18 December 2019 

Following the successful launch of the RTA’s Bond Lodgement Web Service in mid-2019, we recently launched our next suite of digital products for bond refunds, bond disputes and updating customer details on 2 December, helping to streamline essential customer transactions at the end of a tenancy.

We’re excited to see our customers jumping on board with our transition to digital services and enjoying the convenience and ease of digital transactions. More than 30 per cent of bonds are now lodged online, and over 1000 bond refund requests have been received via Web Services in the first ten days since launch.

Our new Web Services have made an immediate difference for many of our customers. For example, last week, a property manager lodged a request to fully refund the bond to the tenant at 10am. All parties to the bond received an immediate email notification and agreed to fast track the bond refund. The tenant was prompted to update their details and did so via the Web Service. The bond refund money was paid out by 2pm.

In another instance, a tenant called the RTA Contact Centre for general information and to check if their property manager had lodged the bond refund request. At the start of the call, no bond refund request had been received. However, during the customer’s conversation with the RTA team member, the bond refund was lodged through Web Services with a payment in queue to be disbursed that afternoon. The tenant was both surprised and delighted to see that their bond refund had been submitted and processed in the few short minutes they were on the phone.

RTA Web Services for bond lodgements, bond refunds, bond disputes and updating customer details enables customers to transact with us anywhere at any time, on any device. A range of resources are available on the website for each digital service, including quick guides and how-to videos to step you through the process. There is also a dedicated phone line in the RTA Contact Centre to support customers who require further assistance.

Important reminders

During the holiday period, the RTA Contact Centre will operate Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 5pm (excluding public holidays).

From 1 January 2020: bulk printing of all RTA forms and publications will cease. Customers can order single copies of forms or publications via the website or by calling the RTA Contact Centre on 1300 366 311.

From 1 February 2020: the PDF upload facility for paper bond refund forms will be replaced by the Bond Refund Web Service. Paper forms will remain for customers who are unable to access Web Services.