What "Fair Wear and Tear" Actually Means
Fair wear and tear is the natural, gradual deterioration of a property and its fixtures that occurs through normal everyday use. It is not damage. Under Queensland tenancy law, tenants are not responsible for fair wear and tear — only for damage that goes beyond it.
The distinction sounds simple. In practice, it's the source of more bond disputes than almost anything else, because what constitutes "normal" is genuinely subjective, and the length of a tenancy significantly changes what's reasonable.
A scuff on a wall that took four years to appear through normal furniture contact is different from a gouge made by moving furniture carelessly. Both look like marks on a wall. One is wear and tear. One is damage. The difference is how it got there, not what it looks like.
A useful test: would a reasonable person consider this the normal result of living in a property for this length of time? If yes, it's likely wear and tear. If it required an act — an impact, a spill, a burn, neglect — it's likely damage.
- Faded or worn patches on carpet from normal foot traffic in high-use areas
- Small scuffs on walls at furniture height from everyday living
- Worn paint on door handles, edges, and light switch surrounds
- Carpet dents or impressions from furniture sitting in the same spot for years
- Fading of curtains or blinds from sun exposure over a long tenancy
- Minor marks on walls from incidental contact during a long tenancy
- Gradual deterioration of grout colour from normal shower use over time
- Worn or thinning carpet in a high-traffic hallway after a 3+ year tenancy
- Burns, stains, or holes in carpet — regardless of size
- Large or deep scuffs, gouges, or holes in walls
- Pen or crayon marks drawn on walls (children or not)
- Pet stains or pet urine in carpet or flooring
- Mould caused by poor ventilation or unreported leaks (tenant's responsibility to report)
- Broken or cracked tiles where impact was the cause
- Missing or broken blinds or curtain components
- Damage to screens from pets
- Grease build-up in an oven that was clean at move-in
These are examples, not a definitive legal list. Context always matters — particularly the length of your tenancy and the original condition of the property.
How Long You Lived There Changes Everything
This is one of the most important things most tenants don't know. The RTA and Queensland courts consider tenancy length when evaluating fair wear and tear claims. A property lived in for six months is held to a different standard than one lived in for five years.
Some practical examples of how this plays out:
- Carpet that was new at move-in and is now worn after 4 years — the agent may claim replacement cost, but Queensland law provides for a proportional reduction based on expected carpet life. You are not automatically responsible for the full cost of new carpet.
- A repaint that was due in year 3 of a standard 7-year paint life cycle — you may only be responsible for a fraction of the repainting cost, not the full amount, if you've been living there long enough that repainting was coming regardless.
- Grout discolouration in a bathroom after a 3-year tenancy — this is increasingly considered normal deterioration, not a failure to clean.
The concept is called depreciation. Assets in a rental property have an expected lifespan. Deductions should account for the remaining useful life of the item, not replace it at full cost when it was already partially used up during your tenancy.
This is the argument you make in a dispute if an agent tries to charge you full replacement cost for something that was already several years into its expected life.
What the Law Actually Says
Plain English summaries of the key legal points. Not legal advice — for a specific dispute, contact the RTA or a tenants' advice service.
The carpet cleaning rule
This is the most widely misunderstood issue in QLD bond disputes. Here's how it actually works.
If your lease contains a clause requiring professional carpet cleaning at the end of the tenancy, that clause is enforceable — regardless of the carpet's current condition. The condition of the carpet when you moved in is also relevant: if the entry condition report notes the carpets were professionally cleaned before you moved in, the standard expectation is that they're returned in that same state.
What this means in practice: check your lease. If there's a carpet cleaning clause — and most residential QLD leases include one — you need a receipt from a licensed steam cleaning service. Not a hired machine. Not a vacuum. A receipt. Without it, the agent has grounds to organise it themselves and deduct the cost from your bond.
The 2022 amendments to the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act (RTRA) tightened this somewhat: an agent can no longer demand a specific cleaning company. But they can still require professional cleaning to a specified standard if your lease says so.
What the bond is actually for
Under Queensland law, the bond (or rental bond) is held by the Rental Tenancy Authority as a security against: unpaid rent, damage to the property beyond fair wear and tear, and breach of the tenancy agreement.
The bond is not a cleaning fee. It is not automatic compensation. The landlord or agent must make a specific claim against it with documented evidence — and you have the right to dispute that claim. The RTA's dispute resolution service is free, and a significant proportion of disputes are resolved in the tenant's favour when tenants are organised and have documentation.
The bond must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days of being received. If your landlord or agent never lodged it — which does happen — the RTA has no record of it and you may have additional legal recourse.
The refund timeline
Under the RTRA, once all parties agree on the bond distribution, the RTA releases funds within a few business days. The contentious part is reaching agreement.
If the agent submits a claim and you disagree with it, you have the right to dispute it through the RTA's online portal. Lodging a dispute typically freezes the bond while the matter is resolved. The dispute process moves to conciliation — a free mediated process run by the RTA — and if that fails, to QCAT (Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal).
The practical takeaway: don't sign anything you disagree with just to get the process moving faster. Signing a bond refund form that includes deductions you believe are unjustified is generally treated as agreeing to those deductions.
The entry condition report and your obligations
The entry condition report (Form 1a) is the legal baseline for everything. It documents the condition of every part of the property at the start of the tenancy. You have 3 business days from the day you receive it to note any disagreements or additions, sign it, and return a copy.
If you didn't do this — and many tenants don't — you're in a weaker position if the property's condition at move-out is disputed. Agents will default to the report as-signed.
The good news: courts and the RTA do recognise the common-sense principle that some things deteriorate over time regardless. A 4-year tenancy is held to a different standard than a 4-month one. But you need documentation to support your position if it comes to a dispute.
Flea treatment and pet leases
If your lease contains a pet clause and that clause specifies end-of-tenancy flea and tick treatment, it is almost certainly enforceable. The key word here is "almost" — there are some edge cases, such as if you had fish and the agent is still demanding flea treatment, but for most situations involving cats or dogs: if it's in the lease and the property was flea-treated before you moved in, you need a certificate from a licensed pest technician at handover.
A can of supermarket flea bomb does not satisfy this requirement. You need a certificate. If you organise it yourself, keep the paperwork. If you don't organise it and the agent does, they will deduct the cost from your bond at the going commercial rate — which is almost always higher than if you'd booked it yourself.
How the Dispute Process Works
If you and the agent can't agree on bond deductions, the RTA's dispute resolution service is the first step. It's free, it's available online at rta.qld.gov.au, and lodging a dispute freezes the bond while the matter is being resolved.
The process: you lodge a dispute → the RTA contacts the other party → if both parties agree to conciliation, a free mediated session is arranged → if conciliation fails or a party refuses, the matter can go to QCAT (Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal).
What you need to have ready:
- Your signed copy of the entry condition report
- Timestamped photos from move-in and move-out
- Receipts for any professional cleaning (carpet, pest, flea)
- A copy of your lease, including any special conditions
- Any written communication with the agent about the property's condition
Tenants who are organised and have documentation win a disproportionate number of RTA disputes. The ones who lose are typically the ones who signed things they didn't agree with, or who didn't photograph anything.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Bond Cleans
Here's something you won't read in a standard tenancy guide: a bond clean is not just about cleanliness. It's about reassurance. An agent walking into a property that looks genuinely cared for is in a different frame of mind than one walking into a property that looks like someone did the minimum.
Even if the technical standard is the same, the experience of the inspection shapes the outcome. A property that smells clean, has streak-free mirrors, no cobwebs anywhere, and a spotless oven suggests a tenant who took the property seriously. That agent is going to be less likely to look for things to deduct.
That's not a legal argument. It's just true. The difference between a bond that comes back in full and one that doesn't is often less about the actual condition of the property and more about whether it was presented like someone cared.
We've done plenty of bond cleans. The ones that sail through inspection without a note are rarely the technically cleanest — they're the ones where everything you can see is clean, everything you can smell is neutral, and there's no single thing the agent can point to as a starting problem.