Condition Report After Renovation: Australian Property Manager's Guide (2026)

A newly renovated rental sits at an unusual point in the condition spectrum: everything is either brand new or close to it, yet the standard condition report forms used across every Australian state and territory were designed for properties that already have a wear history. That gap between "as built" and "how to document it" is where problems begin.

The good news is that a post-renovation property, if documented properly, gives you the most defensible condition report baseline possible. When entry photos show pristine carpet, unmarked walls, and brand-new appliances, any deterioration at exit that exceeds fair wear and tear is obvious. The evidence is clean. Exit comparisons are straightforward.

The bad news is that most property managers approach a renovated property the same way they approach any entry inspection: they work through the rooms, note conditions as "good" or "clean", take a standard set of photos, and move on. That approach wastes the exceptional starting baseline that the renovation created. If you rate new carpet as "good" rather than "new", you leave money on the table at exit. If you don't photograph builder defects as pre-existing, you hand tenants a ready-made excuse at departure. If you complete the condition report before the tradespeople have finished and the property is cleaned, your report reflects an incomplete renovation — not the property the tenant received.

This guide covers the specific steps that make post-renovation condition reports more robust than the standard approach. It applies to properties that have undergone a full renovation before re-tenanting, as well as new builds being tenanted for the first time.

There is no special condition report form for a newly renovated property in any Australian state or territory. The same prescribed form applies regardless of the property's condition or history.

In New South Wales, that means the Schedule 2 form under the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019. In Queensland, it's the Residential Tenancies Authority's Form 1a entry condition report. In Victoria, the standard form prescribed by Consumer Affairs Victoria. Western Australia uses the Property Condition Report (Form 1) under Consumer Protection. South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory each have their own prescribed format.

The forms don't have a "new build" mode or a "post-renovation" option. What changes is the ratings and descriptions you enter for each item — not the form itself.

The practical consequence: wherever the form asks for the condition of an item, "new" or "as new" is the accurate and appropriate rating for a renovated item, rather than "good" or "average". This distinction matters because it sets the entry benchmark against which the exit condition will be compared at the end of tenancy. A property manager who rates new carpet as "good" has implicitly accepted a lower standard — making it harder to claim for any deterioration at exit that would be reasonable for "good but not new" carpet.

If you work in a state where the prescribed form uses a different rating scale, apply the highest available rating for items that are genuinely new. The important point is that the entry record accurately reflects what the tenant received.

The single most common mistake on post-renovation condition reports is completing them too early. Property managers are often keen to get the tenancy started, and there can be pressure from landlords to move quickly after a renovation. But completing the condition report before the property is ready creates a report that doesn't accurately describe what the tenant actually received.

The condition report must be completed after all of the following are true: all tradespeople have left the property and will not return before tenancy commencement; the property has been professionally cleaned (post-renovation clean, not a standard clean — renovation dust and residue are substantial); all appliances are installed, connected, and tested; utilities are connected and operational; and keys have been formally handed to the property manager.

This is not the same as the builder's practical completion inspection. That document is between the owner and the builder, and it relates to the building contract — whether the work has been completed to the contract specifications. The condition report is a tenancy document. It records the state of the property from the perspective of what a tenant is receiving and is responsible for maintaining. These are separate documents serving different purposes. Doing them close together in time is common and reasonable; conflating them is not.

Depending on state requirements, the condition report must typically be given to the tenant on or before the day they move in (Queensland) or at the time the tenancy agreement is signed (most other states). Work backwards from those deadlines to schedule your inspection after the renovation is genuinely complete.

"As new" describes the condition of an item that is either brand new or has been replaced to a new standard. It is the accurate description for renovated items — and using it correctly at entry has a direct effect on what you can claim at exit.

Consider two scenarios for carpet. In the first, the property manager rates the new carpet as "good clean condition" at entry — perhaps because they're used to applying that rating to carpet that's been cleaned before the tenancy. In the second, they rate it as "new — installed [month/year], [brand/colour if known]." Two years later, both properties have carpet staining from the same type of incident. The tribunal comparing the second property's entry and exit photos has a clear "new" baseline. The tribunal for the first property is comparing exit staining against "good clean condition", which could describe carpet that already had some wear at entry. The first property manager has a weaker claim.

The "as new" rating applies to anything that has been replaced or newly installed as part of the renovation: flooring, paint, tapware, fixtures, appliances, window coverings. For items that were retained through the renovation (for example, the original structure — walls, ceilings — but with new paint), rate the paint layer as "new/recently painted" while noting that the underlying structure has an existing age.

When writing your descriptions, be specific. "New carpet — charcoal grey, medium pile, no marks or stains" is more useful than "new carpet." "Freshly painted — off-white, low-sheen, no marks" anchors the entry condition precisely. At exit, these descriptions give tribunal members or the tenant the clearest possible comparison point.

Post-renovation properties almost always have some minor builder defects. These are imperfections that result from the work itself — not tenant damage, and not fair wear and tear, but the natural consequence of construction activity. Common examples include: minor paint drips or runs on skirting boards, silicone blobs in corners that weren't fully cleaned, grout that isn't perfectly flush at tile joins, slightly misaligned cabinet doors or soft-close hinges, protective film on appliances or glass that wasn't removed, fine plaster dust in light fittings, and minor scuffs or nicks on door frames from materials being moved through.

None of these are the tenant's responsibility. But if they are not documented at entry, they create two problems. First, the tenant may try to claim at exit that actual damage they caused was a pre-existing builder defect. Second, the property manager may inadvertently try to claim at exit for something that was always there — which damages their credibility with the tribunal.

The solution is thorough documentation with clear labels. Photograph every builder defect and write a note in the condition report that explicitly describes it as pre-existing. "Skirting board in main bedroom: new paint, one minor paint drip at 45cm height — pre-existing from renovation, not chipped." That language is clear, it's honest, and it closes off a potential dispute.

You should also note for your own records, and communicate to the landlord, which defects should be addressed by the builder under the applicable warranty. Builder's warranties for residential construction are governed by state building and construction legislation — separate from the residential tenancies legislation. The detail of what's covered and for how long varies by state, but as a general rule, a builder remains responsible for making good their own defects for a period after practical completion. Tracking these separately ensures the landlord knows which items to pursue with the builder versus which items are now the property's ongoing maintenance responsibility.

Fresh paint and new finishes create specific photography challenges. White or very light walls in bright sunlight can look flat and featureless in a photograph — making it difficult to show texture or minor surface variations. New stainless steel or glossy appliances cause lens flare. New gloss floors reflect the camera. If your standard photo approach produces these results, the photos won't do the job they need to do at exit comparison time.

Walls and paint. Take photos from the corners of rooms rather than dead-centre — corner-to-corner shots show all four walls simultaneously and give tribunals a clear view of overall wall condition. Also take photos at eye level (showing a typical wall section) and at skirting board level (showing the join between wall and floor, where marks often appear). In bright conditions, close curtains or blinds and use your phone's camera settings rather than flash — flash on white walls creates overexposed patches. Note the sheen of the paint for each area: matte, low-sheen, semi-gloss, or full-gloss. This matters because different sheens have different durability. Matte paint in living areas marks relatively easily; semi-gloss paint in kitchens and bathrooms is more resistant.

Flooring. For new carpet, photograph with the pile running towards you so the colour depth and texture are visible. Take detail shots that show the pile height and any joins. For new timber or vinyl plank flooring, photograph along the boards to capture the direction, any expansion gaps at walls, and the overall surface gloss. Any minor installation imperfections — a join that's slightly proud, a scratch from installation — should be photographed and noted as pre-existing.

Appliances. New appliances should be photographed with their information labels visible where accessible — the panel inside the oven door, the label on the dishwasher door frame, the data plate on the rangehood or air conditioning unit. This records the brand, model, and serial number, which helps at exit if an appliance fails and you need to establish whether it was physically damaged or simply reached the end of its useful life. Also photograph any protective film that hasn't been removed — note its presence in the condition report, and if it should have been removed before tenancy, confirm with the landlord.

A quantity to aim for. On a standard three-bedroom renovated property, 60 to 100 photos is not excessive. A general rule: two overview shots per room (from opposite corners), and one detail shot of every item that has a notable condition rating — every appliance, every section of fresh paint, every area of new flooring. If in doubt, photograph it. Storage on modern phones and the cost of photos is trivial compared to the cost of a bond dispute where you don't have the evidence you need.

Beyond the standard room-by-room checklist, several items appear frequently in post-renovation properties that PMs miss on a standard entry inspection:

Builder's debris in fixtures. Fine plaster dust and paint dust accumulate inside light fittings, exhaust fans, and air conditioning filters during renovation work. If this debris is present at entry and not documented, it may look like accumulated grime at exit — and the tenant may dispute a cleaning charge on the basis that it was there when they moved in. Check inside light fittings, remove and inspect exhaust fan covers, and note any renovation debris.

Protective film on glass and appliances. Manufacturers ship some appliances, shower screens, and mirror surfaces with a protective film that should be removed before use. Builders and tradespeople don't always remove this. If it's present at entry, note it. If it should have been removed, flag it with the landlord.

New irrigation or garden systems. If the renovation included new garden works, test the irrigation system by running each zone and documenting that it works. A broken irrigation head is much easier to prove was damaged during the tenancy if you have photos showing it operating correctly at entry.

New fencing or outdoor fixtures. Newly installed gates, fences, clotheslines, and outdoor furniture should be photographed and noted. Their condition deteriorates differently than existing structures — fresh timber fencing will weather differently from aged timber, and this matters for exit comparisons.

User manuals and accessories. If appliances were newly installed, their user manuals are often left somewhere in the property. Note their location in the condition report ("Dishwasher user manual in kitchen drawer" or "Oven manual in kitchen cabinet"). At exit, the presence or absence of these manuals may be relevant if a tenant dispute involves whether they used appliances correctly.

Warranties and certificates. The landlord may have received waterproofing certificates, electrical certificates, or gas compliance certificates from tradespeople. These don't go in the condition report, but they're worth flagging to the landlord to retain. A condition report note that "waterproofing certificate was issued for the bathroom renovation — retained by landlord" provides context if waterproofing fails during the tenancy.

Across Australian tribunals, freshly painted walls generate more exit disputes after post-renovation tenancies than any other item. Understanding why helps you document them better.

The core dynamic is this: fresh paint shows marks more visibly than aged paint that has accumulated some wear. A tenant who has lived somewhere for two years may have left scuffs and marks that, against aged painted walls, would be borderline between damage and fair wear and tear. Against fresh paint from the start of the tenancy, those same marks are starkly obvious in photos. This creates two opposite problems: landlords sometimes over-claim (arguing that every mark on new paint is damage), and tenants sometimes argue that marks visible in exit photos would have occurred with any level of normal use.

The relevant framework across all states is the same: fair wear and tear is the gradual deterioration that results from ordinary, reasonable use of the property over time. Whether a mark on a painted wall is fair wear and tear or damage depends on the nature of the mark, the tenancy length, the paint type, and the specific location. A scuff at shoulder height in a hallway in a four-year tenancy is more likely to be fair wear and tear than a large gouge in a bedroom wall after six months.

Your condition report documentation helps here in a specific way: it establishes the exact starting condition with precision. If your entry photos show pristine, unmarked walls with a particular sheen, and your exit photos show a wall with a different type of mark or damage, the comparison is clear. The tighter and more precise your entry documentation, the less room there is for dispute about what changed during the tenancy.

See also the fair wear and tear vs damage guide for specific examples across different surfaces and tenancy lengths.

New appliances need a specific entry procedure that goes beyond what a standard condition report covers for existing appliances. Three things matter most: confirming the appliance is operational, recording identifying information, and testing every function.

Test every function. A new oven should be tested on all cooking modes, not just one. A new dishwasher should be run through a cycle — manufacturers sometimes leave small pieces of packaging inside that can block the drain. A new rangehood should be tested on all fan speeds and the light confirmed working. A new air conditioning system should be tested on both heating and cooling. New hot water systems should produce hot water at the expected temperature. These tests take time but they establish that the appliance was working at the start of the tenancy — which is essential if an appliance failure during the tenancy becomes disputed.

Record serial numbers and model information. Photograph the information label on every appliance — inside the oven door, on the dishwasher door frame, on the air conditioning wall unit. This information establishes when the appliance was manufactured and its model, which helps at exit if an appliance has failed and you need to distinguish between physical damage caused by the tenant and end-of-life failure.

Note any protective film or factory settings. Some appliances arrive with factory settings that the tenant will change during the tenancy — heating and cooling default temperatures, for example. Others arrive with protective film on control panels or surfaces. Note these at entry so there's no confusion at exit about surface marks beneath the film.

For landlords who are unsure how an appliance works, a note in the condition report that the user manual is located somewhere in the property is helpful. If the tenant later claims they didn't know how to operate an appliance and caused damage, having noted the manual's location establishes that the information was available.

A well-executed post-renovation entry condition report is more useful at exit than any other type of entry condition report. The reason is that the "as new" baseline is unambiguous. When exit photos are compared against a property where everything was new at entry, the visual comparison is clear.

For bond claims, this means you can establish with precision which items deteriorated beyond fair wear and tear during the tenancy. New carpet with well-documented entry condition and clearly photographed staining at exit is straightforward to claim for. Freshly painted walls with precise entry documentation and gouge marks at exit are defensible. New appliances with recorded serial numbers and functional tests at entry, found damaged at exit, are documented to the standard tribunals expect.

The Australian bond dispute tribunals — VCAT in Victoria, NCAT in New South Wales, QCAT in Queensland, and their equivalents in other states — consistently apply the same standard: the property manager must prove that the exit condition is worse than the entry condition, accounting for fair wear and tear, and provide evidence that supports that position. A complete, photograph-rich entry condition report on a newly renovated property makes this straightforward because the starting point is so clearly documented.

The one risk in a post-renovation property is overclaiming. Not every mark on a wall at exit is damage. Not every scratch on a new floor is beyond fair wear and tear. Tribunals are experienced in identifying property managers who are trying to hold tenants to an unrealistic standard of maintenance — claiming for minor marks that would be acceptable after any occupancy. The goal is not to return the property to "as new" at exit: it's to return it to the condition it would be in after appropriate use for the tenancy length. A well-documented entry report gives you a clear picture of what genuinely changed; use it fairly.

Based on the considerations in this guide, here is a practical sequence for completing a condition report on a newly renovated property:

Before the inspection. Confirm with the landlord or builder that all work is complete, the property has been professionally cleaned, and no further tradesperson access is required before tenancy commencement. Get confirmation on which appliances are new and whether any warranties or compliance certificates have been issued.

During the inspection. Work through the property systematically using your state's prescribed condition report form. For every item that has been renovated, rate it "new" or "as new" with a specific description. Photograph every room from at least two opposite corners. Take detail shots of every appliance, all new flooring, and every significant surface area. Photograph every builder defect and label it explicitly as pre-existing in your notes. Test every appliance and every functional element: locks, lights, taps, drainage, heating, cooling, exhaust fans, appliances. Record serial numbers for appliances by photographing their information labels.

Immediately after the inspection. Review your photos before leaving the property. If any areas are poorly lit, underexposed, or unclear, re-photograph them while you're still on site. Check that every room has at least two overview photos and that all appliances have been photographed with their identifying information visible.

Before delivering to the tenant. Complete the report in full. Describe every pre-existing builder defect clearly. Sign the report. Deliver it to the tenant as required by your state's rules — with enough time for them to review and return their signed copy within the statutory period (typically five to seven working days depending on the state).

File and retain. Retain the signed condition report — the original entry report, the tenant's signed acknowledgement, and the timestamped photo set — for the full tenancy and beyond. Bond dispute claims can be lodged for some time after the tenancy ends; the evidence must be accessible when needed.

The extra time spent on a thorough entry inspection for a renovated property — typically thirty to sixty minutes longer than a standard entry inspection — pays for itself many times over if the tenancy results in a bond dispute.