Before you start, have these ready
- The address of every rental property and roughly when each tenancy ended
- Names of co-tenants who were on the lease
- The bond lodgement number or receipt if you still have it
- Your current bank details and photo ID
Who holds your bond
Each state and territory runs its own scheme: NSW Fair Trading, the Victorian RTBA, the Queensland RTA, Consumer and Business Services in SA, the Bond Administrator in WA, the Rental Deposit Authority (MyBond) in Tasmania and the ACT Revenue Office. The Northern Territory has no central bond authority; the landlord or agent holds the bond.
Outside the NT, bonds are not held by your landlord or agent, so an agency closing down should not affect a bond lodged with the authority.
Check the general state register as well
A bond can sometimes move into a state's general unclaimed money system after the bond authority cannot complete a refund. If the bond service cannot find an older tenancy, search that state's general unclaimed money register before giving up.
How to find an old bond
Start with the state where you rented, not where you live now. Our state pages link straight to the correct bond authority for each jurisdiction.
Have the rental property address, the approximate dates of the tenancy and, if you have it, the bond number from your lodgement receipt.
Where a bond stayed unclaimed for long enough, it may have been transferred to the state's general unclaimed money register instead. Rules differ by jurisdiction, so search that register too and confirm with the bond authority.
Getting it paid out
You will need identity documents and bank details, plus evidence of the tenancy such as a lease, a receipt or the condition report.
If a co-tenant is listed on the bond, most authorities notify them before releasing funds, and each tenant claims their own share.
Step by step
- 1
Work out which state or territory the property was in. In most jurisdictions bonds are held by a government bond authority, and in the Northern Territory by the landlord or agent. Bonds are not held by ASIC or the ATO.
- 2
Open the bond authority's search or claim page for that state from the table below or from our state pages.
- 3
Search or enquire using the property address, your name and the tenancy dates.
- 4
If a bond is found, follow the refund process. Where co-tenants were on the lease, the authority may need their agreement or details.
- 5
If no bond is recorded, the landlord or agent may never have lodged it. That becomes a tenancy dispute with the state tribunal or fair trading body rather than an unclaimed money matter.
How it differs by state and territory
| State or territory | Who holds bonds | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | NSW Fair Trading (Rental Bonds Online) | Log in or search through Rental Bonds Online; older bonds may need a written enquiry |
| Victoria | Residential Tenancies Bond Authority | Search or claim through the RTBA online service |
| Queensland | Residential Tenancies Authority | Online bond search using the property address and your details |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services | Bond search through the CBS consumer portal |
| Western Australia | Bond Administrator (Consumer Protection) | Contact the Bond Administrator through Consumer Protection WA; check its page for how older unrefunded bonds are handled |
| Tasmania | Rental Deposit Authority (CBOS) | Follow the claiming-a-bond process on the CBOS site |
| Australian Capital Territory | ACT Revenue Office | Enquire through the ACT Revenue Office rental bonds page |
| Northern Territory | Landlord or agent holds the bond | Request the refund directly from the landlord or agent; the NT has no central bond authority |
Common mistakes
- Searching ASIC or the state unclaimed money register for a bond. Bonds sit with a separate authority.
- Assuming another state's rules apply. Holding periods and refund steps differ.
- Forgetting co-tenants. A joint bond may be refunded to whoever the authority can contact, so all names matter.
- Waiting on a bond that was never lodged. Confirm lodgement first.
I found a possible match, what now?
A listing is a record the authority holds, not proof the money is yours. Note the reference shown against it, check the details you recognise, then open the claim page on the official site and read what evidence it asks for before you start. You lodge the claim directly with that authority, never through this site.
What documents you may needI found nothing, what now?
A nil result usually means you searched the wrong register, the wrong spelling of a name, or too few variations of it. Try surname only, earlier surnames and each state you have lived in, then work through the troubleshooting steps before you give up.
Searched and found nothingTip: You'll usually need the property address and your former agent's details.
Common questions
Official sources checked
- Researched and reviewed by
- Find Lost Money Australia
- Information last verified
- 1 August 2026
Find Lost Money Australia is an independent information service, not a government agency. Our review checks the responsible agency's current page, search location and claim instructions. Agencies can change their rules, so confirm details on the official site before you act.
- NSW Fair Trading - Rental Bonds Online (opens official site in a new tab)
- Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (VIC) (opens official site in a new tab)
- Residential Tenancies Authority (QLD) - bond search (opens official site in a new tab)
- Consumer and Business Services (SA) - bond search (opens official site in a new tab)
- Consumer Protection WA - rental bonds (opens official site in a new tab)
- CBOS Tasmania - claiming a bond (opens official site in a new tab)
- ACT Revenue Office - rental bonds (opens official site in a new tab)
- NT Government - when you are owed bond money (opens official site in a new tab)
Keep looking
Continue your lost-money search
Money goes missing in more than one place. These are the next things worth checking.
- Rental bondsBond authorities in each state hold refunds that were never collected by the tenant.
- Your state or territory registerEach state holds unclaimed refunds, deposits and trust money from businesses in that state.
- Bank accounts, shares and dividendsASIC holds bank money inactive for seven years, plus unclaimed dividends and share proceeds.
- Every official registerEvery official register we have verified, filterable by state and type of money.
Searching is free. Every register we link to lets you search at no cost, and you can lodge a claim yourself. Be cautious of any business that asks for an upfront fee simply to search a public register on your behalf. Find Lost Money Australia is an independent information service. We are not a government agency and we do not hold or search unclaimed money databases.