In QLD, a rental bond is money a tenant pays to a landlord or agent and is held by the RTA as security. You can use the RTA’s Bond Lodgement Web Service to lodge or increase your rental bond online.

If taking a bond, you must give the tenant a receipt and lodge it with the RTA within 10 days - it is an offence not to do so.

The bond is paid back to the tenant when the property is vacated, provided no money is owed for rent, damages or other costs.

Before you begin to lodge your bond online you will need:

Your QGov login details (or create a QGov account)
The rental property address
Names and unique email addresses for all tenants
Your credit/debit card for payment
The property's bond number (for bond increases only).

How to lodge the Bond in QLD:

1. Accept T&C’s

You will first need to accept RTA’s Terms and Conditions to receive electronic notifications about lodging your bond online.

2. Register (if not already completed)

You need to register with QGov here if you haven't already and provide state-issued identification. Your digital identity will need to be verified through the Queensland Government’s QGov service.

Note: If you can't verify your identity online through QDI, visit the Queensland Government QDI website or phone 1800 000 658 for information about other verification options and QDI support.

3. Complete Lodgement Form

You will then need to complete an online Bond Lodgement Form. We recommend having a copy of the tenancy agreement available for reference, as this contains information you will need to complete the Web Service lodgement.

In this form, you will list your tenant as a ‘bond contributor’. They will receive an email to verify their identity and confirm their association with the property.

Alternatively, if you're not able to use the web service, you can download and use the RTA's paper Bond lodgement form (Form 2) and post it to the RTA.

4. Pay the bond

The rental bond or bond increase can be paid online by credit card, debit card or by BPAY. It must be paid in a single payment by the person lodging the bond online (e.g. the landlord or tenant)

The Acknowledgement of rental bond will be emailed to you when the payment has cleared. This email will include a bond number to confirm the lodgement has been successful.

Your bond number is unique. You will be required to provide this number when transacting with the RTA, so please keep this number secure.

For bond increases, tenants will be sent an email request for updated details. Once the payment has cleared, an acknowledgement of the rental bond containing a bond number will be sent to all parties listed as bond contributors

Setting up the Bond on RentBetter

👉 On RentBetter, we recommend that you use the RTA Web Service to complete the payment of the bond.

If you’re setting up your tenancy, you should select that the bond payment will be collected outside of RentBetter. To do this, please choose the option 'No' when asked if you would like RentBetter to collect the bond payment:

Once the tenants have made the bond payment through the RTA Web Service, you will receive a notification that the bond has been paid.

Then you can proceed to mark the bond as paid inside your RentBetter account and upload any receipts via the bond section for record.

Bond Lodgement FAQs

Does a rental bond have to be taken?

There is no legal requirement to take a bond but it is typically recommended to do so to protect your property in the event of damage or unpaid rent or bills.

How much can be taken as the bond?

From 30 September 2024, the maximum bond allowed to be taken is equivalent to 4 weeks' rent, regardless of the weekly rent amount. It is a breach of the Act to take a bond exceeding four weeks' rent, with a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units.

Do I need to lodge the bond, or can I keep it in my account?

You must lodge the bond with the bond authority in QLD and it is an offence not to do so.

Can RentBetter lodge the bond for me?

Unfortunately, we're not able to lodge the bond on your behalf. You should complete the lodgement through the RTA and have the tenant make the payment through their portal. Then, once the bond is paid, you can mark it as paid inside RentBetter via the Bond section.

How long do I have to lodge the bond?

The bond must be lodged within 10 days. For more information, visit the Rental Bonds Facts Sheet page here - https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/forms-resources/factsheets/rental-bonds-fact-sheet

What happens if I have selected to collect the bond payment through the RentBetter platform instead?

Collecting the bond payment through the RTA is the recommended method in QLD. However, if you’ve chosen to collect the bond through RentBetter instead, you can complete the subsequent step of lodgement through the RTA's Web Service.

Can the bond be topped up or increased throughout the tenancy?

If rent is increased, the bond may be increased if it has been at least 11 months since the last bond increase or start of the tenancy. Any extra bond must be lodged with the RTA using a Bond lodgement (Form 2) or the Bond Lodgement Web Service.