Queensland landlords and property managers who claim rental bond money must provide the tenant with supporting evidence within 14 days. The Residential Tenancies Authority has now made compliance with this obligation the first proactive investigation campaign under its 2026–27 enforcement plan.
The campaign was announced by the RTA on 10 August 2026 and is scheduled to run from July to September 2026.
This is not a new bond-claim rule. The obligation commenced on 30 September 2024. What has changed is the RTA’s enforcement posture: instead of relying only on complaints, it is proactively examining whether lessors and providers supplied evidence within the statutory deadline.
What is the 14-day bond evidence rule?
Section 136AA of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld) applies when:
- a landlord, property manager or rooming accommodation provider makes a bond refund application directing the RTA to pay some or all of the bond to them; or
- the landlord or provider asks the RTA to resolve a dispute about how the bond should be paid.
The landlord or provider must give the tenant or resident evidence supporting the claim within 14 days after making the application or dispute resolution request.
The legislation gives receipts, repair quotations and records of unpaid rent as examples of supporting evidence. Depending on the claim, relevant material might also include condition reports, dated photographs, invoices, rent ledgers and a clear calculation of the amount claimed.
The operative provision can be found in section 136AA of the Act.
The enforcement announcement does not create a new law
The distinction between the law and the August 2026 announcement is important.
The evidence requirement took effect on 30 September 2024. Initially, a transitional arrangement applied to bonds lodged before that date. That transition ended on 30 September 2025, meaning the requirement now applies to claims involving all residential tenancy and rooming accommodation bonds.
The RTA’s announcement of 10 August 2026 introduces a proactive compliance focus—not a new deadline or a new category of evidence.
Under its Compliance and Enforcement Action Plan 2026–27, the RTA has selected non-compliance with the 14-day rule as its first proactive investigation campaign.
Who must receive the evidence?
The supporting evidence must be given to the tenant or resident. It is not enough merely to upload documents to an agency file or retain them in case the claim is disputed.
The RTA’s guidance expressly states that the evidence is provided to the tenant or resident—not to the RTA.
Where a tenant or resident has an appointed representative because of impaired or limited capacity, the evidence should be given to the appointed person or representative, or to both the representative and tenant as appropriate.
Keeping proof of delivery is therefore essential. Email delivery records, document-management logs or other dated records should identify:
- what documents were sent;
- who received them;
- the date and time of delivery; and
- the bond claim or property to which they relate.
When does the 14-day period begin?
The period generally begins when the landlord or provider:
- makes the bond refund application claiming payment; or
- submits the relevant dispute resolution request.
It does not begin when the tenant later asks for evidence, when the RTA contacts the parties, or when the property manager finishes collecting quotations.
This makes pre-claim preparation critical. A landlord should ideally have the evidence ready before commencing the bond claim, rather than making the claim first and attempting to assemble the documents afterwards.
Do not confuse the two 14-day periods
Queensland’s bond process can involve two separate 14-day periods:
- A tenant who receives an RTA notice about another party’s bond refund application generally has 14 days to dispute that application.
- A landlord or provider claiming bond money has 14 days after making the claim or relevant dispute request to give the tenant supporting evidence.
Compliance with one deadline does not replace the other.
For example, starting an RTA dispute within time does not excuse a landlord from separately providing the supporting evidence to the tenant.
What evidence should support a bond claim?
The required evidence will depend on the basis of the claim.
Property damage
A damage claim may require:
- the signed entry condition report;
- the exit condition report;
- dated photographs or video;
- correspondence about the damage;
- quotations, invoices or receipts; and
- an explanation separating tenant-caused damage from fair wear and tear.
Unpaid rent
An unpaid-rent claim may require:
- the tenancy agreement;
- a current rent ledger;
- relevant bank or payment records;
- notices issued during the tenancy; and
- a calculation showing the rental period and amount outstanding.
Cleaning, repairs or replacement costs
These claims may require:
- condition reports and dated photographs;
- quotations or invoices describing the work;
- receipts where work has already been completed;
- information about the age and condition of an item; and
- a calculation that takes depreciation or betterment into account where relevant.
The evidence should explain the actual claim being made. Sending a large bundle of unrelated documents without identifying how they support the amount claimed may create avoidable disputes, even if documents were technically sent within time.
What happens if evidence is not supplied within 14 days?
Failure to comply with section 136AA is an offence carrying a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units.
For the 2026–27 financial year, a Queensland penalty unit is $172.70. The maximum statutory penalty is therefore $3,454, although the actual enforcement outcome will depend on the circumstances.
The RTA’s available compliance responses include:
- education or a notice of non-compliance;
- a penalty infringement notice; and
- prosecution in more serious cases.
Property managers should also consider the broader consequences of non-compliance, including complaints from landlord clients, professional-indemnity exposure and disputes about whether agency procedures were followed.
Does late evidence automatically defeat the bond claim?
Not necessarily.
The compliance question—whether evidence was supplied within 14 days—is distinct from the substantive question of who is entitled to the bond.
The RTA may investigate whether the statutory deadline was met. It does not determine, through a compliance investigation, whether the landlord’s evidence is persuasive or whether the claimed amount should ultimately be paid.
The underlying bond dispute may still proceed through RTA dispute resolution and, if unresolved, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. A failure to meet the evidence deadline may expose the landlord or provider to enforcement action without necessarily deciding the merits of the bond claim.
Likewise, providing documents within 14 days does not prove that the landlord is entitled to the money. The evidence must still support a legally sustainable claim.
Immediate steps for landlords and property managers
Agencies and self-managing landlords should review their bond processes now.
A practical compliance procedure should require staff to:
- identify each amount being claimed and its legal basis;
- collect the relevant evidence before submitting the bond application;
- provide the evidence to every relevant tenant or resident within 14 days;
- retain proof showing what was sent, when and to whom;
- separately diary any tenant dispute or RTA response deadlines;
- document delays caused by contractors or missing records; and
- escalate uncertain or high-value claims before the deadline expires.
Automated reminders are useful, but the safest workflow is to make documentary readiness a precondition to submitting the claim.
Landlords should also confirm that their managing agent’s procedure covers both the evidence deadline and proof of delivery. An owner may face financial and practical consequences where a bond claim is lodged before adequate evidence is available.
What should tenants do after receiving a bond claim?
A tenant who receives a bond claim should check:
- the date on which the claim was made;
- when the supporting evidence was provided;
- whether the documents relate to the amount claimed;
- whether the entry and exit condition reports support the allegation;
- whether claimed deterioration is damage or fair wear and tear;
- whether rent records and calculations are accurate; and
- the deadline for disputing the bond application.
If no evidence is received within 14 days, the tenant may be able to request an RTA investigation. That compliance request is separate from disputing the proposed distribution of the bond.
An RTA investigation does not recover money or award compensation, so tenants should not allow the bond-dispute deadline to expire while waiting for a compliance investigation.
Key takeaway
The 10 August 2026 announcement marks a shift from legislative implementation to proactive enforcement.
Queensland landlords and property managers should assume their handling of bond claims may be examined even if a tenant has not made a formal complaint. The best protection is a documented process under which evidence is assembled before the bond claim, supplied to the correct person within 14 days, and retained with reliable proof of delivery.
Tenants should treat the evidence deadline and their own bond-dispute deadline as separate processes and act promptly on both.
Ensure Legal assists Queensland landlords, property managers and tenants with complex residential tenancy disputes, compliance questions and QCAT proceedings.
This article provides general information only and is not legal advice. The position may depend on the particular tenancy, claim and evidence. Current as at 13 August 2026.
