TENANT INFORMATION GUIDE FOR TENANTS (VIC) | Page 35

PART 4: Leaving a tenancy after giving or receiving notice

Preparing to leave the property
• Discuss the return of the bond
with your landlord or agent.

• Take your belongings with you.
• Provide a forwarding address.

• Finalise any outstanding rent
and bills.
Agreeing on the return of the bond
At the end of a tenancy you and your
landlord should:
• attempt to agree on how the bond
money is to be divided. For example,
there may be some property damage
that needs repair
• set out the agreed division in a ‘Bond
Claim’ form, signed by both parties,
which is sent to the Residential
Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA)
• use a new ‘Bond Claim’ form if any
changes need to be made, as the RTBA
will not accept a form that has been
altered in any way.
Your landlord may claim part of the
bond. When any part of the bond is to be
paid to the landlord, the form cannot be
signed more than seven days before the
end of the tenancy.

A completed ‘Bond Claim’ form can be
submitted to the RTBA at any time after
the end of the tenancy. There is no time
limit for submitting it.
When the RTBA receives a correctly
completed ‘Bond Claim’ form, it repays
the bond directly into the nominated
bank account.
If you have not provided valid bank
account details, but have provided a
forwarding address, the RTBA will send
a cheque.
If you share a tenancy, the RTBA will
not pay out part of the bond if a tenant
leaves. Adjustments of bond contributions
between outgoing and incoming tenants
are a private matter between the tenants,
but the RTBA must be told about any
change of tenants during a tenancy on
the RTBA ‘Tenant Transfer’ form.

Remember:
Never sign a ‘Bond Claim’
form that does not show the
amount you are to receive. It
is against the law for a landlord or
agent to request or obtain your
signature if the form does not show
how the bond amount is to be
refunded and distributed.

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