Condition reports in NSW, VIC and QLD explained

The condition report is the one document that decides most bond claims in Australia. It records what the place looked like on day one, so that at the end nobody has to argue from memory. In NSW, Victoria and Queensland the landlord or agent prepares it, you add your comments, and you both keep a signed copy.

The deadlines are short, and they are different in each state. Miss yours and the landlord’s version may be the only record of day one.

NSW: two copies, 7 days

In NSW the landlord or agent must give you two copies of the completed condition report, or one electronic copy, before or when you sign the residential tenancy agreement. You complete it and give one copy back within 7 days after you take possession, which usually means moving in. That is section 29 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010, and the NSW Government says the same.

Worked example: you sign the agreement and get the report on Friday 30 January 2026, and move in on Tuesday 3 February. Your signed copy, with comments, is due back by Tuesday 10 February.

The official form goes room by room. Wherever something is not clean, undamaged or working, say so and say why: “bedroom 2 carpet: stain 10 cm by window” beats a ticked box.

Victoria: two copies, 5 business days

In Victoria the rental provider or agent must sign the condition report and give you two copies, or an electronic copy, before you move in. You return one signed copy within 5 business days after moving in, per Consumer Affairs Victoria and s 35 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.

Worked example: you get the report and then move in on Monday 11 May 2026. Five business days later is Monday 18 May. Public holidays push the deadline out, so count carefully around Easter or a long weekend.

The Victorian report is evidence of the state of repair of the property, and it also counts as notice to the rental provider of any defects or outstanding repairs listed in it. So write down anything broken: it records the fault and starts the repair conversation at the same time.

Queensland: Form 1a, 7 days

In Queensland the entry condition report is Form 1a. The property manager or owner completes and signs it and gives the tenant a copy at the start of the tenancy. The tenant returns it signed and completed within 7 days after the later of two dates: the day they moved in, or the day they got the report. The property manager or owner then returns a copy of the fully completed report to the tenant within 14 days.

Worked example: you move in on Monday 1 June 2026 and get Form 1a the same day. It is due back by Monday 8 June.

How to fill out a condition report

Go through every room in daylight, with the report in one hand and your phone in the other. A few things make the difference at the end:

• Photograph everything, with the date. Walls, floors, ceilings, windows, fittings, appliances, the outside. Number the photos and write the number next to the item.
• Describe, don’t grade. “Scratch 15 cm on benchtop left of sink” is evidence. “Fair” is not.
• Test what works. Taps, hot water, oven, lights, locks, blinds, smoke alarms. Write “tested, working” or what failed.
• Record cleanliness separately. A clean but worn carpet and a new but dirty one are different claims later.
• Don’t agree to what isn’t there. If the report says “no marks” and there are marks, cross it out, write your version and initial it.
• Keep proof of return. Email the signed copy with photos attached, or get a receipt.

Notes and dated photos made on the day, room by room, leave far less to argue about later. With our ingoing and outgoing condition report you walk through the rental and talk while AI writes up its condition room by room, with the photos in place, and you get one sealed PDF. It doesn’t replace your state’s form: fill in that form and attach the PDF.

Exit condition reports

At the end, the property is inspected again and compared with the entry report. Anything that is fair wear and tear is not the tenant’s cost; damage and dirt can be. Our guide to fair wear and tear vs damage has a table of common examples.

• NSW: you should do a final inspection with the landlord or agent, filling in the start-of-tenancy report again. They can only do it without you if they gave you a reasonable opportunity to attend (NSW Government). If they claim on the bond without your agreement, they must give you, within 7 days of the claim, a copy of the condition report completed at the end and copies of estimates, quotes, invoices or receipts (NSW Government).
• Victoria: the rental provider or agent completes the “Exit condition report” section of the original report within 10 days of the agreement ending, with you there or after giving you a reasonable opportunity to be there (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
• Queensland: the RTA’s exit condition report is Form 14a. You fill it in against your Form 1a, room by room, keep photos, and give it to the property manager or owner as soon as possible after the tenancy ends. They have 3 business days to sign it, mark anything they disagree with and send you a copy.

Bond lodgement

The bond is not the landlord’s money to hold. It is lodged with the state:

• NSW: with NSW Fair Trading, usually through Rental Bonds Online. Under s 162 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010, a landlord who takes the bond must deposit it within 10 business days; an agent within 10 business days after the end of the month in which it was paid.
• Victoria: with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA). The rental provider must pass the bond and the lodgement form to the RTBA within 10 business days of receiving it (s 406 Residential Tenancies Act 1997).
• Queensland: with the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA). The property manager or owner must give you a receipt and lodge the bond with the RTA within 10 days (RTA).

Bond claims and disputes

The quickest bond back is the one both sides agree. If you cannot agree, each state has its own route.

NSW. Either side can lodge a claim through Rental Bonds Online. If the landlord or agent claims part of the bond, you get a Notice of Claim by email and SMS and have 14 days to respond. To dispute it, apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), then log in to Rental Bonds Online before the due-for-payment date so the bond is frozen (NSW Government).

Victoria. Since 29 March 2021, renters can claim their bond directly from the RTBA without the rental provider’s agreement. The RTBA notifies the other parties, who have 14 days to contest the claim by applying to VCAT or RDRV; otherwise the RTBA pays (Consumer Affairs Victoria). Bond disputes can go to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria, a free VCAT service that started in June 2025. It tries to settle the dispute first. If that fails, a Member can decide it at a hearing, which may carry an application fee.

Queensland. Either side can ask the RTA for the bond refund, online or on Form 4. If someone disagrees, the RTA sends them a notice and they have 14 days to lodge a dispute resolution request (Form 16); otherwise the bond is paid as first requested (RTA). A dispute goes to the RTA’s free dispute resolution service, and if that does not settle it, to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) (RTA).

In every state, the evidence that wins is the same: the entry report you returned on time, dated photos, and an exit report that follows the same list. If a claim is large and the facts are contested, that is the point to get advice from your state’s tenant advice service.