How to dispute an ingoing condition report: what to write and each State’s deadline

If the ingoing condition report is wrong, do not just sign it. Write your disagreement on the report itself, item by item, and return a signed copy to the landlord or agent before your State’s deadline runs out. In several States, a report you do not return in time is treated as one you agree with, and that report can be used as evidence if there is a dispute when you move out.

Claim Done drafts a condition report dispute letter from your answers for a flat A$29. It goes with your marked-up report, sets out each item as the report says it against the real condition, and asks for your version to be filed. You download it straight away and send it yourself.

Why the ingoing condition report matters

The condition report is the written record of the property when you moved in. The NSW Government describes it as a record of the property “room by room, including fixtures and fittings” and as evidence of how it was before the tenant moved in. When the tenancy ends, the landlord or agent compares the place against it. A stain or crack that is not on the ingoing report can look like damage you caused.

How long you have to return the condition report, State by State

These are the periods stated on each official page we read, as at November 2026. Check the page for your State before you rely on a date.

Some States spell out what happens if you miss the deadline. In Queensland, not returning the report means you agree with the owner’s description. In the ACT you are taken to have agreed with the report. In the Northern Territory, taking no action means you have accepted it.

How to fill in the condition report as a renter

1. Go room by room. Check walls, floors, doors, windows, fittings, appliances and outdoor areas.
2. Where you disagree, write your own comment next to the landlord’s. South Australia’s inspection sheet has a separate column for the tenant’s assessment. In Western Australia and Tasmania you note the problems on both copies.
3. Write down every mark. NSW Fair Trading says all damage, “including minor damage”, should be noted.
4. Take photos. NSW asks for time stamps on them, and Consumer Affairs Victoria says to date and label photos and attach them to the report.
5. Sign one copy, return it before the deadline, and keep the other.

What your disagreement should say

• The rental address and the date you moved in.
• The date you were given the report, so the deadline is clear.
• Each disputed item, one per line: the room, what the report says, and what you actually found.
• Items the report leaves out altogether.
• Which photos go with which item.
• Anything that needs repair. In Victoria, a condition report that notes something needing repair gives the rental provider written notice of it.
• What you are asking for: that the report be amended, or that your marked copy be kept on file as the ingoing record.

Keep it factual. “Carpet in the lounge: two stains, about the size of a hand” is better than “carpet is filthy”.

If you were never given a condition report

Do not wait for one. In Victoria, a renter who is not given a report before moving in can complete their own and give it to the rental provider within 5 business days. In Tasmania, a tenant can write their own, give a copy to the owner, and take photographs, and clear, dated photos are accepted as a form of condition report.

The rules on missing reports differ elsewhere. In Queensland it is an offence for the owner or manager not to give one. In the Northern Territory, a landlord who does not complete a report at the start cannot claim compensation for cleaning, damage or lost property. Wherever you live, writing down the condition yourself, with dated photos, and sending it to the landlord or agent gives you a record made at the time.

Structure of a condition report dispute letter

This is how the letter is laid out. It sits on top of your marked-up report, not instead of it.

• Heading: your name, the landlord or agent, the rental address and the date.
• Purpose: one line saying you are returning your completed ingoing condition report with your comments.
• Timing: when you moved in and when you received the report.
• Disputed items: a numbered list, each with the room, what the report says and the real condition.
• Missing items: damage or faults the report does not mention.
• Evidence: the dated photos you are attaching, if you have them.
• Requests: acknowledge receipt in writing, amend the report or file your version, and treat it as the reference for the end of the tenancy.
• Sign-off: your name, signature and date.

How to send it and what to keep

Email gives you a dated record. If you post it, allow for delivery time inside your deadline. If you hand it over, get a signed, dated receipt.

Keep your signed copy of the report, the letter, every photo and proof of when you sent it, somewhere you will still have them when you move out. In Queensland, the property manager or owner must send you a copy of the signed, completed report within 14 days, so chase it if it does not arrive.

What happens next, and what if the landlord or agent will not agree

The agent may simply file your comments. If they disagree, ask to walk through the items together. Consumer Protection WA says a landlord who does not agree with a tenant’s changes should arrange to review them together.

If you still cannot agree, each State has a path:

• NSW: the Tribunal can make orders amending, or not amending, a condition report.
• Victoria: either side can apply to VCAT if they think the report is wrong or incomplete, within 30 days of the start of the rental agreement.
• Queensland: the report, photos and video can be used as evidence by QCAT if there is a dispute.
• Northern Territory: after you return a changed report, the landlord has five business days to accept it, agree changes with you, or apply to NTCAT. If the landlord does nothing and you do not apply to the tribunal, the changed report is accepted.
• South Australia: the official inspection sheet says either party can contact Consumer and Business Services on 131 882 for information and advice.
• Tasmania and the ACT: check the Consumer Affairs Tasmania or ACT Government renting pages linked in the table above for the next step.

Mistakes to avoid

• Signing the agent’s version without reading it.
• Missing the deadline. Tasmania’s period is two days after you receive the report.
• Vague comments such as “some marks”.
• Photos with no date, or with no note of which item they show.
• Sending your only copy.
• Using the report to argue about rent or other issues. Keep it to the condition of the property.

If you want the disagreement written up clearly and on time, Claim Done will draft your condition report dispute letter for A$29, ready to send with your marked-up report.