Rental Bonds in Australia: Caps, Lodgement and Schemes by State

Every Australian state and territory caps a residential bond at around four weeks' rent, but the scheme that holds it, the lodgement deadline and any high-rent exception differ sharply, and the Northern Territory has no lodgement authority at all.

Jurisdiction scope: This page compares residential bond rules, the scheme that holds the money, lodgement deadlines and high-rent thresholds across all eight Australian states and territories. It is general legal information, verified 19 July 2026, not legal advice on your own tenancy.

What Is a Bond, and Who Holds It?

A bond, the correct Australian term rather than any other name used in other countries, is money a tenant pays at the start of a tenancy as security against unpaid rent or damage beyond fair wear and tear, refundable at the end of the tenancy subject to any agreed or tribunal-ordered deductions. In every jurisdiction except the Northern Territory, the bond must be lodged with a government or government-appointed authority within a set deadline, rather than held by the landlord. That authority, not the landlord, holds the money on trust for the life of the tenancy and releases it once both parties agree, or a tribunal orders, how it should be split. The Northern Territory is the sole exception: its Act has no central lodgement authority, and the landlord or agent holds the bond directly.

Bond Caps and Schemes by Jurisdiction

New South Wales: A Flat Cap With No Portable Option

New South Wales caps a bond at four weeks' rent with no exception for expensive properties, unlike Victoria, South Australia or Western Australia. The bond is lodged with the Secretary, in practice through Rental Bonds Online, within 10 business days of receipt under sections 159 and 162 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW). New South Wales stands out for what it does not have: there is no portable-bond mechanism anywhere in the Act, meaning a tenant moving between two NSW rentals currently pays a fresh bond on the new tenancy while the previous one works through the refund process.

Victoria: One Month's Rent, a $900 Threshold and a Live Portable Scheme

Victoria's standard bond cap is one month's rent, lodged with the RTBA within 10 business days under section 406 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic). The cap does not apply where the rent is exactly $900 a week or more, under regulation 17, letting landlord and tenant agree a higher bond for higher-rent properties. Victoria's most significant recent bond change is its Portable Rental Bond Scheme, added as Division 3A (sections 423A to 423ZD) of the Act. It commenced 30 June 2026 and was publicly launched 1 July 2026, so it has been operating for about three weeks as of this page's verification date. An eligible tenant can transfer an existing bond to a new tenancy instead of waiting for a refund and lodging a fresh one, easing the cash-flow gap that otherwise arises when moving.

Queensland: A Flat Four Weeks Since the High-Rent Tier Was Abolished

Queensland caps a bond at four weeks' rent, lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority within 10 days under section 116 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld). Queensland previously ran a higher bond tier for properties renting at $700 a week or more, but that tier was abolished on 30 September 2024. A Queensland bond is now a flat four weeks regardless of how high the rent is, which is a materially different position from Victoria, South Australia or Western Australia, all of which still allow a higher bond above a rent threshold.

Western Australia: The Highest Threshold, and a Separate Pet Bond

Western Australia caps a standard bond at four weeks' rent, lodged with Bonds Administration at Consumer Protection WA within 14 days. The high-rent threshold in Western Australia is $1,200 a week under regulation 11, the highest of the three jurisdictions that have one. Western Australia also permits a separate pet bond, capped at $350, on top of the standard bond, which is not a feature of most other states' schemes in the same form.

South Australia: A Threshold and a Higher Tier

South Australia caps a bond at four weeks' rent generally, rising to six weeks above its high-rent threshold of $800 a week exactly, under regulation 13. The bond is lodged with the Commissioner into the Residential Tenancies Fund, within four weeks if lodged through an agent or two weeks otherwise.

Tasmania and the ACT: Flat Caps, No Threshold

Tasmania and the ACT both cap a bond at four weeks' rent with no high-rent exception. In Tasmania, the bond is lodged with the Rental Deposit Authority under section 25 of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tas); confirm the current lodgement deadline directly with Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS), since this page does not state an unverified figure. In the ACT, the bond goes to the Office of Rental Bonds, with a two-week lodgement deadline if the landlord lodges it directly, or four weeks if an agent does.

The Northern Territory: No Bond Authority at All

The Northern Territory is genuinely unique among the eight jurisdictions: it has no central bond-lodgement authority. Under section 29(3) and (4) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1999 (NT), the landlord or agent holds the bond in trust in an NT authorised deposit-taking institution (ADI) account rather than lodging it with a government body. The only bonds that reach a Commissioner's trust account are those unclaimed for six months or more after a tenancy ends. This is a materially different arrangement from every other jurisdiction on this page, all of which require lodgement with an independent authority from the outset, and it means an NT tenant relies on the landlord or agent's own trust-account compliance rather than a government scheme holding the money throughout the tenancy.

This page provides general legal information about residential bond rules across Australia, verified 19 July 2026. It is not legal advice on your own tenancy or bond dispute. For advice, consult a legal practitioner admitted in the relevant Australian state or territory, or your state or territory's tenancy authority.

For eviction and notice rules, see eviction and notice periods in Australia. For rent increase rules, see rent increase rules in Australia. For the complete jurisdiction comparison, see the Australia tenant rights hub, or go directly to New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory.