RDA-Information For Tenants

Submitted by Michelle on Mon, 08/24/2009 - 13:49

After 1 July 2009 any bond that you are required to pay for a rental property must be paid to the Rental Deposit Authority (RDA). The RDA will hold the bond for you and your property owner/agent until the lease ends.

How do I lodge my bond?

  • Your property agent or owner will give you a Bond Lodgement Form. He or she must complete and sign their part of the form.
    You must complete and sign your part of the form. If there are other tenants who will pay an amount towards the bond they must also complete and sign the form.
  • If someone who does not live at the property contributes some money to the bond (a parent, for example) he or she should also complete and sign the Bond Lodgement Form if they wish to claim their money back at the end of the lease.
  • If you need assistance from Colony 47 or Anglicare to pay part of your bond, they must also complete the form. They will send their amount directly to the RDA.
  • Take your Bond Lodgement Form and the bond money to a Service Tasmania shop. Your bond can be paid in cash, by bank cheque or by debit or credit card. If your property agent is registered with the RDA, you may give your bond to them – ask your agent if they are registered.
  • Service Tasmania will give you two receipts – one for you to keep and one to give the owner or agent as proof that you have paid the bond – you may not get the keys to the property until you do so.
  • If anyone else has completed the form, Service Tasmania will give you a receipt for them as well. You must send their receipt to them.
  • The receipt has a Bond Number printed on it. When you claim your bond at the end of the tenancy you will need this Bond Number – so keep your receipt in a safe place.

I’m already renting and my landlord has my bond
– what do I need to do?

  • If your existing lease is renewed or extended after 1 July 2009 two things may happen:

    • – Your property owner or agent will give you the bond to send to the RDA
    – Your property owner or agent will pay the bond to the RDA on your behalf.

  • If the bond is given to you, you should take it with the completed Bond Lodgement Form to a Service Tasmania shop, and give the receipt to your landlord.
  • If your landlord lodges the Bond Lodgement Form and bond money directly with the RDA, a receipt for the bond will be posted directly to you.

What happens if there is a change of tenant?

  • If one or more tenants leave a property, the RDA can transfer their portion of the bond to the incoming tenant(s). All tenants and the property owner/agent must sign a Tenant Transfer Form and either post it directly to the RDA or lodge it at a Service Tasmania shop.
  • If all of the tenants wish to leave at the same time – to be replaced by new tenants – the existing agreement comes to an end. The ‘old’ tenants can then claim their bond, and the ‘new’ tenants must pay a new bond and deposit it with the RDA.
  • If Colony 47 or Anglicare have provided bond assistance, the RDA will not transfer the bond to the new tenant.

How do I claim my bond back?

  • At the end of your lease, the property owner or agent has three days to give you a Claim Form. They must have completed their section and signed it.
  • Complete your part of the Claim Form and make sure the Bond Number and your bank account details are correct.

You must then sign the form.

  • If Colony 47 or Anglicare have contributed to your bond, then you must get them to complete and sign their part of the Claim Form.
  • If anyone else signed your Bond Lodgement Form, then you must also get them to complete and sign their part of the Claim Form.
  • Lodge the form at Service Tasmania or fax it directly to the RDA.
  • All people who contributed to the bond will be notified immediately when the RDA receives a claim. If a person has not signed the Claim Form, he or she may submit another Claim Form within 10 days of the notification. If this does not happen, or if a claim is received for a different amount, the claim will be referred to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner for resolution.
  • If all the parties agree to the claims and sign the Claim Form at the end of the tenancy, the RDA will pay out the bond as soon as possible.
  • If the property owner cannot be contacted or has not given you a completed Claim Form within three days of the end of the lease (or has not contacted you to let you know when they will give the Claim Form to you) then you can lodge your own Claim Form separately.

If I am not happy, how do I lodge a dispute against my bond?

  • At the end of the tenancy you may disagree over the bond. If this happens you can lodge a Dispute Form with the Residential Tenancy Commissioner (RTC).

Send this directly to the RTC at:
Residential Tenancy Commissioner
GPO Box 1244
Hobart Tasmania
7001 Australia

  • You must state why you think some or the entire bond should be returned to you and include any information that will help the Residential Tenancy Commissioner make a fair decision.
  • You might not be contacted after you lodge a dispute so it is important that you include everything relevant to your claim.
  • The RTC will make a decision and send you a summary of the reasons for the decision.
  • If you do not agree with the decision you can appeal the matter to the Magistrates Court of Tasmania, but you must do so within seven days of receiving your copy of the decision. If no appeal has been lodged after seven days, the RDA will pay out the bond. If an appeal is lodged, the RDA will pay out the bond only after a Magistrate has made a ruling.

    • Contacting the RDA

  • Phone 1300 654 499
  • Fax 1300 737 487 – for Claim Forms ONLY
  • Rental Deposit Authority
    GPO Box 1244
    Hobart Tasmania 7001
  • Email us at rda@justice.tas.gov.au

All forms and The Rental Guide booklet are available to purchase from Service Tasmania ($2, hard copy), or as a FREE download from the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading website.