Moving out of a rental in Brisbane and getting your bond back comes down to three things done in the right order: give the correct notice, get your belongings out before the bond clean, then lodge the exit condition report and bond refund only once the keys are handed back. Most bond trouble we see on vacate days is not damage at all. It is timing, with the truck, the cleaner and the inspection all booked on top of each other.
Key takeaways
In Queensland a tenant ending a periodic lease without grounds gives at least 14 days' notice on a Notice of intention to leave (Form 13), and a fixed term lease ends on the later of 14 days or the agreement end date. Move the furniture out first, clean the empty property second, and complete the Exit condition report (Form 14a) when the keys go back. The Residential Tenancies Authority will not accept a bond refund request before the vacate or handover date, and an agreed refund through RTA Web Services is the quickest path.
How much notice do you need to give before moving out of a Brisbane rental?
The notice sets every other date in the move, so lock it in before you book anything. According to the Residential Tenancies Authority's notice periods for ending a tenancy, a tenant leaving without grounds gives at least 14 days' notice on a periodic agreement. On a fixed term agreement it is the later of 14 days or the day the agreement ends. You and the property manager can agree in writing to finish earlier, and that written agreement is worth having before you commit a truck to a date.
Counting the days catches people out. The RTA says the day the notice is given is not counted, and a period that finishes on a weekend or public holiday rolls to the next business day. A tenant in Coorparoo who emails a Form 13 on a Wednesday afternoon and books movers for exactly fourteen days later is cutting it fine. Give yourself a buffer of a couple of days and the truck booking stops being the thing that decides whether the timeline works.
What order should a rental move out run in?
The order we suggest to renters across Brisbane looks the same whether it is a one-bedroom unit in Toowong or a lowset brick house in Sunnybank Hills. Belongings out first, cleaning second, inspection third, bond last. Swap any two of those and you usually pay for it in time, money or a second trip. This is the sequence that works on most vacate jobs:
- Two to three weeks out: serve the notice, book the removalist, book the bond cleaner for the day after the truck, and confirm the vacate inspection time with the property manager
- The week before: pack everything except the kitchen basics, book council kerbside or a tip run for anything not coming, and arrange power and internet at the new place
- Moving day: crew loads the truck, you do a final walk through every room, cupboard, the garage and the yard
- Clean day: cleaner works through an empty property, you take dated photos and note the meter readings
- Handover: keys, remotes and access cards go back with your Exit condition report, then the bond refund is lodged
The gap between moving day and clean day matters more than anything else on that list. A cleaner cannot do skirting boards, carpet or the floor under the fridge while furniture is still in the room, and our crews cannot carry a fridge down a freshly mopped hallway without leaving marks. Most renters find one full day between the two is plenty.
Should the removalist come before or after the bond clean?
Before, every time. A two-person crew with a truck clearing a two-bedroom unit in Kangaroo Point will walk the same hallway dozens of times carrying cartons, a lounge and a bed base. Even with felt pads, floor runners and door jamb protection, a clean done before that traffic is a clean you will be redoing. Book the truck for the morning and the cleaner for the next day, or the afternoon at the earliest if the place is small.
Unit blocks add a layer. Many Brisbane buildings ask for a lift booking and lift pads through the building manager, and some set move hours on weekdays only. Book the lift for the removal, not the clean, because the cleaner only needs the lift for a bucket. Our guide to apartment removalists in Brisbane covers body corporate rules in more detail, including move-out bonds some buildings hold separately from your rental bond.
Keep one room for the end
Leave a cleaning kit, a vacuum, a ladder and a bag of rubbish bags in one room the crew does not touch. That way you can still do last-minute touch ups after the truck leaves without hunting through sealed cartons at the new place.
What goes on the exit condition report in Queensland?
The RTA's exit condition report page explains that the Exit condition report (Form 14a for houses, townhouses and units) is compared against the entry condition report from the start of the tenancy. The test is whether the property is in the same condition, apart from fair wear and tear. The RTA also recommends taking photos and recording the meter reading on both reports, which is a small job that heads off a common argument about the final water bill.
Fill it in room by room once the place is empty and clean, not the night before when the lounge is still against the wall. Mark each item clean, working and undamaged where that applies, and write down anything that was already there on the entry report. Under the RTA process the tenant hands the report in with the keys, the property manager adds comments at the vacate inspection, and a signed copy comes back to you within three business days. Send them your new address so it arrives.
Damage from furniture is the part of the report removalists have the most influence over. Scuffed door frames, gouged timber floors and dented plasterboard on a stair landing are the marks that turn up as bond claims. On a Paddington Queenslander with a narrow internal stair, our crews will wrap the banister and carry big pieces upright through the tightest turns rather than dragging them. Read our explainer on whether removalists are liable for damage if you want the detail on how that works.
How do you get your bond back after moving out of a rental in Brisbane?
Bonds in Queensland are held by the RTA, not by the agent or owner. According to the RTA's bond refunds guidance, the refund is requested through RTA Web Services or on a paper Refund of rental bond (Form 4), and the RTA cannot accept the request before the relevant notice period has expired. Emailed or photocopied paper forms are not accepted, so most renters use the online service.
The fastest outcome is an agreed refund. You and the property manager settle on how the bond is paid out, one party starts the online request, and the other confirms it through Web Services so the RTA can fast track it. If the amount is disputed, the RTA holds the disputed part and sends a notice of claim, and the RTA says you then have 14 days to dispute it. Before you lodge anything, check that your forwarding address, phone number and bank account are up to date with the RTA.
“The cleanest vacates we run are the ones where the renter booked the truck, the cleaner and the inspection as three separate days. Squeeze them into one and something always gives, usually the clean.”
, R2G Moving Team
What usually holds up a bond on a Brisbane move out?
In our experience it is rarely one big item. It is a handful of small ones: a few picture hooks left in plasterboard, a cobweb line along the eaves of a highset house in Ashgrove, grass clippings in the gutter by the carport, or a missing garage remote. The RTA's vacating a property checklist also makes the point that damage caused by pets is not fair wear and tear, so carpets and flyscreens in a house with a dog deserve a second look.
Keys and access devices are the other regular one. Gather every key, the letterbox key, pool gate key, remotes and swipe fobs into one labelled bag on moving day and keep it in your car, not in a carton on the truck. Leftover furniture is the third. If you leave a broken bookcase or an old mattress in the carport, the owner can claim the cost of removing it. Book a tip run or check your council's kerbside collection well ahead, because a scheduled kerbside date rarely lines up with a vacate date by luck.
What if your new place is not ready on the day you move out?
It happens often in Brisbane rentals: the lease you are leaving ends on a Friday and the new one starts the following Wednesday. Rather than holding over in the old place or paying for a second week of rent, many renters move everything into short-term storage in Brisbane and deliver it to the new address once the keys are released. The truck loads once at the old place, the property is empty for the cleaner on schedule, and the bond process starts on time.
Plan the essentials if you go this way. Pack a suitcase and a box with a few days of clothes, chargers, medications and paperwork that travels in the car, because cartons in a storage unit are not easy to dip into. Our change of address checklist and the guide to connecting utilities when moving house both help when there is a gap between two addresses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I lodge my bond refund before I move out of a rental in Queensland?
No. The Residential Tenancies Authority will not accept a bond refund request before the expiry date of the relevant notice, such as a Notice of intention to leave (Form 13), and the online service blocks a request before the handover or vacate date. Lodge it once the keys are back and you have agreed the payout with your property manager, ideally through RTA Web Services.
Should I book the removalist or the bond cleaner first?
Book the removalist first and the cleaner for the day after. Furniture, cartons and foot traffic on moving day undo a fresh clean, and cleaners need empty rooms to do floors, skirting boards and behind appliances properly. A one-day gap also gives you time to deal with anything the crew uncovers, such as marks behind a wardrobe or a stain under a rug.
Who fills in the exit condition report in Queensland?
The tenant usually starts the Exit condition report (Form 14a for general tenancies) after the property is cleaned and empty, and hands it in with the keys. The property manager or owner adds their comments at the vacate inspection, signs it, and returns a copy to the tenant within three business days. The RTA suggests photos and meter readings as extra evidence.
What happens if the property manager makes a claim on my bond?
If the property manager claims part of the bond and you do not agree, the RTA holds the disputed amount and sends you a notice of claim. The RTA says you have 14 days to dispute it, and the property manager must give you supporting evidence for the claim. Your entry report, exit report and dated photos are the documents that carry the most weight.
Booking a Brisbane crew around your vacate date
We plan rental move outs around the date that matters most to you, which is usually the handover rather than the move itself. Our removalists in Brisbane work out of the Archerfield depot with protective gear for floors, door frames and stairwells, and we can quote packing or short-term storage in the same booking if your dates do not line up. Tell us your notice end date and your new lease start, and we will get a free quote back to you with a moving day that leaves room for the clean.
