28 Aug 2026

Rental Bond Claims in WA: What Landlords Can Claim and the 2026 Process

WA landlords can claim only supported tenancy losses from a rental bond. Learn the 2026 release process, evidence standards and tenant response rights.

A Western Australian landlord can claim from a rental bond for an actual, reasonable and supported loss caused by the tenant’s obligations not being met. Common examples include unpaid rent, tenant-caused damage, cleaning needed to restore the property to a reasonably similar standard, missing keys and properly invoiced tenant utility consumption.

A landlord cannot simply keep the bond, charge for fair wear and tear, replace an old item at the tenant’s full expense or use the bond as an automatic payment for the inconvenience of ending a tenancy.

Since 28 March 2026, WA has used a new bond-release process. If everyone does not agree, the disputed application is generally referred to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection for a free determination. Evidence now matters from the first inspection to the final claim.

This guide explains the ordinary WA residential tenancy process. It is general information, not legal advice.

What can a WA landlord claim from the bond?

Consumer Protection WA lists the main claim categories as:

tenant- or pet-caused damage
garden repair or maintenance for which the tenant was responsible
carpet cleaning
general cleaning
pet fumigation or pest control in qualifying circumstances
missing keys, opening devices or security-device issues
unpaid rent
outstanding tenant utility consumption
another financial loss caused by a breach of the tenancy agreement

Being in a recognised category does not automatically make a claim valid. The landlord must still show:

what tenancy obligation applied
how the tenant failed to meet it
what actual loss resulted
why the claimed amount is reasonable
what evidence supports each part of the calculation

The claim made through the bond process cannot exceed the amount of bond held. If a supported loss is greater than the bond, the landlord can limit the bond claim to the amount held and separately consider a Magistrates Court claim for the balance. Alternatively, the landlord can apply to the court for the full claim. Only a court can order a tenant to pay more than the bond.

What cannot normally be claimed?

A bond is not a landlord’s end-of-tenancy allowance. A claim can be reduced or rejected if it includes:

fair wear and tear
deterioration caused by ordinary use or natural forces
the full replacement price of an old or already depreciated item
betterment, upgrades or renovations beyond like-for-like restoration
damage outside the tenant’s control, unless the tenant’s unreasonable action or inaction caused avoidable further loss
cleaning that was not needed to return the property to a reasonably similar standard
an automatic professional-cleaning charge without a valid factual and contractual basis
a utility service charge, rate or common-area consumption instead of the tenant’s properly calculated consumption
a landlord’s time spent cleaning, gardening or doing repairs where the landlord did not suffer a monetary loss
a penalty for disputing the claim or causing inconvenience

Consumer Protection’s current guidelines say a landlord who completes ordinary cleaning or gardening personally can generally claim for products actually purchased, but not their own time. Licensed work—including relevant electrical, plumbing and structural work—must still be done by an appropriately licensed person.

Fair wear and tear, damage and depreciation

The most common bond disagreement is not whether the property changed. It is why it changed and what the remaining item was worth.

Fair wear and tear includes changes caused by reasonable use and the ordinary effects of natural forces such as sunshine, rain and storms. Examples can include faded curtains, carpet worn through normal use, minor wall scuffs and loose door handles from ordinary use.

Tenant-caused damage is different. It can be intentional or result from a failure to take reasonable care. Burned carpet, a large hole in a wall or a broken fitting caused by misuse may support a claim.

Weather damage is not automatically the tenant’s responsibility. For example, a fence blown down in a storm would ordinarily begin as a maintenance or insurance issue rather than tenant-caused damage. However, if a visible problem is not reasonably reported and that delay causes avoidable further damage, the additional loss may need separate consideration. Our guide to reporting damage in a WA rental explains why tenants should report promptly without assuming that reporting means accepting the bill.

Depreciation also matters. If a tenant damages an older carpet, benchtop or blind, the starting point is not automatically the price of a brand-new premium replacement. The Commissioner may consider the item’s age, quality, condition, expected life and current value. A supported claim should aim to restore the landlord’s position, not improve it at the tenant’s expense.

A simple example

An outgoing condition report shows a new burn in carpet that was already several years old. The landlord supplies the ingoing and outgoing reports, dated photographs, proof of the carpet’s age and a like-for-like replacement invoice.

The tenant may be responsible for the damage, but that does not necessarily make the tenant responsible for the full cost of new carpet. The age, prior condition and depreciation may reduce the reasonable claim.

The evidence that makes a bond claim defensible

The landlord carries responsibility for proving that a claim is reasonable. A clear evidence file is more useful than a long accusation.

For most condition-based claims, keep:

the signed tenancy agreement and any relevant approved condition
the ingoing property condition report
dated photographs or video from the start of the tenancy
inspection records and written maintenance or damage reports
the outgoing property condition report
dated photographs or video from the final inspection
correspondence giving the tenant an opportunity to respond or rectify where appropriate
itemised invoices from businesses with an ABN
receipts for materials the landlord personally purchased
evidence of an item’s age, original condition and comparable replacement
the calculation showing depreciation or any amount excluded as fair wear and tear

For money claims, keep the relevant ledger, invoice, payment history and calculation. A claim should be itemised rather than described only as “damage and cleaning”.

Quotes may help show the likely cost before work is completed, but an invoice is usually stronger evidence of an actual loss. Consumer Protection’s guidelines say a quote may still be considered with supporting evidence—for example, proof that the work is booked or other material showing why the quoted work is necessary.

If a dispute reaches the Commissioner or court, organise the material chronologically and label what each item proves. The LandlordLogic guide to evidence in WA tenancy disputes provides a practical structure.

Special rules for common claim types

Cleaning and carpet cleaning

A tenant must return the property in a reasonable state of cleanliness compared with its condition at the start, excluding fair wear and tear.

A lease term requiring professional cleaning is not automatically enough in every case. Consumer Protection’s guidelines say professional cleaning may be required where the landlord can show the property or carpets were professionally cleaned at or immediately before the tenancy began, or where a professional-cleaning condition was properly agreed or imposed in connection with an approved pet or modification.

Otherwise, the practical question is whether the tenant returned the property to a reasonably similar standard of cleanliness. Compare the same rooms and surfaces in the ingoing and outgoing reports. Claim only for the areas that genuinely needed work.

Gardens

Check the lease, the starting condition and what maintenance the tenant actually agreed to perform. Seasonal change, water restrictions, natural events and owner responsibility can affect the result. Use dated photographs and a like-for-like gardening invoice rather than a general estimate.

Keys and security devices

A landlord may claim when keys or other opening devices were not returned, or where an unauthorised security device must be removed or rectified. Keep a key register or written record of what was issued and returned, plus the locksmith’s invoice where work was reasonably required.

Unpaid rent

Use the signed agreement and a complete rental ledger showing charges, receipts, adjustments and the exact balance. If the amount involves a rent increase or disputed termination date, include the relevant notices and agreement variation.

Do not treat the bond as the tenant’s final rent payment. Rent arrears and bond disposal are related but distinct processes. See the WA rent-arrears and Form 21 guide for the formal arrears framework.

Unpaid utilities

Where a utility account is in the landlord’s or strata company’s name, a claim must relate to the tenant’s consumption—not rates, service charges or common-area use.

Consumer Protection’s guidelines also require the landlord to have invoiced the tenant within 30 days after receiving the utility invoice and to provide the required calculation details. If usage is not separately metered, there must be a written agreement explaining how the tenant’s share is calculated.

Keep the original bill, meter readings where applicable, the tenant invoice, proof of when it was sent and the payment ledger.

Pet bond, pet damage and fumigation

A pet bond can only be used for pet fumigation or pest control and repairs for damage caused by the pet. Any unused pet-bond balance must be returned and cannot be redirected to unrelated claims.

The mere fact that a pet lived at the property does not always prove fumigation was necessary. The lease, an agreed or ordered pet condition, evidence of the need for treatment and an invoice all matter.

The WA bond-release process from 28 March 2026

Under the current process, any person named on the tenancy agreement and bond record can apply for release after the tenancy has ended.

Real estate agents must generally lodge through BondsOnline. Private landlords may use BondsOnline or the manual Security Bond Release Application. Tenants can use the manual form.

Step 1: Complete the final inspection

The landlord should invite the tenant to attend at a mutually convenient time and compare the property with the ingoing report.

The outgoing property condition report must generally be prepared and provided to the tenant within 14 days after the tenancy ends, or after the tenant’s interest in the tenancy ends. Record meter readings, keys returned and every proposed condition claim.

Do not ask a tenant to sign a blank bond-release form. The form should show the amount proposed for each party.

Step 2: Discuss and itemise the proposed distribution

Send the tenant:

each claim category and amount
the reason for the claim
the supporting comparison, invoice or ledger
any depreciation or fair-wear adjustment
the amount of bond proposed for the landlord
the amount proposed for the tenant or tenants

The parties can agree on all, some or none of the claims. Agreement is often quicker, but neither party should sign merely to avoid asking reasonable questions.

Step 3: Submit the release application

One party submits the completed application. The other named parties receive notice and are usually given 14 days to agree or dispute. Postal delivery can result in a longer response period.

Read the notice itself and act by the date shown. Do not rely only on a general timeframe.

Step 4: Agreement or referral

If everyone agrees, Bonds Administration can distribute the bond according to the agreed amounts.

If anyone disputes the application or does not respond, the matter is generally referred automatically to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection. The Commissioner can also decline a matter where the legislation prevents a determination, in which case the parties may need to use the Magistrates Court.

Step 5: Provide evidence to the Commissioner

The Commissioner’s invitation gives each party 10 days to provide views and evidence. A party who needs more time should request an extension during that evidence period and explain why.

The process is free. The Commissioner may decide that the bond should go entirely to the tenant, entirely to the landlord or be divided in particular amounts.

Step 6: Allow for the appeal period

The bond is held for seven days after the decision. A party who wants to appeal must apply to the Magistrates Court within that seven-day period. If no appeal is lodged, Bonds Administration releases the bond according to the decision.

What landlords should do

Before the tenancy ends

Keep the ingoing report, photographs, signed agreement and maintenance record together.
Respond to reported repairs so owner maintenance is not confused with tenant damage.
Use routine inspections to document change without turning minor wear into premature claims.
Keep a clear rent and utility ledger.
Tell tenants how to report damage and where to send photographs.

At handover

Confirm the tenancy end and key-return date in writing.
Invite the tenant to the final inspection.
Complete the outgoing report within the required timeframe.
Photograph the same areas and angles used at the start where possible.
Separate cleaning, damage, unpaid amounts and owner maintenance.
Obtain itemised, like-for-like invoices and account for depreciation.

Before claiming

Ask: “What obligation was breached, and what proves the loss?”
Remove fair wear and tear, improvements and unsupported estimates.
Check that utility invoices met the current notice and calculation requirements.
Give the tenant the claim details and a reasonable opportunity to respond.
Submit the bond application with the proposed distribution completed.
Keep the complete evidence file ready in case the claim is disputed.

Avoid statements such as “I always claim a full carpet clean” or “The tenant broke the lease, so I keep the bond”. A specific, evidence-based claim is more persuasive and gives the tenant a fair chance to understand it.

What tenants should do

At the start and during the tenancy

Add detailed comments and photographs to the ingoing condition report.
Keep copies of the agreement, inspection reports, rent records and utility invoices.
Report damage and maintenance promptly in writing.
Keep proof of cleaning, repairs or payments made.
Do not assume an informal conversation with a contractor, neighbour or another property manager has notified your own landlord.

When moving out

Follow the cleaning and garden obligations that actually apply.
Photograph every room, outdoor area, appliance supplied and meter reading.
Attend the final inspection if reasonably possible.
Return and record every key, remote and opening device.
Give a forwarding address and keep access to your email.
Ask for the outgoing report and an itemised explanation of every proposed deduction.

If you receive a bond notice

Check:

whether the claimed condition differs from the ingoing report
whether the issue is fair wear, natural deterioration or tenant-caused damage
the item’s age and whether depreciation was allowed
whether the invoice matches the work genuinely needed
whether cleaning is being claimed only for areas left below the starting standard
whether rent or utility payments have already been credited
whether the claim includes an upgrade, penalty or the landlord’s own time

Agree with supported items and dispute unsupported items by the deadline in the notice. A dispute is not a refusal to cooperate; it is a request for the bond to be distributed according to the evidence.

Ignoring the notice does not make the issue disappear. It can trigger referral to the Commissioner without the other party understanding your position. If referred, provide your documents within the Commissioner’s evidence period.

Bond-claim checklist for both sides

Landlord claim file

Tenancy agreement and approved conditions
Ingoing and outgoing condition reports
Dated start and end photographs
Inspection, repair and damage correspondence
Rent and utility ledgers
Itemised ABN invoices and material receipts
Evidence of item age and depreciation calculation
Clear claim schedule showing the amount and reason for each item
Copy of the release application and every notice received

Tenant response file

Annotated ingoing condition report
Dated photographs from move-in and move-out
Maintenance and damage reports
Cleaning, gardening, repair and payment receipts
Rent-payment records and utility invoices
Key-return confirmation
Item-by-item response to the landlord’s schedule
Copy of the bond notice and its response deadline

Final answer

A WA landlord can claim from the rental bond only where the tenancy created an obligation, the tenant did not meet it and the landlord can prove a reasonable actual loss. Fair wear and tear, automatic fees, unsupported estimates and new-for-old improvements should not be added to the claim.

The best bond process starts long before move-out: a careful ingoing report, prompt written communication and consistent records make the final comparison much clearer. At the end, the landlord should inspect, itemise and support each claim; the tenant should review each item and respond by the notice deadline.

If the other party is unsure about the process, share this guide so both sides can work from the same information.

For a disputed high-value claim, uncertainty about depreciation, a matter declined by the Commissioner or a possible court application, obtain current guidance from Consumer Protection WA, a tenancy advice service or an appropriately qualified legal adviser.

For a printable handover checklist, photo record and claim-response worksheet, download the free WA Rental Bond Handover & Evidence Pack.