Agreement ends
You return possession according to your arrangements and retain your entry report, final photos and relevant cleaning records.
Victorian renter post-handover guide
The keys are back. Know what happens next.
A practical guide to the final inspection, cleaning feedback, rectification requests, bond discussions and what to do when you agree — or disagree — with what is raised after a Victorian rental ends.
Start in the right place
Have you returned the keys?
This guide is designed for what happens after possession has been returned. Tell us where you are and we'll take you to the right resource.
You're not at the final-inspection stage yet.
Use your remaining access to inspect what you are handing back, compare it with the entry condition and create your own evidence record. Come back here once possession has been returned.
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Complete guide
The full post-handover process.
Use the navigation below to jump to the part you need, or read through from inspection to bond.
The official exit condition report
The agent/provider completes the formal exit record.
Consumer Affairs Victoria says the rental provider or agent must complete the Exit condition report section of the original condition report within 10 days after the rental agreement ends. The renter must be present when this happens or have been given a reasonable opportunity to be there.
Exit report completed
The rental provider or agent records the property's condition at the end of the tenancy using the original condition report.
Compare, don't isolate
If an issue is raised, compare it with the recorded starting condition and consider fair wear and tear rather than looking only at the exit photograph.
Resolve or document
Cleaning feedback may be rectifiable. Other concerns may need evidence, discussion or the formal bond-dispute pathway.
When feedback arrives
Treat different kinds of feedback differently.
Cleaning item
Example: dust inside a cupboard, grease remaining in the oven or an area genuinely missed during cleaning.
Check whether it falls within the booked cleaning scope and whether your cleaner offers a rectification pathway. If ExitMaid completed an eligible Vacate Clean, follow the 10-Day Bond Back Guarantee process rather than arranging unrelated work immediately.
ExitMaid Bond Back Guarantee →Cleaning or permanent condition?
Example: cloudy shower glass, dark silicone, stained grout, carpet discolouration or a mark that remains after reasonable cleaning.
Appearance alone does not establish whether more cleaning will help. Use our Cleaning Issue or Property Condition tool to think through the material response before escalating cleaning.
Check the issue →Damage / changed condition allegation
Example: wall, floor, fixture or fitting said to have been damaged during the tenancy.
Go back to the original entry condition report and move-in photographs. Compare the same location and consider the property's recorded starting condition and fair wear and tear. Keep your own pre-handover evidence with the comparison.
Condition Report Guide →Repair or maintenance issue
Example: leaking plumbing, swelling cabinetry, failed silicone, deteriorating surfaces or another apparent property defect.
Do not keep treating an underlying maintenance concern as though stronger cleaning must solve it. Record what is observable and keep any repair history or earlier correspondence relevant to the issue.
If damage is being claimed
A proposed repair bill is not the same thing as an agreed bond deduction.
If the rental provider or agent says you caused damage, slow the process down enough to understand what is being claimed, what evidence supports it, who is expected to organise the repair and what the proposed cost actually represents.
1. Ask for the allegation and evidence in writing
Identify the exact room, item and damage being attributed to you. Compare it with the entry condition report, entry photos, repair history and exit evidence. Rental providers cannot claim bond for fair wear and tear or for damage that was their responsibility to repair.
2. Understand the repair-notice process
Consumer Affairs Victoria says that when a rental provider tells a renter to make or pay for repairs because they say the renter caused the damage, they must give a written repair notice. It should state what the damage is, that they say the renter caused it, and whether the renter is to organise the repair or the rental provider will organise it.
3. If you are to organise the repair
CAV says the repair must be completed within 14 days and to the standard a tradesperson would achieve. Work requiring a licence or registration must be completed by an appropriately qualified person. For work that does not require licensing, a renter can make the repair themselves if it is completed to that standard.
4. If the rental provider intends to organise the repair
CAV says they may ask the renter to cover the reasonable cost of repairs. “Reasonable” is not given a fixed dollar definition. If you think the proposed amount is excessive, you can ask for the quote, invoice or other basis for the amount and try to agree on a fair outcome. If agreement cannot be reached, RDRV can help and VCAT can ultimately decide.
5. Keys already returned? Do not assume you can simply re-enter
Once possession has been returned, you should not assume you still have the right to access the property or send in your own trade. Ask the agent or rental provider in writing whether they will allow you to rectify the item or arrange an appropriately qualified trade before they incur their own cost. If they agree, confirm the access and evidence requirements first.
6. You do not have to accept an amount just because it has been proposed
If you disagree that you caused the damage, disagree that it falls outside fair wear and tear, or dispute the repair cost, keep the issue unresolved rather than consenting to the deduction merely to move the process along. CAV says bond disputes can go to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV), and unresolved matters can proceed to VCAT.
Respond in writing
Keep the response calm, specific and easy to prove later.
You do not need to write a legal essay. A useful response identifies the item, states whether you agree or disagree, asks for the information you need and records the next step.
Useful principle: if a repair cost is being proposed, ask for the written basis of the claim before agreeing to a deduction. If you would prefer to rectify an item yourself or arrange a trade, ask whether access will be provided — do not assume access after key handover.
Build the comparison
Good evidence tells the story in order.
If something is disputed, a collection of random photos is less useful than a simple chronology showing what the property was like at entry, what happened during the tenancy where relevant and what you returned at handover.
1. Entry condition reportThe original agreed starting record, including renter amendments.
2. Entry photographsDated and labelled images that support the starting condition.
3. Repair / maintenance history where relevantEmails, photos, reports or other records showing previously notified issues.
4. Cleaning documentationInvoice, scope, completion report, cleaner photographs or rectification records where professional cleaning was used.
5. Your pre-handover evidenceFinal photographs or your ExitMaid renter-created Pre-Handover Record taken before access was returned.
6. Agent/provider exit feedbackThe official exit report, photographs and written details of anything being claimed or requested.
Your bond after the tenancy
You do not have to wait indefinitely for someone else to start the claim.
Under the current Victorian process, any renter named on the bond can start an RTBA bond claim after the rental agreement has ended. You do not need the other parties' agreement to initiate it.
If you initiate the bond claim
You look up the bond through the RTBA process and authenticate your identity through Service Victoria. Other parties are notified and can either accept the claim or contest it.
14-day response period: parties contacted electronically generally have 14 days to contest by making an application to VCAT or RDRV and notifying the RTBA.
If nobody contests: the RTBA repays the bond as directed in the claim after the response period, or sooner if all parties accept.
If postal notification is required: Consumer Affairs Victoria currently says the response period extends to 20 days.
If another claim is already underway: you cannot start a second renter claim; follow the RTBA options for the existing transaction.
Final inspection FAQs
Common questions after handover.
The agent has sent me a trade quote and says it will come out of my bond. Do I have to accept it?
Not simply because a quote has been supplied. First work out whether you agree that you caused the damage and whether it is outside fair wear and tear. CAV says that where the rental provider organises a renter-at-fault repair, they may ask for the reasonable cost. If you disagree about the amount or responsibility, ask for the supporting evidence and try to resolve it. Bond disputes can be taken to RDRV and, if unresolved, VCAT.
Can I arrange my own tradesperson instead of paying the agent's contractor?
Sometimes, but do not assume this is automatic after the tenancy has ended. CAV's renter-at-fault repair rules say a repair notice must state whether the renter is to organise the repair or the rental provider will organise it. If you are to organise it, it must be completed within 14 days and to tradesperson standard, using a qualified person where licensing or registration is required. If you have already returned possession and want to organise your own rectification, ask the agent/provider in writing whether they will allow access before arranging anyone.
Can I repair something myself?
CAV says a renter or rental provider can carry out work that does not require a licence or registration if it is completed to the same standard a tradesperson would achieve. Work that requires licensing or registration must be completed by an appropriately qualified person. Whether you still have access after handover is a separate issue, so confirm permission first.
Does an agent raising a cleaning item automatically mean I have to pay for another professional clean?
No. First identify exactly what has been raised and compare it with the property's starting condition and the cleaning work actually required. Victorian rules do not make professional cleaning automatically mandatory in every tenancy. If you used a professional cleaner, check their booked scope and rectification terms.
What if I agree that something small was missed?
If access is offered and the item is genuinely cleaning-related, rectification can sometimes be the simplest outcome. Confirm what needs attention, the access arrangements and what evidence will confirm completion. If ExitMaid completed an eligible service, use the Bond Back Guarantee process where applicable.
What if the agent says a permanent stain is still dirt?
Do not assume that repeated or increasingly aggressive cleaning is appropriate. Compare the area with earlier evidence, consider how it responded to reasonable cleaning and document the remaining condition. Our Cleaning Issue or Property Condition tool can help you work through common distinctions.
Can I start my bond claim before the agent has started one?
Consumer Affairs Victoria currently says renters can initiate their own RTBA bond claim any time after the rental agreement has ended. Other parties are notified and have the opportunity to contest the claim.
Should I delete my move-out photos once the bond is returned?
There is little benefit in deleting your evidence immediately. Keep the final report, entry condition report, photographs and relevant correspondence together at least until the tenancy and any associated bond or property issues are clearly finalised.
Official Victorian sources
Use current guidance when the process matters.
ExitMaid provides practical cleaning, documentation and handover guidance. Consumer Affairs Victoria and the RTBA remain the appropriate sources for the formal tenancy and bond process.
Important: This resource provides general practical information and is not legal advice. It does not determine whether a renter is responsible for a particular cleaning item, repair, damage allegation or bond deduction. Use the current Consumer Affairs Victoria, RTBA, RDRV or VCAT information applicable to your circumstances.
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