What is the maximum rental bond a landlord can ask for in Queensland?

4 weeks rent for a general tenancy, whatever the rent is. The RTA says the cap applies to all bonds no matter what they are called, so a pet bond counts towards the 4 weeks rather than sitting on top of it. Taking more than the maximum is an offence.

How long does a landlord have to lodge a rental bond with the RTA in Queensland?

10 days from receiving the money, and the tenant must be given a receipt. If the bond is paid in instalments, each instalment must be lodged within 10 days of receiving it. Not lodging is an offence. Lodge online through RTA Web Services or by post with a Bond lodgement (Form 2).

Can a Queensland landlord increase the bond when the rent goes up?

Only if at least 11 months have passed since the start of the tenancy or the last bond increase. The landlord gives a written notice stating the day the increase must be paid by, which must be at least 1 month after the tenant received the notice. The total must stay within the 4-week maximum, and the extra money must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days.

How long does a landlord have to give evidence for a bond claim in Queensland?

14 days from the bond claim or dispute. The RTA has made bond-claim evidence its first compliance priority for 2026-27, and failing to give the evidence carries a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units. The exit condition report (Form 14a) must be given to the tenant within 3 business days and kept for at least 1 year after the tenancy ends.

Rental bond rules in QLD: how much you can take, when it must be lodged, and what happens at the end

Written for Queensland owners who manage their own rental. Checked against the Residential Tenancies Authority's rental bond page, its rental bonds fact sheet, its entry condition report, exit condition report and bond refund pages on 30 October 2026. Links to the official source are under each section.

The short version. The maximum bond for a general tenancy is 4 weeks rent, and that includes any pet bond. When you receive bond money you give the tenant a receipt and lodge the money with the RTA within 10 days, online through RTA Web Services or by post on a Form 2. You cannot hold the bond yourself. You can only ask for a bond top-up after 11 months, with at least 1 month to pay. At the end of the tenancy the exit condition report goes to the tenant within 3 business days, and if you claim on the bond you hand over your evidence within 14 days.

How much bond you can take

4 weeks rent for a general tenancy. Since 30 September 2024 that is the cap for every general tenancy, no matter how high the rent is. The older rules that allowed a larger bond for higher rents no longer apply.
A pet bond is not extra. The RTA says the maximum applies to all bonds "no matter what they are called (e.g. pet bond) or how many bonds are taken". If you take a pet bond it comes out of the same 4 weeks.
Taking more is an offence. The RTA's page does not state the penalty, but it does state the offence. Asking for 6 weeks "for security" is the easiest way to start a tenancy on the wrong side of the Act.
Other tenancy types differ. Rooming accommodation is also 4 weeks. A moveable dwelling is 2 weeks, or 3 weeks if electricity is provided. This page covers general tenancies.

Source: RTA, Rental bond and RTA, Rental law changes (30 September 2024)

Work out your maximum bond and your lodgement deadline

Enter the rent and it gives you the most bond you can ask for. Enter the day you received the bond money and it gives you the last day to lodge it with the RTA.

Rent for the property

Day you received the bond money (or this instalment of it)

A date and dollar helper, not legal advice. The RTA states the cap as 4 weeks rent and the deadline as 10 days from receiving the money; it does not say whether a deadline that lands on a weekend moves, so this tool does not move it. For monthly rent the 4-week figure is a conversion (monthly rent x 12 / 52 x 4) rounded down to the dollar.

Lodging the bond: receipt, 10 days, and what the RTA asks for

Give a receipt straight away. The RTA says that if you take a bond you must give the tenant a receipt. Do it the day the money arrives, in writing, and keep a copy.
Lodge within 10 days of receiving the money. The RTA states it as 10 days, not 10 business days, so count calendar days. If day 10 lands on a weekend, lodge before it. Not lodging is an offence.
Each instalment has its own 10 days. If the tenant pays the bond in parts, every part must be lodged within 10 days of receiving it. The exception is a bond paid with government assistance, where the full bond is lodged within 10 days of the final instalment.
Online or by post. Lodge through RTA Web Services, or by post with a Bond lodgement (Form 2, version v10 dated 13 November 2025). If the tenant has a bond loan, the RTA says the bond can only be lodged by post.
You will be asked for the date of the last rent increase. The lodgement needs the date of the last rent increase for the property, unless the property is being rented for the first time or you are an exempt lessor. Have it ready; the rent increase rules page explains why that date matters for the next 12 months.
You never hold the bond. The RTA holds it for the whole tenancy. Keeping it in your own account, even "safely", is the offence above.

Source: RTA, Rental bond and RTA, Rental bonds fact sheet

Increasing the bond later in the tenancy

Only after 11 months. The bond can be increased if it has been at least 11 months since the start of the tenancy or the last bond increase. Bond increases usually follow a rent increase.
Written notice with a pay-by day. You give the tenant a written notice stating the day by which the increase must be paid. That day must be at least 1 month after the tenant received the notice. The RTA does not name a specific form for this notice.
Still capped at 4 weeks. The increase must not take the total bond above the maximum for the new rent.
Lodge the extra within 10 days of receiving it, quoting the existing bond number so it is added to the same bond.

Source: RTA, Rental bond

The entry condition report (Form 1a) protects the bond

A bond claim at the end of the tenancy is only as good as the record of the property's condition at the start. The RTA sets 3 deadlines around the entry condition report.

Tenant returns it within 7 days. The 7 days run from the later of the day they moved in and the day they were given a copy of the report. If they do not return it, the RTA says it means they agree with your description, but not completing it is an offence on their side.
You send back a signed copy within 14 days. Email with a timestamp is the easiest proof.
Keep it until at least 1 year after the tenancy ends. Photos with dates alongside the written report are what win a bond dispute.
Use the current form. The RTA's Form 1a for general tenancies is version v20 dated 2 October 2026.

Source: RTA, Entry condition report

At the end: the exit report, the claim and the refund

Exit condition report (Form 14a) to the tenant within 3 business days. The tenant completes their part when they hand back the keys, you check it at the vacate inspection, and you send the completed copy to the tenant's new address within 3 business days. Keep the signed report for at least 1 year after the tenancy ends. The current form is version v13 dated 1 May 2025.
Refund request through RTA Web Services or a Form 4. Either party can start it. If everyone agrees, the RTA processes the request the day it is received and the money can take up to 3 business days to reach the bank.
If you claim and the tenant disagrees. The other party has 14 days after receiving the RTA's Notice of claim to lodge a Dispute resolution request (Form 16). If they do nothing in that time, the bond is paid out as the first request directed. If they dispute it, the RTA releases any undisputed amount and holds the disputed part while it tries to resolve it, and QCAT is the step after that.
Your evidence goes to the tenant within 14 days of the claim or dispute. The RTA checks that the evidence was given inside 14 days, not how good it is, and failing to give it carries a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units. With a penalty unit at $172.70 from 1 July 2026, that is up to $3,454. The RTA named bond-claim evidence its first enforcement priority for 2026-27.

Source: RTA, Exit condition report, RTA, Bond refunds, RTA, Rental bonds fact sheet and RTA news, 10 August 2026

The mistakes self-managing landlords make with bonds

Asking for a pet bond on top of 4 weeks. It is inside the cap, not in addition to it.
Taking the bond, then lodging it "once the lease is signed". The 10 days run from the day the money arrived, not from the start of the tenancy.
No written receipt. The RTA requires one, and it is also your proof of the date the 10 days started.
Not knowing the last rent increase date. The lodgement asks for it. If you cannot find it, check the previous agreement and the Form 18a.
Topping up the bond with every rent increase. Only after 11 months, in writing, with at least 1 month to pay.
Claiming on the bond without an entry report, dated photos or receipts for the work. The claim needs evidence within 14 days, and without the entry report there is nothing to compare the exit against.
Agreeing a "cash" deduction with the tenant instead of using the refund process. The bond is with the RTA. It is released by a refund request, not by a private arrangement.

The lodgement deadline is 1 of about 30 dates you are meant to track

Bond lodgement, the entry report dates, rent increase dates, inspection windows, smoke alarm tests, notice periods, fixed-term end dates. The free Landlord Minder checklist puts every Queensland date and obligation on 1 page with a link to the official source for each.

Read the free checklist Get reminded before each date

Frequently asked

The rent is $900 a week. Can I ask for more than 4 weeks?
No. Since 30 September 2024 the cap is 4 weeks rent for every general tenancy, whatever the rent. For $900 a week the maximum is $3,600.

Can I charge a pet bond?
You can call part of the bond a pet bond, but the total of all bonds cannot exceed 4 weeks rent. You also cannot ask for extra rent or a higher bond as a condition of approving a pet.

Is it 10 business days to lodge?
The RTA states it as 10 days, with no business-day wording. Count calendar days, and if day 10 falls on a weekend, lodge before it.

The tenant is paying the bond in 2 parts. When do I lodge?
Each part within 10 days of receiving it, unless the bond is paid with government assistance, in which case the full bond is lodged within 10 days of the final instalment.

Can I keep the bond in my own account if I am careful with it?
No. The bond must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days. Holding it yourself is an offence.

The tenant never returned the entry condition report. Does that hurt my bond claim?
The RTA says a tenant who does not return the report is taken to agree with your description of the property. Keep your signed copy and dated photos; they are still your evidence at the end.

This page is general information, not legal advice. It summarises public information from the Residential Tenancies Authority and the Queensland Government. Check the linked official source or get professional advice before you act. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Sign up and reply to the welcome email, and it will be fixed.