deducted
Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Nathan O’Nions.

“What can be deducted from your bond when you vacate the premises? Are there common issues to keep an eye out for to avoid losing your bond?” – Tibi

We asked Training and Development Manager at Professionals, Jenni Wood for an answer to this question:

“Owners and their agents can only deduct amounts they are lawfully entitled to deduct,” she said.

Jenni said effectively, this means putting the owner back in the same position they were in prior to the tenancy.

“This includes outstanding rent, but also the righting of any damages to the property.”

Have a question you would like to see answered here? Let us know!

Jenni Wood
Jenni Wood

Jenni Wood is the Western Australian Regional Assessor with Harcourts Real Estate Training Centre (HRETC). With over 30 years of industry experience, Jenni is a Licensed Real Estate Agent and holds a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. She has worked with HRETC since July 2019. Before starting her role as the state's Regional Assessor, Jenni was the Academy Trainer with Harcourts Western Australia. She previously worked with REIWA's Property Management Network Committee as the co-chair between 2009-2019 and as Training & Development Manager for Professionals State Service Centre for WA and NT.

4 COMMENTS

  1. my carpets were new when I moved in 9 mths. ago still in same condition do I legally have to get professionally steam cleaned now I am moving out

    • Hi Colleen,

      Real Estate Agents sometimes tell you that you need to have the carpets steam-cleaned when you move out. There is nothing in the Residential Tenancies Act or Standard Tenancy Terms that obliges you to have the carpets steam-cleaned. Under the Act, you only have to leave the property in substantially the same condition as at the start of the tenancy. The Act says nothing about who is to do the work or how. If a tenant can return the carpet in substantially the same condition by vacuuming and using stain removers, or hiring a steam-cleaner and doing it themselves, then they have complied with the legislation.

      However, in some states, tenancy law says that you have to pay for carpet cleaning if you signed in your lease that you would have the carpets cleaned when you moved out, and if the carpets were steam-cleaned before you moved in. In these circumstances, the landlord or agent should produce a receipt that the carpets were professionally cleaned before you moved in.

  2. We have recently moved out of a property on a Friday. We requested to be there on the final inspection. The real estate rang Tuesday afternoon saying they have just done the final inspection without us being present. Which I am not happy about. They also told us we have to go back and mow the lawns again as they dont look like they have been done. We did them the day before we moved out and because we have had a lot of rain the last week they have grown in the 5 days. Is there anything we can do about this. We have been told that this particular real estate does there best to keep as much of the bond as possible by being extremely picky. Apparently there are also other things they think we need to go back and do. They are going to send us through a report in a few days.

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