1.  During the tenancy, stay on top of repairs and keep the place clean and tidy
   Tenants should let the landlord know as soon as possible if anything needs fixing, and keep the home reasonably clean and tidy. Landlords should inspect the property during the tenancy, and fix any maintenance issues as quickly as possible.
2. Do a property inspection a few weeks before the final day of the tenancy
   That way there will be time to sort out any problems before you move.
3. Do a final inspection together
   If you can’t do the inspection together, you should each do your own. It’s a good idea to take photos. If possible, the final inspection should happen once the tenant has moved all their belongings out and finished cleaning the property.
4. Bring a bond refund form to the final inspection
   If the inspection shows everything’s in order, complete the bond refund form and sign it.  Don’t sign a blank form.
   If there’s outstanding costs, the tenant and landlord can agree to split the bond. Part of the bond is to be refunded to the landlord to cover their costs and the rest is refunded to the tenant.
   If you disagree about a refund amount, work together to come to an agreement. If you can’t agree, you can use our dispute services, like mediation. Mediation is where someone from Tenancy Services can help you both come to a decision.
   To avoid delays in getting your bond refunded, make sure the form is fully completed. This means that it is signed by both the landlord and the tenants (and that these signatures match those that were on the bond lodgement form) and that it includes the tenant’s bank account numbers.
   You can still send in a bond refund form that isn’t complete, but this will mean there will be delays in getting the bond back because our team will need time to get this information from you.
5. Send the bond refund form to us as soon as possible
   Often tenants need that money to pay the bond for their new tenancy. Landlords should send the completed bond refund form to us as soon as possible, but tenants can send the form to us too.
   If you’re emailing it to us, you’ll get a reply saying that we’ve got it and how long it will take to process (if the form is fully completed). We’ll contact you if we need more information from you.

For more information about bond refunds, and to download a bond refund form, see our website.

Bond refunds

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