Rental Bond Dispute Australia: Cost and Your Options

If your landlord or agent is holding your rental bond or is taking
deductions you think are unfair, you can challenge it. You have three real options: dispute
it yourself for free through your state’s rental bond authority and tenancy tribunal, have a
formal bond dispute letter drafted and sent for a flat $49, or engage a
lawyer. This page sets out what each option costs, what you get, and the honest trade-offs.

Your three options, compared by type

1. Dispute it yourself through your state bond authority (free)

Your bond is held by a state authority, not by the landlord, and every state has a free
process to dispute how it is paid out. You apply to have the bond released to you and, if the
landlord or agent objects, the state tenancy tribunal decides. Examples: in New South Wales,
NSW Fair Trading (Rental Bonds Online) and NCAT; in Queensland, the Residential Tenancies
Authority (RTA) and QCAT; in Victoria, the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) and
VCAT. Other states and territories have their own bond authority and tribunal.

• Cost: free.
• Good for: any bond dispute where you are comfortable filling in the
  forms and putting your own case, and you are not in a hurry.
• Trade-offs: you prepare and argue your own case, including answering
  the landlord’s claims for cleaning, damage or rent. A strict deadline can apply once a claim
  is made on the bond, so check your state bond authority’s rules as soon as the tenancy ends.
  There is no letter that puts the landlord on notice and often settles it before a hearing.

2. Bond dispute letter — Claim Done ($49 flat)

You answer a few plain-English questions about the tenancy and the deductions you dispute.
Claim Done drafts a formal bond dispute letter from your answers that sets out your claim to
the bond, responds to the landlord’s deductions, and references your state’s tenancy law. You
read the draft and approve it before anything is sent.

• Cost: a flat $49, shown before you pay. No
  subscription. Email delivery is free; registered post, signed for on delivery, is $29 extra.
• Exact deliverable: a finished, ready-to-send bond dispute letter
  addressed to your landlord or agent, drafted from your facts, stating what should be returned
  and why, with a clear deadline.
• Turnaround: the draft is usually ready about five minutes after you
  finish the questions.
• What you supply: the address, the bond amount, what the landlord is
  deducting and why, the key dates, and any supporting detail such as the condition report or
  photos. You do not need to know the law.
• What happens after you approve it: the letter is delivered to your
  landlord or agent, and you get a copy and the delivery confirmation. A firm letter often gets
  the bond released without a hearing; if it does not, you still have it as part of your case at
  the tribunal.
• Good for: most bond disputes where you want a correct, firm letter that
  may settle it quickly, without paying lawyer rates.

3. Lawyer (quote-based)

A lawyer or tenancy advocate can advise you and act for you in a bond dispute.

• Cost: quoted by the firm, usually at an hourly rate; ask for a written
  quote first. Free tenancy advice services also exist in each state.
• Good for: large bonds, complex damage or liability arguments, or where
  you want someone to run the tribunal case for you.
• Trade-offs: the highest cost of the three. For a typical residential
  bond the legal fee can approach or exceed the amount in dispute, which is why many renters use
  a free tenancy advice service instead.

Which should you choose?

If you are comfortable running it yourself and are not in a hurry, your state’s bond
authority and tribunal cost nothing. If you want a correct, firm bond dispute letter that often
settles it before a hearing, the $49 letter is the middle path. If the bond is large or the
dispute is complex, a lawyer or a free tenancy advice service is worth it.

What a bond dispute letter is — and is not

A bond dispute letter is a formal written claim to your bond that puts the landlord or agent
on notice and sets a deadline to release it. It creates a dated record that you disputed the
deductions, which helps at the tribunal. It does not, by itself, force the bond to be paid out,
and sending one is not the same as lodging a tribunal application.

Where Claim Done fits

Claim Done is a document drafting service, not a law firm, and does not give legal advice.
It drafts your bond dispute letter from your answers for a flat $49, you approve it before it is
sent, and it does not lodge anything with the bond authority or tribunal for you.
Start your bond dispute
letter.

Frequently asked questions