What's at stake: typical Brisbane bond amounts
Your bond is usually four weeks' rent. Here's what that looks like for common Brisbane rental types, and why spending a few hundred on a proper exit clean is worth it.
Units and Apartments
CBD, inner-city, and suburban units
Based on four weeks' rent at typical 2026 Brisbane rents.
Townhouses
Multi-level rentals across Brisbane
Townhouse bonds sit higher because weekly rents reflect the extra space.
Houses
Family homes and larger properties
Pool homes and acreage properties can push bonds above $4,000.
Heads up: For most Brisbane rentals, a professional bond clean runs $300 to $900 to protect $1,600 to $3,600 in bond money. Our bond cleaning cost guide breaks down what you'll pay by property type.
The bond refund process step by step
- 1
Complete your exit clean and take date-stamped photos of every room. Photograph the same areas that appear in your entry condition report. Oven, bathroom grout, window tracks, carpet, light fittings, rangehood. These photos are your evidence if anything gets disputed later.
- 2
Lodge a Refund of Rental Bond (Form 4) with the RTA. You do not need to wait for your agent or landlord to start this. Either party can lodge it. The form specifies how the bond should be split. You can lodge it online through RTA Web Services.
- 3
The RTA sends a copy of the Form 4 to the other party. They then have 14 days to agree or dispute the proposed split. If they do nothing within 14 days, the RTA pays the bond as you requested. This is why lodging first matters.
- 4
If both parties agree on the split, the RTA processes the refund. Payment typically lands within three to five business days once the RTA receives a correctly completed form with both signatures.
- 5
If the other party disputes the split within 14 days, the bond is held by the RTA until the dispute is resolved. At this point either party can lodge a Dispute Resolution Request (Form 16) to start free RTA conciliation.
- 6
If conciliation does not resolve the dispute, the RTA issues a Notice of Unresolved Dispute. Either party then has seven days to apply to QCAT for a binding decision. If nobody applies within seven days, the bond goes to whoever lodged the original Form 4. Our bond dispute guide covers the full dispute and QCAT process.
Do you have to use the agent's recommended cleaner?
No. Nothing in the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 lets an agent or landlord tell you which cleaning company to use. Your obligation under Section 188 is to return the property in the same condition as the start of the tenancy, fair wear and tear excepted. How you get there is up to you.
Agents recommend specific cleaners for a few reasons. Sometimes it's genuine efficiency. They know a particular cleaner's work passes their inspections consistently. Other times there is a referral arrangement involved, and the recommendation is not necessarily in your best interest.
The Office of Fair Trading's position is clear. If an agent insists that you must use a specific cleaning company and refuses to accept equivalent work from another provider, that may constitute unconscionable conduct under the Australian Consumer Law.
You are free to choose your own cleaner, clean the property yourself, or use the agent's suggestion. What matters at the end of the day is the result, not who did the work. If you choose your own cleaner, make sure they provide a written bond-back guarantee and keep the receipt. If the agent disputes the clean, your receipt and guarantee are your evidence. If the clean was genuinely not up to standard, the Australian Consumer Law's fitness-for-purpose guarantee (Section 60) means the cleaner must come back and fix it at no extra cost.
When you choose your own cleaner, you can compare Google reviews, check for bond-back guarantees, verify ABNs, and get multiple quotes before you commit. None of that happens when you just take the agent's one recommendation at face value.
Compare rated Brisbane bond cleaners by suburb. Every profile shows Google reviews, bond-back guarantee status, and ABN. Get two or three quotes before you decide.
Browse bond cleaners in your areaHow to avoid a bond dispute in the first place
Cleaning is the single most common reason for bond disputes in Queensland. The RTA conciliated over 23,000 disputes in 2024-25 alone. Here's what actually prevents one.
Fill out your entry condition report properly on day one
Section 65 of the RTRA Act gives you three business days to note disagreements on the entry condition report (Form 1a) after you move in. Most tenants rush through it or skip it entirely. This is the single document that determines whether your exit clean is good enough. Photograph everything on move-in day, especially existing marks, stains, and wear. If the entry report says the oven was clean and it wasn't, note it in writing within those three days.
Take date-stamped photos at both ends of the tenancy
Photograph every room, every appliance, and every surface that appears on the condition report. Do it at move-in and again after your exit clean. Shoot from the same angles both times. QCAT expects these photos and gives them significant weight. Five minutes with your phone camera can save you weeks of dispute resolution. Our bond clean checklist maps every item agents check, room by room.
Get a written bond-back guarantee from your cleaner
A bond-back guarantee means the cleaner will return and rectify anything the agent flags at the exit inspection, at no extra cost. This is not just a nice-to-have. Under the Australian Consumer Law (Section 60), a cleaning service must be fit for the purpose you made known. If you told them it was a bond clean and it fails the inspection, you have a consumer guarantee claim. Get the guarantee in writing before the clean, not after.
Keep every receipt
Bond clean receipt, carpet steam cleaning receipt, pest control receipt if your lease requires it. Keep them all. Receipts are not a legal requirement for a bond refund, but they are powerful evidence in a dispute. They show you took reasonable steps and spent real money to meet the standard. An agent claiming you didn't clean properly has a much harder case when you can produce a $600 receipt from a licensed cleaner with a guarantee.
Lodge your Form 4 first
Either party can lodge the Refund of Rental Bond form. If you lodge first and request a full refund, the 14-day clock starts in your favour. If the agent does not dispute within 14 days, the RTA pays you. Do not wait for the agent to initiate the process. Under Section 127 of the RTRA Act, if the lessor fails to lodge a claim within 14 days of your request, the RTA must pay the bond to you. If the agent does dispute, our bond dispute guide covers the conciliation and QCAT process from start to finish.
Know what fair wear and tear covers
Section 188 of the RTRA Act says you are not liable for fair wear and tear. That means faded curtains from sunlight, minor scuff marks on walls from normal furniture placement, worn carpet in high-traffic areas, and slight discolouration of grout over time. These are normal deterioration from everyday living. If an agent tries to deduct bond for items that fall under fair wear and tear, you have grounds to dispute. The RTA provides specific guidance on what qualifies.
The easiest way to avoid a bond dispute is to hire a professional cleaner with a written bond-back guarantee. If the agent flags anything, the cleaner returns and fixes it. Problem solved before it becomes a dispute.
Find bond cleaners with guaranteesQueensland-specific things every tenant should know
Professional cleaning is not a legal requirement in Queensland. The RTA's position is that you can clean the property yourself, provided the result matches the entry condition report. If the property was not professionally cleaned before you moved in, the landlord generally cannot require professional cleaning at exit. That said, most tenants pay for a professional clean anyway because the receipt and guarantee make it very hard for an agent to argue the point.
Carpet steam cleaning clauses are common in Brisbane leases but only enforceable under specific conditions. If your lease includes a special term requiring professional carpet cleaning at exit, it is only enforceable if the carpets were professionally cleaned before you moved in. Keep your receipt as proof. Our end of lease carpet cleaning guide covers the full picture.
The RTA held 631,805 bonds across Queensland in 2024-25 and conciliated 23,408 disputes with a 77.5 percent resolution rate where both parties participate. Those are good odds if you end up in conciliation, but the goal is to avoid getting there at all.
If you need free tenancy advice before, during, or after a bond dispute, QSTARS (Queensland Statewide Tenant Advice and Referral Service) is available on 1300 744 263. It is a free service funded by the Queensland government and delivered by Tenants Queensland. They can advise on your specific situation and help you understand your rights under the RTRA Act. See our useful contacts page for a full list of Queensland organisations that can help.
Bond refund FAQs for Queensland renters
How do I get my bond back in Queensland?+
Lodge a Refund of Rental Bond (Form 4) with the RTA after your tenancy ends. You can do this online through RTA Web Services. The other party has 14 days to agree or dispute. If they agree or do nothing, the RTA processes the refund within three to five business days. You do not need to wait for your agent to start this process.
How long does a bond refund take in QLD?+
If both parties agree on the split, the RTA typically processes the refund within three to five business days. If the other party does not respond to your Form 4, they have 14 days before the RTA releases the bond to you automatically. If there is a dispute, add another two to six weeks for RTA conciliation, and potentially months if it escalates to QCAT.
Do I have to use the agent's recommended cleaner for my bond clean?+
No. There is no legal requirement to use a specific cleaning company. Your obligation is to return the property in the same condition as the start of the tenancy, fair wear and tear excepted. You can clean it yourself, hire any cleaner you choose, or use the agent's recommendation. What matters is the result. If an agent insists you must use their preferred cleaner, that may be unconscionable conduct under the Australian Consumer Law.
What is fair wear and tear in Queensland?+
Fair wear and tear is deterioration that occurs through normal everyday use, even when the tenant has taken reasonable care. Examples include faded curtains from sunlight, minor scuff marks on walls, worn carpet in high-traffic areas, and slight discolouration of grout. Under Section 188 of the RTRA Act, tenants are not liable for fair wear and tear. Landlords cannot deduct bond for these items.
Can my landlord keep my bond for cleaning in Queensland?+
Only if the property is not returned in the same condition as the entry condition report, fair wear and tear excepted. The landlord must lodge a claim with evidence, and any deduction must be reasonable and proportionate. They cannot claim the entire bond for minor cleaning issues. If you disagree with the deduction, you can dispute it through the RTA's free conciliation service and, if needed, escalate to QCAT.
What happens if my landlord does not respond to my bond refund request?+
Under Section 127 of the RTRA Act, if the lessor does not lodge a claim within 14 days of your Form 4, the RTA must pay the bond to you. This is one of the strongest reasons to lodge your Form 4 promptly after the tenancy ends rather than waiting for the agent to initiate the process.
Can I lodge the bond refund form before my tenancy officially ends?+
No. The Refund of Rental Bond (Form 4) can only be lodged after the tenancy has ended and you have vacated the property. The RTA will not process a bond refund request while the tenancy is still active. Once your lease end date has passed and you have returned the keys, you can lodge immediately. There is no minimum waiting period after that.
The best bond dispute is the one that never happens.
A professional bond clean with a written guarantee takes cleaning off the table as a dispute issue. Browse Brisbane bond cleaners by suburb, compare Google reviews, and book with confidence. No account needed.