Bonds
Rental bond amounts and lodgement
For a general Queensland tenancy, the usual maximum bond is four weeks' rent, and bond money taken must generally be receipted and lodged with the RTA within 10 days.
Key facts
- The usual maximum is 4 weeks' rent for a general tenancy
- A receipt must be provided when bond is taken
- Bond must generally be lodged with the RTA within 10 days
- The RTA sends an acknowledgement after cleared lodgement
Check the amount before paying
For general tenancies and rooming accommodation, the RTA states that the maximum bond is four weeks' rent. Different limits apply to moveable dwellings. Calling an amount a pet bond, security deposit or another name does not avoid the overall bond limit.
Ask how the payment will be lodged and make sure every person who contributes is correctly recorded. Keep the receipt, tenancy agreement and proof of payment together.
Confirm that the RTA received it
The person who takes the bond must generally lodge it with the RTA within 10 days. The RTA then issues an Acknowledgement of rental bond to the listed contributors and managing party after the payment clears.
Check the names, address, amounts and contact details on the acknowledgement. If it does not arrive or the details are wrong, raise it promptly with the managing party and contact the RTA.
Bond increases and instalments
A bond can be paid in instalments where both sides agree. The arrangement should be written down, and lodgement timing depends on the accommodation type and whether government assistance applies.
During a tenancy, a bond increase is subject to timing, written-notice and maximum-amount rules. Do not pay an unexplained increase without asking for the calculation and current RTA process in writing.
Work out the lawful maximum
For general tenancies and rooming accommodation, the current maximum is generally four weeks' rent. Moveable dwellings generally use two weeks, or three weeks where electricity is provided. The cap applies to all amounts that function as bond even if they are given another label, so a separate ‘pet bond’ cannot be used to exceed the maximum.
Example: at $620 a week in a general tenancy, the ordinary maximum is $2,480. If an owner asks for four weeks plus another $500 security deposit, ask in writing what the extra amount is for and check it with the RTA before paying. Rent in advance is a separate concept and should be receipted and recorded as rent, not quietly treated as extra bond.
Receipt, lodgement and acknowledgement
When a property manager or owner takes bond money, they must provide a receipt and lodge it with the RTA within 10 days. Lodgement can be completed through RTA Web Services or with the current Form 2 process. Keep the receipt, payment record and a copy of any bond form; do not rely only on a transaction description in a banking app.
After the payment clears, the RTA sends an Acknowledgement of rental bond to the contributors and managing party. Check the address, names, contribution amounts and bond number. Raise an error immediately because those details matter when a contributor changes or the bond is later refunded.
If you pay by instalments
Bond can be paid by instalments if the parties agree. Record the amount and due date of every instalment in writing. For an ordinary general tenancy or moveable dwelling without government assistance, each instalment generally must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days of receipt, using the same bond number after the first acknowledgement arrives.
Government-assisted tenancies and rooming accommodation have different lodgement timing rules. Do not assume the ordinary per-instalment approach applies. If the agreement ends before every instalment is paid, special timing can also apply to what has already been received.
Bond increases during the tenancy
A bond may be increased during a tenancy, often after rent rises, only if at least 11 months have passed since the last bond increase or the tenancy began. The managing party must give written notice stating the payment date, and that date must be at least one month after the tenant receives the notice. The new total cannot exceed the applicable maximum.
Any additional bond received must generally be lodged within 10 days and attached to the existing bond number. Check that the higher rent itself is lawful before assuming the bond calculation is right. Keep the increase notice and updated RTA acknowledgement together.
If no RTA acknowledgement arrives
First check spam folders and whether the RTA has the correct contact details. Ask the managing party for the lodgement receipt and bond number, then contact the RTA directly to check the record. Do not send identity documents by ordinary email merely because someone asks; use the RTA's official contact or service channel.
Non-lodgement is an offence, but a renter's immediate goal is usually to establish where the money is and correct the record. Keep the original receipt, bank transaction and every written request. The RTA can explain its investigation and dispute options if the money was not lodged.
Changes to contributors
Household changes do not automatically update the bond record. When one contributor leaves or another joins, use the current RTA change process and make sure the contribution amounts are agreed. A private transfer between housemates without updating the RTA can create confusion when the tenancy ends.
Bond lodgement is only the beginning of the record. Preserve the acknowledgement until the refund is complete, and keep it separate from the tenancy agreement, entry report and rent ledger so each document can be found quickly during a dispute.
Primary source checked
RTA — Rental bond