No more double bond for renters
Move your bond with you when you move
From 1 July 2026, renters can choose to move their existing bond when moving to their next rental home under the Victorian Government’s Portable Rental Bond Scheme.
This means you don’t have to wait for your bond to be refunded to pay the bond on your new rental property. This can make it easier to cover all the other costs involved when moving house.
The scheme is managed by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) and an application fee of $25 applies to renters. The landlord (rental provider) or agent for the new property is responsible for lodging the bond request and giving you the option to move your bond.
To use the scheme, you must already have a bond held by the RTBA and have signed the lease (rental agreement) for the second property but not yet paid the bond. If the new bond is higher than your previous bond, you’ll need to pay the difference, and if it’s less, the remaining balance stays on your existing bond until you claim it.
All the renters on the existing bond must be on the new bond. This means if you live with other people, you all need to be on the existing bond and all moving to the new property.
There is no change to the process for bond claims. If the landlord makes a claim on your bond, the government guarantees the existing bond amount to the landlord, until the claim is resolved. If you do not agree with a bond claim, you can dispute it at Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV). If the bond claim is accepted, you repay the government, not the landlord. There are options for repayment, including payment plans if you’re experiencing financial hardship.
To learn more about the scheme, visit the Victorian Government website: Portable Rental Bond Scheme.