The tenant and the landlord agree on the amount of rent to be paid at the start of a tenancy. It's a breach of the agreement if the full amount of rent isn't paid on time.
The bond is the security deposit the tenant gives the landlord. The landlord must lodge this with Consumer and Business Services where it's held for the length of the tenancy.
Bond and rent details are written into the lease agreement.
Get financial help to pay bond and rent in advance
Rent
Up to two weeks' rent in advance and the bond are the only payments the landlord can ask for at the start of a tenancy. This means that monthly, or calendar monthly rent payments can't be taken until the first two weeks rent has been used up and the next rent is due.
Make sure calendar monthly rent is calculated correctly – weekly rent divided by 7, multiplied by 365 (or 366 in a leap year), divided by 12.
Other ways to pay rent
A landlord must offer the tenant other ways to pay rent than by cash or through a rent collection agency. Rent collection agencies provide an electronic rent payment service – for a fee – and the tenant must enter into an agreement which is separate from the residential tenancy agreement.
How the rent is paid can only be changed during the tenancy if the landlord and tenant agree on the change. A nominated address or bank account can be changed at any time, provided the other party is notified.
Receipts and records
Landlords must give tenants a receipt for any rent paid within 48 hours, unless it is paid directly into a bank account.
Detailed rent records must be kept by the landlord for all rent paid. The date the money is credited into the account is the ‘paid’ date.
Rent receipts and records must show:
- the amount paid
- the date paid
- who paid it
- the period the payment relates to
- the address of the rented property.
The landlord can be fined if they don’t give receipts or keep proper rent records.
The rent receipts and records information sheet (1.0 MB PDF) provides examples of proper rent records.
Contact CBS Tenancies
Email: ocbatenancyadvice@sa.gov.au
Phone: 131 882
Post:
GPO Box 965
Adelaide SA 5001
Bond
The landlord must lodge the bond with Consumer and Business Services within two weeks of receiving it from the tenant. Registered agents have four weeks to lodge the bond.
At the end of the lease, it is returned if there are no claims for outstanding rent, cleaning or other costs.
Tenants can connect a bond lodged with Residential Bonds Online with their RBO account.
Bond guarantees – Housing SA will contact you every 12 months – or at the end of the lease – if they have provided the bond. You will need to respond to ensure the bond remains lodged or it could be released.
