenticate through Service Victoria. You will need your bond reference number (on your lodgement receipt or condition report). If you cannot find it, RTBA can search using your name, the property address, and the dates of the tenancy.
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The other parties then have 14 days to contest. Contesting is not just ticking a dispute box on the portal. They must apply to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) or VCAT, then give RTBA the reference number. If notice is sent by post, the window is 20 days. If nobody contests, RTBA pays the bond as you claimed.
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If everyone accepts a landlord-started claim, RTBA usually pays within one business day.
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If the claim is contested, go to RDRV first. It is free. If the dispute is not resolved there, RDRV helps you apply to VCAT. Check the current residential tenancies fee on the VCAT fees page (concession, standard, or corporate; fee relief exists). Do not rely on an old dollar figure. VCAT fees changed on 27 June 2026.
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Gather your evidence. Entry and exit condition reports, photos, receipts, and the tenancy agreement matter. The landlord has to show that any claimed deduction is justified.
Worked example
Alex's tenancy has ended. The landlord has not returned the bond and has not lodged a claim. Alex logs in to RTBA (via Service Victoria) and claims the full bond. The landlord is notified. The landlord does not apply to RDRV or VCAT within 14 days. RTBA pays the full bond to Alex.
If the landlord had contested in time (by applying to RDRV or VCAT and giving RTBA the reference), Alex would have been notified. RDRV would try to settle it for free. If that failed, RDRV would help take it to VCAT. At VCAT, Alex would use the entry and exit condition reports and photos. The landlord would need to prove any damage was beyond fair wear and tear.
Who holds the bond in Victoria
The Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) holds residential rental bonds in Victoria. Landlords and agents must lodge the bond with RTBA; they cannot keep it in their own account. The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic) (the Act calls the landlord the residential rental provider) and the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 (Vic) set how claims and refunds work. RTBA releases the bond on a valid claim, an agreed split, or an RDRV or VCAT order, not on the landlord's say-so alone.
Landlords should start a claim within 14 days of the agreement ending unless a renter starts one first.
What landlords can claim
Consumer Affairs Victoria lists the matters that may be the subject of a bond claim (section 411AB of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic)). A landlord may claim bond money where the renter:
- damaged the property (not fair wear and tear)
- owes rent or charges after the agreement has ended
- did not leave the property reasonably clean
- is missing items, for example locks
- made certain changes without asking
Landlords cannot claim for fair wear and tear, or for damage that was the landlord's own responsibility to repair. Fair wear and tear is ordinary deterioration from reasonable use or the weather (faded curtains or a worn bench, not ripped curtains or a broken bench). The condition report is usually central because it records the property at the start and the end.
Section 409 is about late lodging of the bond. It is not the list of what a landlord can claim.
Check each deduction with the bond claim checker
If the landlord or agent has itemised what they are taking from the bond, the free Bond claim checker lets you enter each item and see how it lines up with Victorian law, including how the age of carpet, paint and curtains affects what can be claimed for them.
When parties disagree: RDRV, then VCAT
Disputed bond claims are dealt with under section 411AD of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic). RDRV is now the first stop for most bond disputes. It is free. A resolution coordinator works with both sides. If it stays unresolved, RDRV helps you go to VCAT. Most hearings are relatively informal. Parties usually represent themselves.
You can lodge an RDRV or VCAT order with RTBA. Once RTBA validates the order, it usually pays within one business day.
Portable Rental Bond Scheme
If you are moving to another Victorian rental, you may be able to transfer your existing bond to the new property instead of paying a second bond up front. There is a $25 fee. See the Portable Rental Bond Scheme page. This is optional; the ordinary RTBA refund process still applies, including if the first landlord later claims against the transferred bond.
Where to get help
Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA): 1300 137 164
rentalbonds.vic.gov.au
Consumer Affairs Victoria: 1300 558 181
Bond claims and refunds
RDRV: rdrv.vic.gov.au (free)
VCAT: vcat.vic.gov.au or 1300 018 228
Current fees