First steps when you've found a tenant
What to do once you've found a tenant in ACT
What Happens After You Find a Tenant in the ACT: Leases, Bonds, and Next Steps Congratulations on finding a tenant! This guide assumes you’ve already screened your applicants and chosen your preferred tenant — ideally using PropertyNow’s Rental Management subscription, which helps you handle everything in one place. Even if you’re not using our subscription yet, this guide will still help you understand what comes next. Tip: Once you’ve accepted a tenant, remember toFew readersWhat to do once you've found a tenant in WA
What Happens After You Find a Tenant in Western Australia: Leases, Bonds, and Next Steps Congratulations on finding a tenant! This guide assumes you’ve already screened your applicants and chosen your preferred tenant — ideally using PropertyNow’s Rental Management subscription, which helps you handle everything in one place. Even if you’re not using our subscription yet, this guide will still help you understand what comes next. Tip: Once you’ve accepted a tenant, rFew readersWhat to do once you've found a tenant in VIC
What Happens After You Find a Tenant in Victoria: Leases, Bonds, and Next Steps Congratulations on finding a tenant! This guide assumes you’ve already screened your applicants and chosen your preferred tenant — ideally using PropertyNow’s Rental Management subscription, which helps you handle everything in one place. Even if you’re not using our subscription yet, this guide will still help you understand what comes next. Tip: Once you’ve accepted a tenant, remember to *Few readersWhat to do once you've found a tenant in NSW
What Happens After You Find a Tenant in NSW: Leases, Bonds, and Next Steps Congratulations on finding a tenant! This guide assumes you’ve already screened your applicants and chosen your preferred tenant — ideally using PropertyNow’s Rental Management subscription, which helps you handle everything in one place. Even if you’re not using our subscription yet, this guide will still help you understand what comes next. Tip: Once you’ve accepted a tenant, remember to maFew readersWhat to do once you've found a tenant in TAS
What Happens After You Find a Tenant in Tasmania: Leases, Bonds, and Next Steps Congratulations on finding a tenant! This guide assumes you’ve already screened your applicants and chosen your preferred tenant — ideally using PropertyNow’s Rental Management subscription, which helps you handle everything in one place. Even if you’re not using our subscription yet, this guide will still help you understand what comes next. Tip: Once you’ve accepted a tenant, remember to *Few readersWhat to do once you've found a tenant
What to Do After You’ve Found a Tenant: State-by-State Guides Once you’ve chosen who you’d like to move in, there are a few important legal and practical steps to take before handing over the keys. These steps vary depending on which state or territory your property is in — particularly when it comes to bond lodgement, condition reports, and safety standards. This page will help you find the right guide for your state, so you can complete the process quickly and confidently.Few readersWhat to do once you've found a tenant in SA
What Happens After You Find a Tenant in South Australia: Leases, Bonds, and Next Steps Congratulations on finding a tenant! This guide assumes you’ve already screened your applicants and chosen your preferred tenant — ideally using PropertyNow’s Rental Management subscription, which helps you handle everything in one place. Even if you’re not using our subscription yet, this guide will still help you understand what comes next. Tip: Once you’ve accepted a tenant, rFew readersWhat to do once you've found a tenant in NT
What Happens After You Find a Tenant in the Northern Territory: Leases, Bonds, and Next Steps Congratulations on finding a tenant! This guide assumes you’ve already screened your applicants and chosen your preferred tenant — ideally using PropertyNow’s Rental Management subscription, which helps you handle everything in one place. Even if you’re not using our subscription yet, this guide will still help you understand what comes next. Tip: Once you’ve accepted a tenaFew readers
Bond
How to lodge the bond in VIC
In Victoria, you collect the bond from the tenant and then lodge through RTBA Online. You create an Electronic Bond Lodgement, add each tenant with a unique email, and they confirm via email/SMS (no paper forms). After all tenants confirm, RTBA debits the bond from your nominated account and emails everyone the bond receipt/number. If you collected the bond yourself, you must lodge within 10 business days of receiving it. If you are a PropertyNow Rental Management suPopularHow to lodge the bond in QLD
In QLD, you don’t need to collect the bond yourself. The easiest path is to direct your tenant to lodge and pay the bond online via the RTA’s Bond Lodgement Web Service (they’ll verify their identity with QDI and pay by card or BPAY). If a tenant can’t verify their identity to use Web Services, then you collect the bond and lodge it with the RTA using the paper Form 2. If you do collect any bond money, you must lodge it within 10 days of receiving it. APopularHow to lodge the bond in NSW
In NSW, the primary and required method for managing rental bonds is through Rental Bonds Online (RBO). You register once with Service NSW, then from your RBO dashboard, you invite tenants to pay the bond direct to Fair Trading by BPAY, Visa or Mastercard. Important Legal Requirement: You must offer RBO to your tenant as the first option. You cannot insist that a tenant uses RBO if they are unable or unwilling to do so—doing so can attract a heavy penalty (a $2,2PopularWhat is the maximum bond amount?
The maximum amount of bond varies depending on your tenancy location, type, and rent amount. Please see the table below for further information. PropertyNow will automatically populate a bond amount when creating your lease agreement. If you wish to vary, please contact PropertyNow support before sending the lease to the tenant.PopularHow to lodge the bond in NT
In the NT, there’s no portal to collect bond. The tenant pays you the bond and you must hold it on trust for them in an NT bank/financial institution account (or a trust account under the Agents Licensing Act). Give an immediate receipt if paid by cash/cheque/card, deposit the funds promptly, and keep clear records. If you will be outside the NT for more than 14 days, you must transfer the bond to a licensed real estate agent or a person approved by thePopularHow to lodge the bond in WA
In WA, tenants can pay bond directly using BondsOnline. You create a bond eTransaction, add each tenant’s email, the system emails them to approve the details, and you approve the payment in your Payment Approvals tab (you don’t need the tenant to give you money first). If you’ve already collected funds, you must lodge within 14 days. Once approved, the bond is charged from your nominated account and everyone is emailed a Record of Payment (bond number). If you can’tPopularHow to lodge the bond in SA
In SA you can lodge online in RBO without handling money. Create a bond payment request in the portal and send it to your tenant — they pay their bond by debit/credit card inside RBO. You’ll both get email notifications and a bond number/receipt when it’s lodged. If you do take money directly (not recommended), you must lodge it within 2 weeks. Authority/portal: Consumer and Business Services (Residential Bonds Online — RBO) Phone: 131 882 Start here: LodgingPopularHow to lodge the bond in ACT
In the ACT, you raise the bond in the portal (takes a few minutes) and the system gives you a bond number + unique payment reference. You can then give that reference to the tenant to pay the bond by online bank transfer directly to Rental Bonds — so you don’t have to collect the money. Once the payment clears (often within a few days; allow up to 7–14 days to appear on the bond record), receipts are emailed to both parties. You must lodge within 2 weeks of receiving theSome readersHow to lodge the bond in TAS
In Tasmania, you do not collect the bond. All bonds are held by the Rental Deposit Authority (RDA) and managed in MyBond. You (owner) create the bond in MyBond, then tenants pay the RDA directly: either online in MyBond (Visa/Mastercard via PayWay) or in person at a Service Tasmania centre using the bond number/barcode. Cheques/paper lodgement are not accepted, and it’s illegal for an owner to receive bond money directly. You’ll get a Bond Receipt NumberSome readersWhat is a bond and how does it work?
A rental bond is a security deposit paid at the start of a tenancy. It protects you (the landlord) against unpaid rent, damage beyond fair wear and tear, or other breaches of the agreement. The bond is separate from rent and, in most jurisdictions, is held by a government authority until the tenancy ends (the NT is different — see below). Does PropertyNow collect or manage the bond? Yes, PropertyNow offers on-platform bond collection for our Rental Management subscribers iFew readersWhat to do once you've found a tenant in QLD
What Happens After You Find a Tenant in Queensland: Leases, Bonds, and Next Steps Congratulations on finding a tenant! This guide assumes you’ve already screened your applicants and chosen your preferred tenant — ideally using PropertyNow’s Rental Management subscription, which helps you handle everything in one place. Even if you’re not using our subscription yet, this guide will still help you understand what comes next. Tip: Once you’ve accepted a tenant, remember toFew readersHow can I collect the bond?
As a landlord with PropertyNow, you have a few ways to manage your tenant's rental bond. Your options depend on the state or territory where your property is located. Important Note: The "Collect bond via PropertyNow" (on-platform) option is an exclusive feature available only to our Rental Management subscribers. You will need to arrange bond details with your tenant directly if you are advertising only and do not have a subscription. Choose your state below to see the specificFew readers
Can I create a lease agreement but not use PropertyNow to manage my rental?
Whilst it is technically possible to create and sign your tenancy agreement through PropertyNow without setting up ongoing direct debits, tenancy agreements will list 'direct debit' as the agreed method of payment which may not be suitable if you are intending to make other arrangements for rent payment. There is no option to change this within the agreement presently.Some readersAre there any fees taken out of rent collected with PropertyNow?
NO! There are absolutely no fees for the tenant (and no additional fees for you as a landlord) associated with paying rent via direct debit or payto through the PropertyNow platform, however you must have a subscription to use this feature. As a landlord, your subscription to PropertyNow includes any fees incurred for direct debit processing of rent payments. PropertyNow does not receive any additional fees or monetary benefits as a result of tenants paying via direct debit or paytoSome readersHow to create a tenancy agreement or lease
Once you’ve found the perfect tenant, the next step is to formalize the relationship with a legally binding lease. At PropertyNow, we’ve digitized this entire process to ensure it is compliant with your specific state’s legislation while removing the need for scanning, printing, and chasing signatures. Here is your guide to creating a digital tenancy agreement and setting up your automated rent collection. Our lease creator is designed to be a step-by-step wizard. The questions will adapt autoSome readersWhat happens after I send a lease agreement to a tenant?
When you send an agreement to a tenant, they'll usually receive two emails from PropertyNow. An email notifying them that their application was successful and requesting they accept the tenancy. See example below. If the tenant doesn't already have account on PropertyNow (which they usually won't), they'll also receive an invite to our platform. See example below. (https://storage.criSome readersHow do I create a lease agreement?
To manage a tenancy on PropertyNow you need to create a tenancy agreement. You can do this by clicking the green 'Create New Tenancy' agreement button on the top right of the 'Tenancy Agreements' page from your property overview. new lease agreementSome readersWhen will the tenant's rent be debited?
The first rent in advance payment will be debited immediately after the lease agreement is signed by all parties and the tenant finalizes setting up their payment method. For ongoing rent payments, when rent is debited depends on which payment method the tenant chooses. Rent via direct debit is debited 28 hours in advance of the scheduled due date to allow time for processing. Rent via payto agreement is debited on the scheduled due date. Please note that the direct debit payment process doeSome readersDo I need a lease agreement?
A tenancy agreement in Australia is a legal contract between a landlord or rental provider (the person who owns the property) and a tenant (the person renting it). It sets out the rules and responsibilities for both parties during the rental period. It’s basically a set of rules that both the tenant and landlord agree to follow to avoid misunderstandings. Here’s a simple breakdown: What it covers: How long the tenant can stay (fixed term, like 12 months, or ongoing). How much rentSome readersUnderstanding payment processing statuses
Scheduled The payment is set to be processed on the listed date (either later today or in the future). Payment Pending We’ve sent the payment request, and it’s waiting to be processed by our payment provider. This step usually takes a few hours to one business day. Bank Processing The payment provider has sent the request to the tenant’s bank. It may take up to 2 business days for the bank to process it and confirm success or failure. Failed Direct Debit ThSome readersHow do tenants apply for my rental property?
This guide covers everything you and your prospective tenants need to know about the application process. At PropertyNow, we use 2Apply to ensure applications are fast, secure, and professional. We strongly recommend that all tenants apply online via 2Apply. This system is designed to make your life easier by pre-verifying tenant details and organizing everything into a neat summary for your review. Where do tenants find the "Apply" link? Tenants can access your application forSome readersWhat is the tenancy setup process?
Step 1: Tenancy Setup The first thing you'll do as a landlord is setting up your preferred terms of tenancy on PropertyNow including rent amount, lease type, frequency of rent payments and so on. Once you've completed tenancy setup, we'll send two emails to your tenant An invite onto the PropertyNow platform containing an automatically generated password for their tenant account A request for confirmation that they'd like to accept your tenancy terms Step 2: Tenant Accepts or DeclSome readersMy tenant hasn't received their invite
If your tenant hasn’t received their invite or request for accpetance of lease, double check the spelling of their email address in the tenancy agreement list to ensure there are no typos. If you need to change the tenants email address, all you need to do is cancel the agreement, edit, and resend. If the tenant is still unable to locate the email and you are sure the details are correct, please get in touch with us for further help.Some readersHow do I add my bank account as a landlord?
As a landlord, you need to add a bank account if you'd like to setup rent payments with your tenant via PropertyNow. It's important you do this right away to ensure you can receive money as soon as your tenant pays it. You can add a bank account as soon as you have an active subscription, simply navigate to 'Bank Accounts' underneath your property add click 'Add a Bank account' Once added, we’ll deposit small amounts into the account for verification. Log back in to confirm these amounts in oFew readersAre lease agreements created with PropertyNow legal and compliant?
Most states provide blank PDF copies of agreements that landlords can use to ensure their agreements follow the 'prescribed form' set down in legislation. Agreements generated on PropertyNow will look different to these template copies that you'd get from your state government but rest assured they still follow the 'prescribed form' and include all standard terms and all required information. That is to say, our agreements are legally compliant and binding for you and your tenants once signed.Few readersI need to edit my lease agreement before the tenant signs
If the tenant hasn't yet accepted your tenancy terms, you can simply login and click 'Cancel' next to the tenancy agreement in the list. Once cancelled you can click the 'view' button to return to editing your tenancy. From here, you can adjust terms as needed and then resend when you're ready.Few readersTenant declined the tenancy, how can I edit the terms?
If a tenant has clicked 'Decline' when offered a tenancy, this will withdraw and lock the draft tenancy and you will not be able to edit it. If this happens and you both do still want to proceed, you'll need to create a new tenancy within your account.Few readersMy lease agreement fell through
Oh no, we're very sorry to hear it! If you've marked your property listing as leased within the last 30 days just contact us and we'll reinstate your ad instantly and completely free of charge. If your property was leased more than 30 days ago just reach out letting us know your specific circumstances and we'll do our best to help.Few readersCan I use PropertyNow to manage my existing tenancy?
Using PropertyNow to manage your tenancy requires presently both parties to digitally sign an agreement generated on our platform. To onboard existing tenants, you will need to create and sign a new agreement.Few readersHow billing tenants for water usage works in NSW
One of the most common questions new landlords ask is how to handle water utilities. Unlike electricity or gas, water is managed a little differently in NSW. Here is everything you need to know to handle water bills smoothly, legally, and easily! The water account stays in your name Because water is an essential service, it is always connected to the property. You do not need to contact Sydney Water (or your local water authority) to transfer the account into the tenant’s name. As the propFew readersHow do I view documents attached to tenancy applications?
Troubleshooting: Cannot open application attachments, can't view application attachments, or asked for a login to view attachments. If you cannot open the attachments on a tenancy application, can't view the attachments, or don't know what the login is to get the attachments, this is not a system error and you do not need a login. To view the application's documents, simply scroll past the PDF viewer in your PropertyNow dashboard to the "Additional Attachments" section and click theFew readersHow to perform a tenant check
Screening your potential tenants is one of the most important steps in managing your own rental. PropertyNow provides access to Australia’s leading tenancy databases (TICA and NTD) as well as professional reference checking services. Step 1: Purchase Tenant Check Credits Before you can run a check, you need to have credits available in your account. If you didn't include these in your initial package, you can add them at any time: Log in to your PropertyNow Dashboard (https://appFew readersHow do I choose the right tenant?
Selecting the right tenant is the most critical part of managing your own rental. A high-quality tenant protects your investment and ensures your peace of-mind, whereas a poor choice can lead to months of stress. Based on our most successful landlords' experiences and our internal data, here is the professional guide to screening tenants. How do I choose the right tenant for my property? At PropertyNow, we provide you with the same tools professional agents use, including 2Apply for applicFew readersHow do I subscribe to rental management?
Most of our members subscribe to a management plan during the checkout process when first listing their property for lease. However, if you already have a tenant, don't need to advertise right now, or are already mid-campaign and have decided to add our rental management tools, you can easily start a subscription at any time. Once active, you’ll unlock full access to digital leases, automated rent collection, and maintenance tracking. Here are the two quickest ways to get started: Option 1Few readersWhat information do I need to provide for a tenant check?
To perform a professional tenancy database check (TICA/NTD), we require specific details and legal authorization. To ensure the fastest possible result, we strongly recommend submitting these details directly through your PropertyNow dashboard rather than via email. The Faster Option: Submit via Your Dashboard Submitting your check through the website ensures that all required fields are captured immediately, reducing the need for back-and-forth emails. Log in to your PropertyNow AFew readersHow do I receive tenancy applications?
All rental applications for PropertyNow listings are submitted digitally via 2Apply, Australia's leading secure tenancy application platform. Tenants can find the "Apply Now" button on Domain.com.au and also receive it via email when they enquire. The 2Apply system guides tenants through uploading their ID, income proof, and references in a secure environment. How Landlords Receive Applications To maintain the highest security standards and comply with Australian privacy priFew readersHow do I upload an existing condition report?
If you are an active rental management subscriber, your account includes access to our fully digital, 100% compliant Condition Report builder. However, we know that sometimes you might have already completed a paper condition report, or perhaps you generated one using a different app before subscribing. If you already have a finalized report, you can easily upload it to keep all your tenancy documents securely stored in one place. Important Note: Document storage and condition report manageFew readersHow to create and complete a condition report
As an active rental management subscriber, you can complete fully compliant, digital Entry and Exit Condition Reports directly from your phone, tablet, or desktop. Here is how to initiate and complete your side of the report: Step 1: Start the Report Log into your PropertyNow dashboard and navigate to your active tenancy. From your rental management dashboard, or the 'Condition Reports' page in the left menu, select the option to create a new Condition Report. The system will autFew readers