Lease, holding fee and bond

Keep the checklist from the handbook and post 4:

• Landlord/agent and every tenant’s names, contacts and notice addresses; the property and included facilities.
• Fixed or periodic agreement, start/end dates, rent, payment cycle and agreed methods.
• Bond amount, named tenants, lodgement recipient and evidence; occupancy and strata rules.
• Specific electricity, gas, water and embedded-network terms, rather than assuming all bills are included.
• Emergency repair contacts, smoke alarms, keys/access, condition report, electronic notices and signatures.

Both sides should retain the complete agreement and attachments. The collection’s “2024 lease” screenshots show only parts of a 2020 template, not a replacement for the current full agreement or evidence of unseen clauses.

For ordinary NSW residential tenancies, official guidance distinguishes a holding fee of at most one week, requested only after approval and credited to rent if the lease is signed; a bond of at most four weeks; and advance rent that the landlord/agent cannot require beyond two weeks.

Historical references mix a “one-week or ten-day deposit”, initial rent and a “month’s bond”. Check the payment’s purpose, terms and receipt rather than its label. A month is not four weeks.

NSW prohibits landlords/agents soliciting or inviting offers above advertised rent. Historical advice to offer extra is not a standard application step. Check current guidance before responding to requests for extra payment. Do not transfer these rules to VIC, ACT or a different accommodation agreement.

NSW Rental Bonds Online (RBO) and Victoria’s RTBA are different systems. Check tenant, property and amount in an invitation, independently confirm the official service, and follow its requirements. Retain lodgement evidence, bond numbers and notices.

The invitation validity and card/BPAY timing in post 5 concern that historical email, not every current transaction. Its screenshot also describes an offline option, so it does not establish that only one online method is legitimate.

When tenants change, ask how to update both the agreement and bond names rather than only transferring money between housemates. Handle account details, verification links and personal information directly with a verified service, never by copying screenshot details.