Public housing rental bonds

Your bond will be up to four weeks' market rent, capped at $1400. You can pay upfront or in instalments over two to three years. Assistance is available for claiming your bond back.

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Understanding public housing rental bonds

A Homes NSW rental bond is money you pay at the start or during your tenancy. It serves as a security deposit in case you don’t meet the terms of your residential tenancy agreement.

Bonds help to cover the repair costs when a property is damaged. If there are no tenancy charges at the end of your tenancy, your bond will be fully refunded. This applies to public housing and Aboriginal Housing Office tenancies.

Wear and tear

You’re not responsible for everyday wear and tear. This means normal deterioration from everyday use, even when tenants take good care of the property.

Deterioration can occur due to weather, time or ordinary usage. You are only responsible for damage caused by neglect, or irresponsible and intentional actions.

Fair wear and tear

Here are some examples of fair wear and tear that you are not responsible for:

Furniture indentations or footmarks on carpet
Faded or chipped paint
Worn kitchen top
Loose hinges or handles on doors or windows, and worn sliding tracks
Cracks in the walls from movement

Damage

Here are some examples of damage that you are responsible for:

Stains or burn marks on the carpet
Unapproved paint work
Burns or cuts in the bench top
Broken window glass
Holes in walls caused by things like removing picture hooks or shelves

If the damage is less than $500, you will not be charged a bond. You will have to pay the cost of the damage.

When you may need to pay your rental bond

If you damage a Homes NSW property, may need to pay a bond. The bond applies to damage valued at $500 or more that is found and charged at one time. Damage already reported isn’t included.

We consider the circumstances leading to the damage to make sure bonds are charged fairly. For example, if you are escaping domestic violence and the damage was caused by the perpetrator, you may not be charged.

Rental bonds also apply to returning tenants who have caused damage of $500 or more to a previous Homes NSW property within the last six years.

For more information about tenant damage refer to the Homes NSW Tenant Repair Costs Policy.

Rental bond cost

Your bond will be no more than four weeks’ market rent, capped at $1,400 (adjusted annually in line with Centrelink rates). We’ll let you know the exact amount and payment options.

You can pay the bond upfront with a 20% discount, or you can pay interest-free instalments over two years. If your rent and bond exceed 30% of your income, the plan can extend to three years.

For households already paying 30% of their household income on rent, instalments will be adjusted to make sure you pay no more than 35% of your income.

How to claim your bond back

Contact your local Homes NSW office to schedule a final inspection.
Let us know when you plan to move out so we can address any outstanding charges and explain the bond refund process.
During your final inspection, you and your Client Service Officer will look over the property's condition.
If you and the officer agree on the property's condition and bond amount, we will complete the Rental Bond Claim form for you. You will need to sign it.
We will submit the claim to NSW Fair Trading, and the agreed bond amount will be returned to you. You can also submit the claim directly to NSW Fair Trading's Rental Bond Board without our agreement, but it’s best to have our approval to avoid delays. You can access the form online on the Service NSW website.

Help with claiming your bond back

We can help you submit the Rental Bond Claim form, or connect you with an advocacy service in your area.

Claiming bond if not all tenancy accounts are paid

You can lodge a claim with NSW Fair Trading even if your tenancy accounts are unpaid. However, we will contact you to discuss how these accounts may affect your claim.

If we cannot reach an agreement, we may dispute the claim at NCAT.

Bond claims that Homes NSW doesn't agree with

If we disagree on a bond claim, we’ll contact you to try to reach an agreement. If we can’t agree, we have 14 days to dispute it. NCAT will then hold a hearing where both sides present evidence, and NSW Fair Trading will hold the bond until the issue is resolved.

Bond claims lodged by Homes NSW that you do not agree with

If you disagree with our bond claim, contact your Client Service Officer. You have 14 days to dispute it. If you can’t agree, you’ll need to apply to NCAT, which will hold a hearing to decide. The bond will stay with NSW Fair Trading until NCAT resolves the case.

Maintenance and repairs

You won’t be charged a bond for maintenance and repairs. It’s important to report maintenance and repairs so we can keep your home in good condition. Rental bonds only apply if there is damage to the property due to negligence, and irresponsible or intentional actions that cost $500 or more to fix.

Exemptions

Some groups do not need to pay a rental bond. Refer to the Ministerial Guidelines on Rental Bonds for the full list.

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Paying your rental bond