Last updated: June 2026

Victoria's Portable Rental Bond Scheme Explained

Moving rental properties in Victoria has long meant one painful reality: you often had to come up with a new bond before your old one was returned. For many renters, that could mean scrambling to find thousands of dollars at the worst possible time. The Victorian Government's new Portable Rental Bond Scheme (PRBS), launching 1 July 2026, is designed to put an end to that. Here is everything you need to know.

What is the Portable Rental Bond Scheme?

The PRBS allows eligible Victorian renters to digitally transfer their existing bond directly to their next rental property, rather than paying a second bond while waiting for their first to be refunded. The scheme is managed through the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA), which already holds more than 737,000 bonds across the state. Importantly, participation is entirely optional - renters can choose whether to port their bond or go through the standard process.

How Does It Work?

The key to the scheme is a government guarantee. Rather than you needing cash available for two bonds at once, the Victorian Government steps in as a financial guarantor for your previous rental provider while your bond is transferred to your new property. The process works like this:

1. You apply online to port your existing bond to your new property.
2. The RTBA transfers the bond credit securely to the new rental.
3. The government guarantees the original bond amount to your previous rental provider while the tenancy is finalised and any bond claim process is completed.
4. If your previous rental provider makes a successful bond claim, the government pays it - and you then repay the government either as a lump sum or through an agreed payment plan.

This means your previous rental provider's protections remain in place throughout, and the new rental provider receives the bond in the usual way.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the PRBS you need to:

• Have an existing bond held with the RTBA.
• Be moving to a new residential rental property in Victoria.
• Have no more than 14 days between the end of your old lease and the start of your new one (see the 14-day rule below).
• Ensure the new rental provider selects the "Renter Pay" option when lodging the new bond with the RTBA.

The scheme applies to standard residential tenancy agreements. It is worth confirming with your new rental provider or property manager that they are aware of the process before you apply.

The 14-Day Rule

One of the most important conditions to understand is the 14-day gap limit. There can be no more than 14 days between the end of your old lease and the start of your new one for the port to be eligible. This timeframe aligns with existing Victorian rental law, which gives a previous rental provider 14 days from the end of a tenancy to either agree to a bond refund or lodge a formal claim. Because the government is acting as guarantor during this window, the transfer cannot remain open indefinitely. If you need to stay in temporary accommodation or storage for longer than two weeks between leases, you will not lose your bond money - but you will lose the ability to port it. In that case, the RTBA will close the transfer and process your old bond as a standard refund.

Fees

There is a small administrative application fee of $35 to process the digital bond transfer and keep the system operational. Given that the median bond in Melbourne is just under $2,500 and in regional Victoria sits above $2,000, this fee is modest compared to the financial relief of not having to fund a second bond out of pocket.

Renter Protections

The PRBS comes alongside a broader set of reforms that strengthen renter protections, particularly around bond claims:

• Evidence required before claiming: Rental providers must supply documentary evidence - including photos, receipts, and condition reports - at least 3 days before lodging a bond claim or escalating to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). This gives renters time to review and respond to any claim before it is formalised.
• Penalties for dodgy claims: Rental providers who make unsubstantiated bond claims face substantial fines of up to $25,000.
• Consistency with condition reports: Rental providers cannot claim for damage that was already documented as pre-existing in the original condition report.
• Family violence protections: Renters relocating due to family or personal violence have access to separate urgent protections, including the ability to apply directly to VCAT to have a perpetrator removed from a lease or to legally remove themselves without penalty.

If a bond claim is disputed, renters can seek resolution through Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) - a free service launched in 2025 as a faster alternative to a full VCAT hearing.

What About the Rental Provider?

The government guarantee means rental providers are not left exposed during the transfer period. Their protections remain consistent with the standard bond process - they can still make a claim if a renter causes damage, leaves the property unclean, or owes unpaid rent. The bond lodgement process also remains the same, with one important note: the rental provider must select the "Renter Pay" option when lodging the new bond so the RTBA can process the transfer correctly.

When Does It Start?

The PRBS officially launches on 1 July 2026, following the passage of the Consumer Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 through the Victorian Parliament in November 2025. The scheme is expected to benefit more than 736,000 Victorian renter households and marks the 150th rental fairness reform introduced under the Victorian Labor Government.