Residential Tenancies Bond Authority

This page has information about the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA), including advice on how to:

lodge or claim your bond, and
access rental bond information.

About the RTBA

The RTBA holds all Victorian residential tenancy bonds in trust, including those for rented premises, long-term caravans, rooming houses, and caravan sites under site agreements. When a rental agreement ends, property managers/landlords and tenants/residents have equal say in how the bond should be repaid and the RTBA releases the money as agreed.

Interest on rental bonds goes towards running the RTBA, and the Residential Tenancies List at VCAT and residential tenancies activities of Consumer Affairs Victoria.

You can contact the RTBA on 1300 137 164.

How to lodge, claim or transfer a bond

All RTBA bond transactions, including lodgements, claims, tenant transfers, agent/landlord transfers (including transactions with supporting documentation such as a VCAT order), are submitted as either:

an electronic transaction (preferred)
a paper form.

For information on how to prepare and complete rental bond transactions, view the following pages:

Electronic transactions (preferred)

Electronic bond transactions through the RTBA Online website are the preferred transaction method for landlords and property managers and will be mandatory for licensed estate agents from 9 December 2019. Property managers or landlords should initiate all bond transactions, including lodging, claiming or transferring a bond to another tenant. Agent/landlord transfers are not available online and must be submitted on paper.

Property managers and landlords who register or are already registered with the RTBA as a 'Property manager' can use RTBA Online to complete bond transactions and view bond details. View our demonstration videos and guides for electronic bond transactions.

Paper form

Paper forms for bond transactions can be generated through the RTBA Online website where an electronic submission is not possible. The form is populated with details provided when generating the form; it must be printed, signed by the relevant parties and mailed to the RTBA. Forms should only be used for one transaction, and cannot be copied for multiple use.

Note: Blank forms are not available for download because each form has a unique number to allow tracking in our system.

When submitting a paper bond lodgement, you can attach payment in the form of a bank cheque or money order payable to the ‘RTBA’.

You may be using paper forms as your bond transaction has required attachments, such as VCAT orders or proof of death. These should all be posted with the bond form.

Note: Bond forms cannot be sent via email. Any bond forms emailed to the RTBA will not be processed.

Bond numbers and other details

Bond numbers and other details are on the bond receipt.

The bond receipt is emailed to all parties where an email address is provided, or posted to a contact address.

Tenants can use their bond number and family name to look up bond details and generate paper forms though the RTBA Online website.

You can find the bond number on the receipt provided by the RTBA. If you do not have the bond number, you can search for it through the ‘Forgot your bond number?’ link on the RTBA Online website.

Property managers and landlords should log in to the RTBA Online website to see all their past and current bonds, and initiate bond transactions.

After the bond is lodged

Processing time

The RTBA processes all bond transactions within two business days. Allow extra time for postage when submitting forms by mail.

Rejection of paper forms

If a landlord/property manager fills out the paper bond form incorrectly, they will get a rejection notice outlining the issues and possible remedies. If the tenant/resident provided their mobile phone number on the form, the RTBA will notify them of the rejection by SMS.

Disputes about bonds

If there is a dispute about the bond - for example, the landlord or property manager wants to claim some or all of the bond to cover damage but the tenant does not believe they are responsible - either party must apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for a hearing about the dispute. There are no application fees for bond claim hearings. For more information, visit the Renting a home section of the VCAT website.