A Sydney tenant has won a landmark case against his landlord after challenging a bond claim that was nearly triple the justified amount. Ziggy Tow and his housemates were evicted without grounds from their inner-Sydney home, which was then listed for an extra $300 per week. The property manager subsequently claimed the full $3,400 bond for cleaning and repair fees.
After three months of disputes, the New South Wales rent tribunal ruled the claim was excessive and awarded $2,100 back to the housemates. Tow, who said they live 'paycheck to paycheck', noted that many people told him they would have simply accepted the loss. 'They're just getting every little cent they can from us,' he said.
Analysis of public data shows a growing number of tenants are losing some or all of their bond after leases expire in Australia's biggest housing markets. In NSW, nearly 46,000 households lost their entire bond in the year to June, up from just over 42,000 in 2022. Full refunds have slipped from 63% to 61% of bonds returned entirely to tenants.
Experts attribute the rise to surging rents and living costs. 'We've got the most expensive rental market in living memory,' said Cameron Bloye of Tenants Victoria. Bond loss has been highest in western Sydney, where tenants are more likely to be unaware of their legal rights and fear being blacklisted on rental databases.
In Queensland, bond payouts have surged, with the share of full refunds rising from 50% to nearly 60% from mid-2018 to mid-2025. However, advocates say it should be easier to dispute bond claims, as tenants in Australia's toughest rental markets are increasingly losing their deposits.
