ACT Condition Report Requirements: A Property Manager's Guide (2026)

The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) sits slightly apart from the other Australian state tenancy acts in a few practical ways. The most notable for property managers is the 14-day tenant review window — tenants in the ACT have two weeks to inspect the condition report, note any disagreements, and return their copy to the lessor. That is double the seven-day window common in NSW and significantly more generous than Queensland's requirement that the Form 1a be completed at or around the time of moving in.

For a Canberra property manager, the longer window shapes how you approach the entry process. A condition report that would hold up in another state can be challenged more effectively if a tenant who has had two weeks to look around decides to dispute specific items after the first week. Thorough photographic documentation tied to each item at the time of entry is what closes that gap.

The other ACT-specific rules — a one-day-after-possession deadline for lessors, bond lodgement with the ACT Revenue Office, dispute resolution through ACAT, and specific routine inspection notice periods — are covered in full below. If you manage properties in multiple states, see also our state guides for NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia.

Under Section 29 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT), the lessor must provide two signed copies of the condition report to the tenant no later than the day after the tenant takes possession of the premises. The report must cover the state of repair and general condition of:

The premises — every room, internal area, and external area included in the lease.

Any goods leased with the premises — furniture, whitegoods, appliances, and any other inclusions. If the property is leased furnished, every item must be recorded.

The two-copy requirement is the same as most other Australian states. What distinguishes the ACT is the timing. "No later than the day after possession" leaves no grace period beyond that. A property manager who hands over keys on a Friday and delivers the condition report on Monday has already missed the deadline — even though that is only one business day later.

The simplest way to stay compliant is to complete the condition report before key handover and deliver both copies at the same time as the tenancy agreement. This gives you a contemporaneous record and removes any question about whether the report accurately reflected the property's condition at the moment of possession.

Once the tenant receives the two copies, they have 14 days to review the report, annotate any disagreements, and return one signed copy to the lessor. On that copy, the tenant must note whether they agree with the report as a whole or only with specific parts, and clearly identify any parts they dispute.

The 14-day window is the longest in Australia. For property managers who work across state lines, this requires a practical shift for ACT tenancies. A tenant can wait until day 12, spend two days carefully inspecting every item, and return a condition report with a series of specific disagreements — all within their legal rights.

What protects you against a late dispute: Entry documentation that is specific enough to rebut an item-by-item challenge. A timestamped photo of the specific wall, carpet section, or appliance in question, taken on entry day, is your rebuttal. A single wide-angle photo of each room is not sufficient; each surface and each item needs its own image with an embedded timestamp.

If the tenant does not return the condition report within 14 days: The Act does not impose a formal consequence on the tenant for failing to return their copy. In practice, the lessor's version of the report stands. Document that you provided both copies (use email delivery, a signed receipt, or a witnessed handover), and make a file note when the 14 days passes without a return. That record matters if the tenant later disputes the report's accuracy at ACAT.

The ACT Revenue Office (part of Access Canberra) publishes the prescribed condition report form for rental properties in the territory. Property managers should use this form — or a digital equivalent that captures the same prescribed fields — rather than a generic agency template. A non-standard form may carry less evidentiary weight at ACAT, and ACAT members are familiar with the prescribed layout.

The form covers each room and area of the property in turn, with fields for recording the condition of walls, floors, ceiling, doors, windows, and fixtures in each space. External areas — the yard, fencing, letterbox, garage, and carport — are included, as are any furnished items where the property is leased with inclusions.

When completing the form, the following practices make a material difference in disputes:

Be specific in every notation. "Good condition" tells you nothing when a bond claim is disputed nine months later. "Minor scuff mark on eastern wall at dado rail height, otherwise good" is defensible. Attaching a photo reference number to each notation makes the link between the written record and the photographic evidence explicit.

Test and record all appliances. Run each appliance and record the result in the report. "Oven tested — all four burners functional, grill functional, interior clean" is the kind of notation that prevents disputes about pre-existing faults at exit.

Use a tool that attaches photos to specific items. Digital inspection tools that attach photos to the corresponding room and item within the report — rather than generating a separate photo folder — produce a more defensible output than a filled-in PDF with a separate album. See our guide on property inspection software for options that support ACT-format reports.

The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) also requires a condition report at the end of the tenancy. The exit report is completed at the final inspection and documents the property's condition as the tenant vacates. The tenant should return a completed exit condition report to the lessor within seven days of vacating.

The exit report's function is comparison: it is read alongside the entry condition report to identify changes in the property's condition beyond fair wear and tear. That comparison is the evidentiary backbone of any bond claim. An exit report that records "large hole in bedroom wall" is vastly more useful when the entry report says "wall in good condition — photo reference 47" and you have both photographs on file.

For a practical breakdown of how to distinguish fair wear and tear from damage that justifies a bond deduction, see our guide on fair wear and tear vs damage. For the entry-versus-exit comparison more broadly, see entry vs exit condition reports.

The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) requires lessors to give at least seven days' written notice before conducting any routine inspection. This is one of the more generous notice periods in Australia — many states require only 24 to 48 hours — and it means that ACT property managers need to schedule routine inspections further ahead than they might in other jurisdictions.

Routine inspections: Seven days' written notice required. If the tenant is not available at the proposed time, they can request an alternative time. If no agreement can be reached, either party may apply to ACAT to determine the inspection time.

End-of-tenancy inspections: In the final three weeks of the tenancy, the notice period for a final inspection drops to 24 hours. This allows the property manager to conduct the exit inspection close to the tenant's actual vacate date without waiting the full seven days.

Inspections to show the property to prospective buyers: At least 48 hours' notice is required if the landlord wishes to bring through potential purchasers.

Record every inspection notice in writing and keep copies. A written notice delivered by email or SMS creates a record; a verbal notice does not. If a tenant later disputes that notice was given and the inspection was conducted without proper notice, the inspection may be challenged as unlawful — which affects any evidence gathered during it.

The maximum rental bond a lessor can collect in the ACT is four weeks' rent. Once collected, the lessor or agent must lodge the bond with the ACT Revenue Office within 14 days of receiving it. The ACT Revenue Office administers rental bonds under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997; bonds are not held by the agent or the lessor.

Lodgement is completed online through the ACT Revenue Office portal. The bond receipt is issued to both parties, and both should retain a copy of the lodgement documentation — this is the reference record when the bond is released at the end of the tenancy.

At the end of the tenancy, the bond is released either by joint agreement between the parties or by ACAT order. If the lessor wants to claim any amount from the bond for damage, cleaning, or unpaid rent, the tenant must agree to those deductions or the lessor must apply to ACAT. There is no mechanism for a lessor to unilaterally retain bond money in the ACT — it requires either consent or a tribunal order.

For guidance on building a bond claim that holds up at tribunal, see winning bond disputes and condition report mistakes that sink bond claims.

If the lessor and tenant cannot agree on bond deductions at the end of the tenancy, the matter is referred to ACAT — the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. ACAT handles residential tenancy disputes in the ACT, and its process is designed to be accessible without legal representation.

Provide your claims list in advance. At least seven days before the ACAT conference date, the lessor must provide the tenant with a written list of claims. The list must specify each deduction, the amount claimed, and the reason. A copy must also be sent to ACAT. A lessor who arrives at the conference without having given proper advance notice of their claims is at a significant disadvantage.

Bring your condition report documentation. The signed entry condition report, the exit condition report, and timestamped photographs from both entry and exit are the core evidence. ACAT members look for a clear before-and-after comparison. Photographs that are undated, blurry, or unconnected to a specific item in the report carry limited weight.

Attach receipts. Cleaning and repair receipts are necessary to quantify a claim. An invoice that has been paid carries more weight than an estimate or a quote, particularly for cleaning claims where the reasonableness of the amount is often contested.

For a detailed breakdown of preparing bond dispute evidence (the principles apply directly to ACAT proceedings), see QLD bond evidence requirements.

One ACT-specific rule that catches property managers off guard: for a consecutive tenancy agreement — where the same tenant renews their lease — the lessor and tenant are not required to complete a new condition report, provided an existing condition report is already on file for the property.

This exemption is stated in Section 29 itself. It saves time when renewing a long-standing tenancy. It also means that the original entry condition report may end up being the document compared against the exit report years later, when the tenant eventually vacates. Keep the original entry report and all associated photographs archived for the full duration of the tenancy, plus any applicable record-keeping period under your agency's professional standards.

If there has been significant wear or any damage claims settled during the tenancy, completing a fresh condition report at renewal is still worth considering as a new baseline — even if the Act does not require one. A baseline that is four years old is harder to use in a dispute than one that is twelve months old.

If you manage properties across multiple Australian states, these are the ACT differences that require attention:

14-day tenant review window. NSW allows seven days; Queensland's process is completed at or close to move-in. The ACT's 14-day window is the most tenant-generous in the country and demands the most robust entry documentation.

Day-after-possession deadline for lessors. The lessor must provide both copies of the condition report no later than the day after possession — there is no seven-day window as exists in some other states.

Seven days' written notice for routine inspections. Many states require only 24 to 48 hours. ACT inspection schedules need to be set further in advance.

ACAT, not a court or separate tribunal. Bond and tenancy disputes in the ACT go to ACAT. ACAT is less formal than a court and does not require legal representation, but it does have procedural requirements — including the seven-day advance claims list — that must be followed.

Bond with the ACT Revenue Office. Bond is held by the ACT Revenue Office (Access Canberra), not a separate bonds authority. Lodgement must occur within 14 days of receiving the bond.

Consecutive tenancy exemption. The ACT explicitly provides that no new condition report is needed for a lease renewal with the same tenant if an existing report is on file. This is not consistent across all Australian jurisdictions.

Three mistakes appear repeatedly in ACT condition report practice:

Providing the condition report a day or more after the handover. The one-day-after-possession deadline is tighter than many property managers realise. If the keys are handed over and the condition report is emailed the following business day, there is a risk the gap crosses the deadline. Completing the report before handover and delivering both copies simultaneously is the safest approach.

Thin photographic records at entry. The 14-day tenant review window means entry photos need to be specific enough to rebut an item-by-item dispute raised days after move-in. A single wide-angle photo of each room is insufficient. Each wall, carpet section, and appliance needs its own dated photograph — this is what enables a clear before-and-after comparison at ACAT.

Using a generic template rather than the prescribed form. The ACT Revenue Office provides the prescribed form for a reason. Using a non-standard template introduces ambiguity about whether required items were assessed, and ACAT members expect the prescribed format.

For a broader treatment of condition report mistakes that affect bond outcomes in any state, see condition report mistakes that cost you bond claims.