Most NSW tenants sign an entry condition report on move-in day, file it away or forget about it, and only think about it again when the bond dispute notice arrives. That's the wrong order of operations. The entry condition report is your most powerful document as a tenant — it's the baseline that determines what you can and cannot be charged for at the end of your tenancy. Understanding what's in it, what to add to it, and how to use it at the final inspection is the single most practical thing you can do to protect your bond.
This guide explains exactly what the NSW entry condition report is, how to read it correctly, what to look for when you receive it, and how to use it strategically when you're moving out — whether you're in Campsie, Marrickville, Bankstown, Strathfield or anywhere else in Sydney's inner-west.
The entry condition report (sometimes called the ingoing condition report or property condition report) is a room-by-room record of the state of the rental property at the start of your tenancy. Under the NSW Residential Tenancies Act, landlords are required to provide tenants with a condition report at the start of the tenancy. The tenant has the opportunity to note any additional items or disagreements on the report within a specified timeframe — typically 7 days — before signing and returning it.
The report records the condition of every room, surface, fixture and fitting at the point of entry. At the end of the tenancy, the final inspection compares the property's condition to this document. Only deterioration beyond what was recorded at entry — excluding fair wear and tear — can be charged against your bond.
Most NSW entry condition reports follow a room-by-room structure. Each section covers a specific room or area and lists items with a condition rating — typically using a scale like "Good", "Fair", "Poor" or specific written descriptions of any existing damage or soiling. Here's how to read it correctly:
When you receive the entry condition report, you have a window — typically 7 days — to add your own observations and return your signed copy. Use this time properly:
When you're preparing to move out, get your entry condition report out before you clean and before the final inspection. Go through it room by room:
Under the NSW Residential Tenancies Act, landlords are required to provide an entry condition report. If you didn't receive one, document this in writing — email is fine — at the start of the tenancy. The absence of an entry condition report can actually work in your favour: without a documented baseline, the landlord has limited basis for a specific cleaning or damage claim at exit. Any claim they make must be supported by evidence of the property's condition at the start of the tenancy — and if they can't demonstrate it, they have a weak claim.
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If your landlord makes a bond claim you believe is incorrect, you have the right to dispute it at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). Disputes are lodged for free — no lawyer required. The process:
Your entry condition report, your timestamped exit photos and any written communication are the three strongest pieces of evidence in any NSW bond dispute. The report establishes the baseline; the exit photos demonstrate what you delivered; the written communication shows what the agent claimed and when.
Yes. Under the NSW Residential Tenancies Act, the landlord must provide an entry condition report. If they fail to do so, document this in writing at the start of the tenancy.
Typically 7 days from the start of the tenancy. Check your specific tenancy agreement — the timeframe should be specified. Act within this window.
Add your observations in writing on the report and keep a copy. If there's a genuine dispute about the entry condition, document it with photos at the time. This becomes your evidence if the same item is raised at exit.
Yes — directly. You're required to return the property in the same condition as at entry, fair wear and tear excepted. If the oven was dirty at entry and recorded as such, you can't be required to return it cleaner than it was found. Match the exit standard to the entry record.
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