A bond is a security deposit that the tenant/resident gives the landlord at the beginning of a tenancy or lease. The landlord must lodge it with Consumer and Business Services (CBS).

It is returned at the end of the tenancy if there are no claims for cleaning, outstanding rent or other costs.

Landlords must lodge a bond within 2 weeks of it being received and can choose to use Rental Bonds Online (RBO) or lodge manually via a paper form.

How to Lodge the Bond:

Register your account with RBO:
You can register for Residential Bonds Online (RBO) here. Click 'Start now' and you will need to follow the steps to create an account.
- All new RBO accounts require verification as part of the sign-up process.
- An identity check by the National Document Verification Service is required.
- Please check that you can provide the correct type of identification documents when signing up.
- You will need to enter the PIN sent to your mobile to verify your account and register as a landlord.
You can create a bond payment request to send to a tenant from within the portal once you have an account.
Collect the payment from the tenant:
- You should collect the bond payment from the tenant either directly or through RentBetter
- Landlords must give the tenant a receipt within 48 hours of receiving the bond payment.
Lodge the bond:
- You can lodge the bond online through RBO (recommended) or by using the paper form.
- It's recommended that you collect payment from the tenant and then make the lodgement inside your RBO account directly.
- Once lodged, you can record the bond number for your records.

Setting up the Bond on RentBetter

👉 On RentBetter, we recommend that you collect the bond payment through the platform and then take the step to lodge the bond through Rental Bonds Online (RBO).

To do this, choose 'Yes' when asked if you would like RentBetter to collect the bond payment during the tenancy setup steps:

Once the tenant has made the payment in the platform, the funds will be transferred to your bank account, and you can take the subsequent step of lodgement through RBO online.

Once the bond is confirmed as lodged, you can upload any relevant documentation via the bond section in your account.

Not collecting the bond payment through RentBetter?

If you’re collecting the bond payment outside the platform, once the payment has been confirmed, you can mark the bond as paid in your account and upload any receipts in the bond section for your records.

Bond Lodgement FAQs

What is the maximum amount of bond I can collect?

Residential tenancy agreements:

up to 4 weeks rent if weekly rent is $800 or less
up to 6 weeks rent if weekly rent is more than $800.

Rooming houses:

The maximum bond for rooming house agreements is up to 2 weeks rent.

Does a rental bond have to be taken?

There is no legal requirement to take a bond but it is typically recommended to do so to protect your property in the event of damage or unpaid rent or bills.

Can I use the paper form for lodgement instead?

Yes, in SA you can choose to lodge the bond via the paper form but please note that this process will typically take longer.

How long do I have to lodge the bond?

You must lodge the bond within 2 weeks of receiving it and you must also give the tenant a receipt within 48 hours of receiving the Bond.

Do I need to lodge the bond, or can I keep it in my account?

No. The bond must be lodged with Consumer and Business Services (CBS) via Residential Bonds Online (RBO) and it is an offence not to do so.

Can RentBetter lodge the bond for me?

Unfortunately, we're not able to lodge the bond on your behalf. You should collect the bond payment from the tenant, either yourself or through the platform. Once the payment has been transferred to your account, you can complete the lodgement through the RBO portal.