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How bonds work in SA — the maximum bond of four weeks' rent (six weeks' rent if the rent is over $800 a week), lodging it with Consumer and Business Services (CBS), condition reports, the boarder vs tenant difference, and how to get your bond back.
A rental bond is a security deposit you pay at the start of a tenancy. It stays your money — it is held as security in case you leave owing rent or causing damage beyond fair wear and tear. In SA, the bond on a residential tenancy cannot be more than four weeks' rent (six weeks' rent if the rent is over $800 a week), and a landlord cannot get around that limit by asking for a second bond on top.
Always get a receipt for the bond and for every other payment you make. If someone refuses to give a receipt, that alone is a warning sign.
On a formal lease in SA, your landlord or agent must lodge the bond with Consumer and Business Services (CBS). The money sits with the government — not in the landlord's pocket — until the tenancy ends. You should receive confirmation from CBS that your bond has been lodged; if it never arrives, ask why.
This is where many scams and dodgy arrangements show themselves. A landlord who insists the bond be transferred to a personal bank account and simply kept there — 'don't worry, I'll give it back' — is either running a scam or breaking the rules. Slow down, and never pay anything before you've inspected the room.
On a formal tenancy you'll be given a condition report describing the state of the property. Check it, add anything the landlord missed — stains, marks, broken fittings — and return your copy. There's no fixed deadline for returning it, so send it back as soon as you can and keep a copy for yourself.
Do this even if everything looks fine. The condition report plus your own dated photos from day one are the evidence that decides bond disputes months later.
Here is the detail most students find out too late: many share-house arrangements are not covered by SA's residential tenancy law. If you rent a room from a live-in owner, or informally from a head tenant without your name on a lease, you may be a boarder or lodger rather than a tenant — with far fewer legal protections. Your bond may not have to be lodged, and CBS's bond system may not apply.
That doesn't make these arrangements bad — plenty of genuine student housing works this way. It means you must protect yourself: inspect extra carefully, get the agreement and the bond amount in writing, pay by bank transfer (never cash without a receipt), and keep every message. If you're not sure which category you fall into, call CBS on 131 882 and ask.
When you move out at the end of a formal lease, either side can start the bond claim through CBS. If you and the landlord agree, the refund is usually quick. If the landlord claims part of the bond and you disagree, don't just accept it — disputes can be taken to South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT), where your day-one photos and condition report do the talking.
Leave the room clean, photograph everything on the way out, and return the keys with a written record of the date.
Help is free, and using it will never affect your visa.
This guide is general information for SA as at 2026, not legal advice. Rules change and situations differ — for advice about your case, contact CBS or RentRight SA.
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