- Rental bonds can cost thousands upfront, but every state and territory offers some form of bond loan or guarantee to help eligible renters cover the cost.
- Eligibility varies widely depending on where you live, with different income limits, asset caps, and repayment rules across states and territories.
- Government bond loans are usually far cheaper than private alternatives, but they’re generally designed for lower-income renters and can come with strict conditions.
Typically, a rental bond is four weeks' rent, and renters generally have to pay two weeks' rent upfront at the start of their lease. That means, if your rent is $500 a week, you'll likely need to come up with $3,000 upfront - nothing to sneeze at. Fortunately, most states and territories have rental bond loan programs, which can help ease the burden.
Does your state or territory offer rental bond loans?
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- Australian Capital Territory
- Northern Territory
What are rental bond loans?
Rental bond loans are typically either interest-free loans tenants can access in order to pay their bond or 'bond guarantees' provided to landlords, promising to cover the appropriate cost of repairs for any potential damage caused during the course of the tenancy.
Eligibility restrictions
Eligibility criteria for rental bond loans vary among different state and territory governments, with most requiring you to be under specific asset thresholds (assets can include savings and stock holdings) and income limits:
State/territory | Assets/savings cap | Weekly income threshold |
|---|---|---|
New South Wales | $5,000 (savings) | $795 |
Victoria | $22,998 | $797 |
Queensland | $5,500 (savings) | $1,428 |
South Australia | $73,950 (cash assets) | $1,273.81 |
Western Australia | $5,000 | $988 (metropolitan and country) |
Tasmania | $35,000 | Not specified - applicants must be eligible for a Health Care Card Singles earning less than $797 a week may be eligible for a Low Income Health Care Card |
Australian Capital Territory | $10,000 (cash or savings) | $2,312.85 |
Northern Territory | $5,000 | $1,114 |
Sources: Government websites. Information correct December 2025.
Some states and territories also demand a tenant's rent not be more than a select portion of their weekly income, while others cap how much rent a tenant can pay while accessing a bond loan.
Savings.com.au's two cents
You might not have known state-based bond loan schemes exist. And when compared to personal loans, the lack of interest and attractive repayment options can be appealing. However, keep in mind that most impose asset tests and income limits. These bond loan schemes are often designed for lower-income earners and those with not much cash to their name - not for steady income earners looking to 'game' the system.
Does my state offer bond loans or assistance?
NSW Rentstart Bond Loan
NSW's bond loan scheme is called 'Rentstart'. To be eligible for Rentstart you must also be eligible for social housing (which means abiding by the same income thresholds).
A single adult with no dependants, a gross (before tax) weekly income threshold of $795 applies. That increases by $305 per week for each additional adult living in the rental, as well as by $385 for the first child and $130 for every child thereafter living at the address. This requirement is waived for those experiencing domestic or family violence.
Also, rent should not exceed 50% of your gross total weekly income.
Eligible recipients must have less than $5,000 in cash assets and cannot own or part-own property, except under select circumstances.
Users are placed on a 12- or 18-month repayment plan, based on their income and how much they pay on rent.
Victoria RentAssist bond loan
Victoria allows those using its RentAssist bond loan to have a comparatively large asset portfolio, capping it at $22,998.
A single-person household must earn $797 per week or less to be eligible, while a two-adult household can earn up to $1,362. A household with one child (whether with one or two parents) can earn up to $1,396 per week, and the threshold is lifted by $42 per week for each additional child.
Your share of the rent must also be less than 55% of your gross weekly income combined with the maximum weekly rent assistance you might receive from Centrelink.
Once the tenancy has ended, the bond loan balance will be handed directly back to Victoria's Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. If the full bond is not returned, applicants will be asked to repay the amount deducted from the bond to fund repairs to the property.
Queensland bond loans
Queensland offers multiple types of fee-free, interest free bond loans:
- The standard Bond Loan offers a maximum of four weeks' rent
- The Bond Loan Plus can cover the four week bond plus two weeks' of rent
- The Bridging Bond Loan covers the cost of a second bond while a tenant waits for their current bond to be released
To be eligible, all applicants must have less than $5,500 in cash or savings combined and must earn less than the weekly income limits, which vary depending on how many adults and dependants are in the household.
They also can't own a residential property, caravan, mobile home, or the likes.
Applicants must have incomes below set limits, starting at $1,428 per week for a single-person-household, with approximately $714 added for each additional adult and $428 for each additional dependant living at the rental.
Applications made by those experiencing domestic or family violence will be automatically approved, no matter asset or income thresholds.
Queensland's bond loans must be repaid, with payment methods including the Rent Deduction Scheme, which sees the repayments automatically taken from a person's Centrelink income.
South Australia bond guarantees
South Australia has one of the more unique bond loan schemes, as it doesn't offer loans. Instead, the SA Housing Trust's Private Rental Assistance Program can provide a guarantee to a successful applicant's landlord or property agent that, in the event a claim must be made for the bond, it will front the money.
If a claim is made against the bond, the tenant will be asked to repay the SA Housing Trust.
The southern state is also unusual in offering bond guarantees to those with up to $73,950 of cash assets available - that is, money easily available to them. Though, the program isn't open to those who hold an interest in residential property.
Total rent for the property must be no more than $600 a week, and your share of the rent must be no more than 50% of your gross income.
Income limits start at around $1,274 per week for singles, or $1,665.75 for couples or single parents with one child. From there, the threshold typically increases by about $196 per week for each additional child, with a larger increase of roughly $294 apparently applying once a household has more than two children.
Western Australia bond assistance loans
WA's bond assistance loans offer help with both the bond and two weeks' rent in advance. It's an interest free loan that recipients must repay at a minimum rate of $25 per fortnight.
It's available to eligible singles with less than $5,000 of assets and couples or singles with dependants with less than $10,000 of assets spending less than 60% of their gross income on rent.
Income thresholds and maximum bond amounts (excluding two weeks' rent) are as follows:
| Metropolitan and country | Maximum assistance | Northwest and remote | Maximum assistance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One person | $988 | $1,600 | $1,265 | $1,800 |
| Two adults | $1,413 | $1,700 | $1,801 | $1,960 |
| Adult + one dependant | $1,693 | $1,700 | $2,160 | $1,960 |
| Three persons | $1,693 | $1,760 | $2,160 | $2,000 |
| Four persons | $1,693 | $1,800 | $2,160 | $2,200 |
| Five persons | $1,925 | $2,000 | $2,449 | $2,800 |
| Six persons | $2,148 | $2,000 | $2,735 | $2,800 |
Source: WA Government. Correct as of December 2025
Higher income limits exist for people with a disability.
Tasmania Private Rental Assistance bond payment
Tasmania arguably has the most opaque requirements for those seeking help with their bond payment.
Your eligibility for a bond loan or other forms of financial assistance is usually contingent on if you qualify for a Health Care Card, which is available to those receiving many Centrelink payments or on a low income.
Applicants can't own assets worth more than $35,000 or that could be used to help meet their need for housing. It also must be determined that their rent is affordable on an ongoing basis.
Assistance is generally capped at four weeks' rent (just enough for a typical bond) and is only available once per year.
ACT Bond Loan
The ACT provides bond loans to eligible renters, who then pay back the borrowed money without interest within the following two years.
To be eligible, renters must have less than $10,000 in cash or savings, or less than $15,000 for joint applicants.
They must also earn less than set income caps, which are updated every six months. At the time of writing they are $2,312.85 per week for single applicants or $3,083.80 per week for joint applicants. Each dependant child living in the rental adds $200 to the weekly income threshold.
If you don't repay the entire loan before the end of your tenancy, the Rental Bond Office will repay the loan before refunding any remaining bond to you.
NT bond assistance
Lucky last, the Northern Territory also offers interest free loans to cover the standard four weeks' bond, plus two weeks' rent in advance.
Income and asset limits are relatively generous. Though, the territory does demand rent not exceed 53% of an applicant's income.
The support is available to those with assets worth less than $5,000.
A single person household can earn $1,114 per week and remain eligible, while a two-person household can earn $1,448 per week. From there, income thresholds tend to increase by around $240 per week for each additional household member.
If you're eligible for Centrelink's rent assistance, the amount you might be eligible for will be added to your income as part of the assessment, whether you receive it or not.
The loan must be repaid over a maximum term of 18 months. If the tenancy agreement ends, you can use any refunded bond to repay the loan.
What about market bond loans?
If you can think of it, there's probably a loan for it. That's the case for bond loans too. Various lenders cater for renters looking to finance their next bond, which can amount to thousands of dollars.
If you're ineligible for your state or territory's bond loan scheme, but can't afford to pay a bond, a loan might seem tempting. However, these loans often attract high interest rates, as they're essentially just unsecured personal loans under a different name. They generally also demand significant fees or penalties for those failing to make repayments.
This is in contrast to state-based loan or assistance schemes that typically don't charge interest and have affordable repayment plans.
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