You'll get your bond back if you return the property clean, undamaged beyond fair wear and tear, with the rent paid and nothing left behind. That's the whole test. So why is a bond not returned? Almost always it comes down to a short list of avoidable reasons — and the biggest one, cleaning, is entirely within your control. Below are the top reasons landlords and agents withhold a bond in the ACT and NSW, which ones are fair, and how to make sure yours comes back in full.
How does the bond refund actually work?
Your bond isn't held by the landlord — it's lodged with the regulator. In the ACT it's held centrally and disputes are decided by ACAT (the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal); in NSW it sits in Rental Bonds Online through NSW Fair Trading, with disputes going to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). Either way, no one can quietly pocket it.
At the end of the lease the agent inspects the property against the entry condition report — the document you (hopefully) filled in when you moved in. That report is the yardstick. If the place matches it, allowing for normal wear, the bond is refunded. If the landlord claims part of it, you have to agree before it's released — and if you don't agree, the tribunal decides. The condition report and the agent's inspection are where bonds are won or lost.
The top reasons bonds get withheld
Most withheld bonds trace back to the same handful of issues. Here they are, roughly in the order we see them cause problems:
- Insufficient cleaning — the single most common reason. Ovens, carpets, bathrooms, marks on walls, dusty skirting and tracks, a grimy rangehood filter.
- Carpets not professionally steam cleaned — where the lease requires it, agents want a professional clean and the receipt as proof.
- Damage beyond fair wear and tear — holes, burns, stains, broken fixtures, pet damage. (More on the "fair wear and tear" line below.)
- Rubbish or belongings left behind — bins not emptied, the garage or shed not cleared, furniture dumped. The landlord can charge to remove it.
- Gardens and lawns not maintained — overgrown lawns, weedy beds, or a yard left in worse shape than the condition report.
- Unpaid rent or unpaid water/utilities — any money owed at lease end can come straight off the bond.
Notice that the top two — and arguably the first three — are about the state you leave the property in. Those are the ones you can do something about before you hand back the keys.
What counts as "fair wear and tear"?
Fair wear and tear is the normal deterioration that happens just from living in a place — and a landlord cannot deduct your bond for it. Faded paint, carpet worn thin along the main walkways, small scuffs on a wall, a tap washer that's gone over a two-year lease: that's ordinary use, and it's the landlord's cost, not yours.
What isn't fair wear and tear is damage or neglect: cigarette burns in the carpet, a wine stain, holes in the wall, a cracked basin, mould left to grow, or grime built up because the place was never cleaned. That's the line. If a deduction is for genuine damage, it's usually fair. If it's for something that's just aged normally, it isn't — and that's the basis for disputing it.
Cleaning is the reason you can control
Of every reason on that list, cleaning is the one entirely within your power — and it's the one we see lose bonds most often. An agent who finds a greasy oven, a bathroom with mould, or carpets that were never steam cleaned has an easy, defensible deduction, because cleaning standards are written into the condition report and the lease.
The fix is straightforward: clean the property back to the standard on the entry report — or have it done professionally. A proper end of lease clean covers exactly what agents check: the oven and rangehood, inside cupboards, bathrooms descaled, walls spot-cleaned, tracks and skirting, and carpets steam cleaned with a receipt. Our full end of lease cleaning checklist walks through every item, and if you're weighing it up, what a bond clean costs is almost always less than the bond you'd lose getting it wrong.
What to do if your bond is withheld unfairly
If you've left the place clean and undamaged and the landlord still withholds money, you don't have to accept it. Ask for the deduction in writing, with evidence — photos and invoices, not just a number. Compare it against your entry condition report and the fair-wear-and-tear line above. If a charge is for normal wear, or for cleaning you actually did, push back.
If you can't agree, the tribunal decides — ACAT in the ACT, or NSW Fair Trading and NCAT in NSW — and it's free or low-cost to lodge. This is exactly why you keep receipts: a dated invoice for a professional bond clean (with the carpet receipt) is strong evidence that you returned the property properly, and it shifts the argument in your favour.
Frequently asked questions
Why didn't I get my bond back?
The most common reasons a bond isn't returned are insufficient cleaning, carpets that weren't professionally steam cleaned, damage beyond fair wear and tear, rubbish or belongings left behind, unmaintained gardens, and unpaid rent or utilities. Cleaning is by far the most frequent — and the one you can fully control.
Can a landlord keep my bond for cleaning?
Yes, if the property isn't returned to the cleaning standard recorded in the entry condition report and the lease. They can charge to bring in their own cleaner and deduct it from your bond. They can't deduct for normal wear, only for genuine lack of cleaning or damage.
What is fair wear and tear?
Fair wear and tear is the normal deterioration from ordinary living — faded paint, lightly worn carpet, minor scuffs. A landlord can't deduct your bond for it. Damage and neglect, like burns, stains, holes, or built-up grime, are not fair wear and tear and can be deducted.
Do I have to get carpets professionally cleaned to get my bond back?
If your lease requires it, then yes — many ACT and NSW leases specify a professional carpet clean, and agents ask for the receipt at inspection. A DIY vacuum won't meet that clause, so budget for a steam clean and keep the receipt.
Take the biggest risk off the table
You can't control unpaid water bills you've already paid or a worn carpet that was worn when you arrived — but you can control whether the property is spotless when you hand back the keys. That's the single biggest reason bonds get withheld, and it's the easiest to remove. Get a free, fixed-price quote for an end of lease clean — oven, carpets, and receipt included — and we'll return the property to the standard agents sign off on. We clean across Canberra and the ACT, and the quote is free. Request yours here.
Written by the Grime Reapers team.