How To Get Your Bond Back
The thought of not receiving your bond back when you move out of a property is daunting. It’s a decent amount of cash and provided you’ve not damaged the property, it’s rightfully yours to claim. Despite the many horror stories you might have heard, getting your bond back is pretty easy. All you need to do is follow the right procedures, keep the place in good condition and anticipate any concerns your landlord or real estate agent may have.
When the time comes to end your tenancy, here are a few tips we’ve put together to ensure your bond claim runs smoothly and you see that money back in your bank balance.
Procedural Priority
No matter where you are in Australia, each state has a bond authority responsible for lodging bond payments and transfers. Your landlord or real estate agent has an obligation to lodge your bond payment within 10 days of receiving it. You’ll then receive a notification from the bond authority once it’s been processed. If you don’t hear from them, get in touch with them straight away to chase it up and ensure your bond payment has been received.
Condition Reports
When you first move in, make sure you read through and fill out your condition report. These are designed to protect you and your landlord from any false claims of damage to the property. Accuracy is essential so take photos and make notes as an extra precaution but make sure you fill in the report and lodge it properly and promptly.
Be Reasonable
At the end of the day, there are things that will wear and tear that the landlord must accept as a cost of maintaining their property. If the carpet in the hallway is worn from the kids running up and down, that’s covered in your rental agreement. If you smashed the kitchen splashback sliding a heavy-based frying pan across the bench, that one’s on you. Be reasonable; anticipate any concerns you think the landlord may have and make sure you have the place cleaned professionally and thoroughly before your end-of-tenancy inspection.
