Getting your bond back in Queensland comes down to two things: the property matching its entry condition report, and the paperwork being lodged properly. Here's the order it happens in.
1. Re-read the entry condition report first
The entry condition report is the benchmark for the exit inspection. If a mark on the wall was recorded when you moved in, it isn't your problem now. If it wasn't recorded, it is. Find your copy before you start cleaning, it tells you where to spend your effort.
2. Give proper notice and book the clean early
Book your exit clean for after the property is empty, ideally the day before your final inspection. Cleaning around furniture means the clean has to be repeated. Late November through February is the busiest period in Brisbane, book two weeks out if you can.
3. Clean to the checklist, not to your standards
- Oven, rangehood filters and cooktop
- Shower grout, silicone and screen tracks
- Window tracks, sills and flyscreens
- Skirtings, doors, switches and light fittings
- Lawn mowed and edged, garden beds weeded
4. Photograph everything at handover
Date-stamped photos of every room taken after the clean are your evidence if anything is later disputed. Keep receipts for carpet cleaning and pest control if your lease requires them.
5. Lodge the bond refund with the RTA
Rental bonds in Queensland are held by the Residential Tenancies Authority, not by the agent. Either party can lodge a refund form. If you lodge it and the agent doesn't dispute it within the notice period, the RTA pays out. If the agent lodges a claim you disagree with, you can dispute it. Check current forms, timeframes and dispute steps on the RTA website, they're the authority on the process, not your agent.
Bond Back Brisbane is a cleaning company. We do the exit clean that stops cleaning costs being deducted from your bond. We don't lodge bond claims or handle RTA paperwork, that's between you, your agent and the RTA.
6. If part of your bond is claimed
- Ask for the specific items and the quoted cost in writing
- Compare each item against the entry condition report
- Send your handover photos
- If it was cleaning we did, tell us, we come back and re-clean it free within 7 days
- If it can't be resolved, the RTA runs a free dispute resolution service before tribunal
Frequently asked
How long does it take to get a bond back in QLD?
Where both parties agree, the RTA typically pays a refund within a few business days of the form being processed. A disputed claim takes longer because it goes through the RTA's dispute resolution process first. Check the RTA for current timeframes.
Can an agent keep my bond for a dirty oven?
An agent can claim the reasonable cost of bringing the property back to its entry condition. If the oven was clean at entry and dirty at exit, that's a legitimate cleaning claim, which is precisely why the oven is the first thing we do.
Do you handle the bond refund for me?
No. We're a cleaning service, not a bond refund or bond claim service. The refund is lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority by you or your agent.