{
  "licence": "CC BY 4.0, cite Payotte (https://payotte.com/australia/by-state) with a link",
  "topic": "rental-bonds",
  "extracted": "2026-10-14",
  "states": {
    "nsw": {
      "cap": "4 weeks' rent",
      "lodge_within": null,
      "authority": "NSW Fair Trading",
      "answer": "In New South Wales, the rental bond is capped at 4 weeks' rent, with no separate pet bond, and is held by NSW Fair Trading.",
      "note": "Lodgement deadline not stated on the pages the guide read.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Costs at the start of a residential tenancy (NSW Government)",
          "url": "https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/rules/costs-at-start-of-a-residential-tenancy"
        },
        {
          "title": "Lodge a residential rental bond, landlords and agents (Service NSW)",
          "url": "https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/lodge-a-residential-rental-bond-landlords-and-agents"
        }
      ]
    },
    "vic": {
      "cap": "one month's rent (more if rent is over $900 a week, or VCAT sets it)",
      "lodge_within": "14 days (not counting public holidays)",
      "authority": "Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA)",
      "answer": "In Victoria, the bond is generally capped at one month's rent, or more if rent exceeds $900 a week. The rental provider must lodge it with the RTBA within 14 days, not counting public holidays.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Bond amounts and payments (Consumer Affairs Victoria)",
          "url": "https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/rent-bond-bills-and-condition-reports/bond/bond-amounts-and-paying-a-bond"
        },
        {
          "title": "Lodging the bond with the RTBA (Consumer Affairs Victoria)",
          "url": "https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/rent-bond-bills-and-condition-reports/bond/lodging-the-bond-with-the-rtba"
        }
      ]
    },
    "qld": {
      "cap": "4 weeks' rent",
      "lodge_within": "10 days",
      "authority": "Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA)",
      "answer": "In Queensland, the bond is capped at 4 weeks' rent for agreements signed on or after 30 September 2024, and must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Rental bond (Residential Tenancies Authority, Queensland)",
          "url": "https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/starting-a-tenancy/rental-bond"
        },
        {
          "title": "Rental bonds fact sheet (Residential Tenancies Authority, Queensland)",
          "url": "https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/forms-resources/factsheets/rental-bonds-fact-sheet"
        }
      ]
    },
    "wa": {
      "cap": "4 weeks' rent (rent up to $1,200 a week)",
      "lodge_within": "14 days",
      "authority": "Bonds Administration",
      "answer": "In Western Australia, the bond is capped at 4 weeks' rent where rent is $1,200 a week or less, and must be lodged with Bonds Administration within 14 days. A pet bond of up to $350 is allowed.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Rental bonds (Consumer Protection WA)",
          "url": "https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/rental-bonds"
        },
        {
          "title": "Lodging a bond (Consumer Protection WA)",
          "url": "https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/lodging-bond"
        }
      ]
    },
    "sa": {
      "cap": "4 weeks' rent if rent is $800 a week or less; 6 weeks above",
      "lodge_within": "2 weeks (landlord); 4 weeks (registered agent)",
      "authority": "Commissioner, via Consumer and Business Services",
      "answer": "In South Australia, the bond cap is 4 weeks' rent where rent is $800 a week or less and 6 weeks above that. The landlord must lodge within 2 weeks and a registered agent within 4 weeks.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Residential Tenancies, chapter 23 (South Australia Law Handbook)",
          "url": "https://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/print/ch23s01.php"
        }
      ]
    },
    "tas": {
      "cap": "4 weeks' rent",
      "lodge_within": "10 working days (agent)",
      "authority": "Rental Deposit Authority",
      "answer": "In Tasmania, a landlord must not require a deposit above 4 weeks' rent. It is paid to the Rental Deposit Authority, or to a property agent who must pass it on within 10 working days.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tasmanian legislation)",
          "url": "https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1997-082"
        }
      ]
    },
    "act": {
      "cap": "4 weeks' rent",
      "lodge_within": "later of 2 weeks and the tenancy start (lessor); later of 4 weeks and the tenancy start (agent)",
      "authority": "Office of Rental Bonds",
      "answer": "In the ACT, a bond cannot exceed 4 weeks' rent and is lodged with the Office of Rental Bonds. The lessor's deadline is the later of 2 weeks and the start of the tenancy, or 4 weeks for an agent.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Residential Tenancies Act 1997, republication 84 effective 26 November 2025 (ACT legislation)",
          "url": "https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/DownloadFile/a/1997-84/current/PDF/1997-84.PDF"
        }
      ]
    },
    "nt": {
      "cap": "4 weeks' rent",
      "lodge_within": null,
      "authority": "Landlord, in trust (Act as at 1 August 2025)",
      "answer": "In the Northern Territory, the bond cannot exceed 4 weeks' rent, worked out on the lowest weekly rent. On the Act as at 1 August 2025 the landlord holds it in a trust account.",
      "note": "No lodgement deadline: the landlord holds the bond.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Residential Tenancies Act 1999, as in force at 1 August 2025 (NT legislation)",
          "url": "https://legislation.nt.gov.au/api/sitecore/Act/PDF?id=12173"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}