Entry and exit condition reports
The short answer
The condition report is the document bond disputes turn on. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia all prescribe a form, each with its own return deadlines. Nothing gets lodged anywhere, but the timeframes are strict and they differ in every state.
| State | Entry report | Exit report |
|---|---|---|
| QLD | Form 1a. Given at or before start, tenant returns within 7 days, lessor finalises within 14 | Form 14a. Tenant completes on or before handover, lessor responds within 3 business days |
| NSW | Schedule 2. Two copies (or one electronic) before or when the tenant signs, returned within 7 days of possession | Same document, END columns, completed at or as soon as possible after termination |
| VIC | Before move in. Renter completes within 5 business days, 30 day VCAT correction window | Part E, within 10 days after the end. Renter may attend |
| WA | Form 1, within 7 days of move in, tenant returns within 7 days | Form 1 again, within 14 days after termination |
One document, two columns
In New South Wales and Victoria the entry and exit reports are literally the same document, with start and end columns. That is the right way to think about it everywhere: the exit report is only meaningful as a line by line comparison against the entry report, photographed from the same angles. An exit report written from scratch, with no reference to the entry condition, proves very little.
Queensland has extras nobody expects
Queensland asks whether the property is individually water metered, the water meter reading at the start, and whether the premises are water efficient to the 3 star WELS standard. It also lists smoke alarms per bedroom, which ties into the interconnection requirement. If the water meter reading is not recorded at the start, water usage cannot be charged to the tenant later.
Fair wear and tear is not damage
Victoria states it explicitly and the same principle runs everywhere. Carpet flattening in a hallway after two years is wear. A burn in the same carpet is damage. The condition report is what lets anyone tell the difference a year later, which is exactly why per item comments beat a bare condition rating.
It is required even with no bond
In New South Wales a condition report is required even where no bond is taken. Skipping it because there is no bond to argue over removes the evidence for every other kind of dispute.
Who is responsible for what
The lessor or agent prepares the entry report and gives it to the tenant, who reviews it, agrees or disagrees, and returns it inside the state deadline. At the end the flow reverses in Queensland, where the tenant completes the exit report and the lessor responds. Nothing goes to the regulator in any state.
What the report should record
- Address, date of report, and the lessor, agent and full tenant names
- Date the tenant received their copy
- Room by room items, each recorded as clean yes or no, undamaged yes or no, working yes or no, plus a comment
- A tenant response layer: agree or disagree, with their own comment
- Photos, dated, labelled and located, taken from angles you can repeat at exit
- Water meter reading at start and at end (Queensland and New South Wales)
- Smoke alarms, safety switches, hot water system, heating and cooling under general inside items
- Pool and pool barrier where applicable, including the Queensland pool safety certificate
- For Victoria, the safety dates: last pool barrier check, smoke alarm test, electrical safety check and gas safety check
What commonly goes wrong
- Exit photos taken from different angles to the entry photos, making comparison impossible
- Queensland water meter reading missed at the start, so usage cannot be charged later
- Condition ticked but no comment, leaving nothing to distinguish wear from damage
- Tenant's return deadline missed, which weakens their ability to dispute the record
- No report at all because no bond was taken, which is still required in New South Wales
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Common questions
Is a condition report legally required?
It is prescribed in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, each with its own form. In New South Wales it is required even where no bond is taken.
How long does a tenant have to return the entry condition report?
Seven days in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. Victoria gives the renter 5 business days, with a 30 day window to seek a correction at VCAT.
Does the condition report get lodged with anyone?
No. Queensland is explicit that it should not be sent to the RTA. Both parties keep a copy, and Queensland asks that it be kept for a year after the tenancy ends.
What is the difference between fair wear and tear and damage?
Wear is the gradual deterioration from ordinary use over time, such as carpet flattening in a hallway. Damage is something done to the property, such as a burn or a tear. The entry report is what makes the two distinguishable later.
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Last reviewed: September 2026. General information for tradespeople, not legal advice. Standards and regulations change. Governing references for this page: QLD RTRA Act 2008 s65 (Form 1a, Form 14a); NSW RT Regulation 2019 Schedule 2; VIC RTA 1997 s35 and RT Regulations 2021; WA RTA 1987 s27C (Form 1). Confirm the current position with your state tenancy authority before you rely on it.