WA Entry Condition Report: Property Manager's Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

The Western Australia entry property condition report performs a specific and legally significant function under section 27C of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA): it establishes the agreed condition of the premises at the exact point in time the tenant takes possession. This record is what a property manager relies on when a bond dispute reaches the Commissioner for Consumer Protection — the determination body introduced under WA's March 2026 bond dispute reforms — or the Magistrates Court on appeal.

The document is known in WA as the Property Condition Report, or PCR. Consumer Protection WA, the state's tenancy regulator operating under the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS), publishes a standard PCR template — informally called Form 1 — that is the accepted industry format. Unlike Queensland, which mandates the exact RTA Form 1a with no alternative, WA's standard template is not as rigidly prescribed. However, the Consumer Protection WA format is what the Commissioner for Consumer Protection and the Magistrates Court expect to see in bond proceedings, and departing from it without good reason introduces unnecessary risk.

The practical consequence of completing a thorough entry PCR is straightforward: if the report records the kitchen oven as clean and in working order at entry, and the exit PCR shows heavy grease buildup, you have a specific documented comparison. Without the entry record, there is no baseline — and in WA's post-March 2026 bond determination process, the Commissioner works from documentary evidence. A bond claim unsupported by an entry PCR is extraordinarily difficult to sustain.

Failure to provide the entry PCR within 7 days of the tenant taking possession carries a penalty of $5,000 under the Act. This is a statutory penalty that Consumer Protection WA can apply — not a theoretical risk for agencies with disorganised entry inspection workflows.

This guide focuses specifically on the entry inspection process in WA: how to prepare for it, complete it systematically, photograph it thoroughly, deliver it correctly within the statutory window, and manage the tenant's 7-day review period. For the full WA condition report framework, see the WA condition report requirements guide. For the exit process, see the exit condition report WA guide. For bond claims after exit, see WA bond and condition report rules.

The Consumer Protection WA standard PCR template is structured as a room-by-room assessment of the entire premises. For each room or area, the form provides space for the lessor's or agent's assessment at entry and the tenant's response, with written comments for each item.

Standard areas covered by the form include the entry and hallways, the lounge or living area, the dining area, the kitchen (with specific provision for appliances), each bedroom, each bathroom and toilet (with separate entries where there are multiple), the laundry, the garage or carport, outdoor areas including garden, lawns, fences, and paths, and any additional rooms or structures specific to the property. For furnished tenancies, each piece of furniture must also be documented — see the furnished properties section below.

The most important thing to understand about WA's standard PCR is what adequate documentation looks like. The form accepts written comments rather than a binary Y/N system like NSW. This is both an opportunity and a responsibility. The quality of a WA entry PCR is determined almost entirely by the specificity of those comments.

A wall comment that reads "white painted walls, no marks or scuffs, consistent finish throughout" is useful. "Walls — ok" is not. At exit, if there is damage to the wall, you need to demonstrate that the damage was not there at entry — and a vague entry description gives the Commissioner for Consumer Protection very little to work with.

A kitchen comment that reads "oven clean, no residue on base or walls, all elements working, rangehood filter clean" establishes a clear baseline. "Kitchen — good" does not. The rule for every comment in a WA entry PCR: it must be specific enough that a reader at exit can determine whether the item's condition has changed.

Pre-existing conditions must be noted explicitly. Some property managers avoid recording existing marks or wear because they think it reflects poorly on the property. The opposite is true. Recording a specific pre-existing scuff or stain protects both parties — the tenant knows it will not be claimed against them, and the agent has an accurate, defensible baseline. An entry PCR that records every room as flawless when it is not is less credible than one that accurately describes existing imperfections.

A well-completed WA entry condition report starts before you arrive at the property. These preparation steps reduce on-site time, reduce the risk of gaps in the record, and improve the quality of the final document.

Schedule the inspection before the tenant takes possession. The entry PCR must record the condition of the premises while they are vacant — after the final clean and any maintenance, but before the tenant's belongings are present. An inspection conducted after the tenant has started moving in cannot accurately document floors, wall surfaces behind furniture, or the interior of built-in storage. If the tenant is partially moved in and the inspection cannot happen in advance of key handover, note clearly on the report that it was completed before any items were placed.

Configure your template in advance. If you use inspection software, set it up for the specific property before you leave the office: the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, any furnished items listed in the tenancy agreement, pool equipment or garden structures, garage inclusions, or any additional rooms specific to the property. Ten minutes of template preparation before leaving saves time on-site and reduces the risk of overlooking items.

Check the tenancy agreement's inclusions list. Every item listed as a tenancy inclusion must appear in the entry PCR with its condition noted. Specific appliances, window treatments, furniture, remote controls, and access devices all need to be documented. An inclusion absent from the entry PCR cannot be claimed against the bond at exit, regardless of what the tenancy agreement says.

Charge devices and clear storage. A thorough entry inspection with photographs for a three-bedroom property requires between 60 and 150 images. Arrive with a fully charged device, sufficient storage, and a backup plan — either a second device or inspection software with automatic cloud backup.

Allow sufficient time. A thorough WA entry PCR for a three-bedroom house takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Scheduling less time than this means areas will be missed, which becomes a problem when the exit inspection finds damage in a room the entry report did not document properly.

Work through the property systematically using the PCR's room-by-room structure, starting at the entrance and progressing through each area in order. A consistent sequence ensures nothing is overlooked and makes the report easy to navigate — by the tenant during their 7-day review, and by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection if a dispute is lodged months or years later.

Entrance and hallways. Check the front door lock and note the number of keys, remote controls, and access devices issued to the tenant. Document the entry floor surface, walls, ceiling, and light fittings. For hallways, pay particular attention to walls at shoulder height where scuffs accumulate, skirting boards, and any built-in storage including its interior.

Living areas. Cover all four walls including below windows and around power points and light switches. Note the ceiling for any water marks, staining, or previous repairs. Document the floor surface (material, colour, any pre-existing marks), windows and flyscreens, window coverings (type and current condition), light fittings, and any fixed inclusions such as a split-system air conditioner, ceiling fan, or wall bracket.

Bedrooms. For each bedroom: all four walls, ceiling, floor (including carpet or hard floor condition and any pre-existing staining), windows and flyscreens, and the interior of built-in wardrobes — specifically shelves, hanging rails, and the wardrobe floor. Ceiling fans and any wall-mounted heating or cooling units listed as inclusions.

Kitchen. The kitchen requires the most detailed documentation. Ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, and benchtops are among the most commonly contested items in WA bond disputes. For the oven: describe the interior specifically — base, rear wall, door glass, and racks. Note the cooktop or stovetop elements individually. For the benchtop: the material and any existing scratches or marks with their location. For the dishwasher if present: interior, racks, and filter condition. For the rangehood: filter condition and whether the light operates. Sink and tapware condition. Do not mark the oven clean if there is any residue — a false entry entry record is the reason cleaning claims fail at exit.

Bathrooms. Shower tiles and grout — note any existing mould or discolouration specifically, since these are frequently disputed in WA bond claims. Shower screen condition and seals. Bath if present. Toilet bowl and cistern. Vanity and mirror. Exhaust fan. Tapware. For properties with a separate toilet, document it as its own section.

Laundry. Tub and tapware, walls (common for splash marks near the tub), floor, and the washing machine if it is a tenancy inclusion.

Outdoor areas. Garden beds and lawns — their condition at entry is the standard the tenant must maintain. Paths and paving. Fencing and gates. Letterbox. Garage or carport including the floor surface and door operation. Clothesline. Any shed or outbuilding. If the property has a pool, note the pool equipment, water condition, and fencing condition separately.

The comment standard throughout. For every item, write a description specific enough to answer: "If I look at this at exit in twelve months, will I be able to tell whether anything has changed?" If yes, the description is adequate. If uncertain, add more detail.

Consumer Protection WA strongly recommends photographs alongside the written condition report, and makes clear that photographs and video are not a substitute for specific written descriptions — both are needed. In practice, bond claims submitted without entry photographs face a significant evidentiary disadvantage before the Commissioner for Consumer Protection or, on appeal, the Magistrates Court.

Photograph every room from two positions. A wide shot from the doorway showing the overall room — walls, floor, and ceiling in the same frame — and a second shot from the opposite corner to capture what the first missed. These whole-room photographs establish the general condition before the close-up detail work.

Photograph every item for which you have noted a specific condition or pre-existing defect. Any item recorded in the PCR with a noted pre-existing mark, stain, or damage must have at least one close-up photograph. A written description without a photograph can be challenged by a tenant who claims the defect appeared during the tenancy.

Prioritise high-friction areas. Ovens, carpets, bathroom tiles and grout, shower screens, and wall surfaces are the items most frequently disputed in WA bond proceedings. For the oven: interior from the front, the base, the rear wall of the cavity, the racks pulled out, and the door glass. For carpets: the overall floor surface from the doorway, plus close-ups of any pre-existing staining or wear marks. For bathrooms: tiles and grout, shower screen, toilet bowl, and vanity surface.

Check that timestamps are accurate. The photograph's embedded metadata — date and time — is the primary timestamp. Check that your device's clock is correctly set before starting the inspection. Inspection software that attaches timestamps to image files provides a second layer of confirmation useful if the metadata is ever challenged.

Organise photographs in the same sequence as the PCR. When you later assemble evidence for a bond dispute — potentially months after the inspection — photographs organised room by room in the same order as the condition report are far easier to cross-reference than an unorganised folder of images.

Photograph appliances, cupboard interiors, and outdoor areas in detail. These are areas frequently overlooked during entry inspections and regularly become the subject of claims at exit. Photographs of oven interiors, rangehood filters, cupboard shelves, fence condition, and garden state provide specific evidence that is difficult to dispute if the exit condition differs.

Section 27C of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA) requires the lessor or property manager to provide two copies of the completed, signed entry property condition report to the tenant within 7 days of the tenant entering into occupation of the premises.

This is a possession-based deadline, not a lease-signing deadline. If a tenant signs the tenancy agreement on 1 July but does not take possession until 8 July, the 7-day window runs from 8 July. This is a meaningful distinction for agencies where there is a gap between lease execution and key handover — the clock does not start on signature day.

Two signed copies must be provided. Both copies should be completed and signed by the agent or lessor before delivery. The tenant keeps one copy and uses the second to note any disagreements before returning it within their 7-day review window.

For paper delivery: Provide two printed, signed copies to the tenant on or before the day they take possession. Retain the agency's own signed original as the primary record.

For electronic delivery: Delivering two electronic copies by email — or one electronic copy together with a clear acknowledgement satisfying the two-copy intent — is workable in practice. Email delivery creates a timestamped delivery record showing exactly when the tenant received the document, which is more defensible than paper in a disputed delivery scenario. If you use inspection software with electronic delivery, confirm that the output counts as two copies under the Act, or provide two separate PDFs.

Sign before you deliver. The agent must sign the lessor's section of the PCR before providing it to the tenant. An unsigned entry condition report does not satisfy the section 27C obligation.

Best practice is to complete and deliver on handover day. Conducting the entry inspection on the day of the final pre-tenancy clean, completing the PCR and photographs while the property is vacant, and delivering two signed copies to the tenant at key handover satisfies both the preparation standard (vacant property) and the statutory delivery timeline (within 7 days of possession) in a single workflow. Many agencies using digital inspection software complete the inspection, generate the report, and email it to the tenant — creating an automatic delivery record — at the moment keys are handed over.

Note the tenant's return deadline at the time of delivery. The tenant has 7 calendar days from receiving the copies to note any disagreements and return one copy. Calculate and note this deadline when you deliver the report, and set a calendar reminder to follow up.

Once the signed entry PCR has been delivered, the tenant's review window begins. Under section 27C of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, the tenant has 7 calendar days from receiving the copies to inspect the premises, note any items they disagree with on one copy, and return that copy to the agent or lessor.

This is a 7 calendar day window — not business days. A tenant who receives the report on a Thursday has until the following Thursday to return it.

The deemed acceptance rule. If the tenant does not return a copy within 7 calendar days, they are taken to have accepted the report as a true and accurate description of the condition of the premises. This is one of WA's most important and distinctive tenancy law provisions, and it is explicit in section 27C. In a later bond dispute, a tenant who did not return the report within 7 days has very limited grounds to argue that the recorded entry condition was inaccurate.

Document the non-return if it occurs. A brief file note — "Entry PCR emailed to tenant on [date]. Not returned within 7 calendar days. Deemed accepted per section 27C RTA 1987 (WA)." — protects your position if the point is ever raised before the Commissioner for Consumer Protection.

If the tenant returns the report with no disagreements marked: The completed, returned report is the mutually acknowledged entry record for the tenancy. File it securely alongside the entry photographs in a location that will remain accessible for the duration of the tenancy and for a reasonable period after it ends. Digital storage with cloud backup is the practical solution.

If the tenant returns the report with disagreements noted: Review each point carefully. If the tenant identifies a genuine condition issue that was not adequately recorded — existing grout mould in a bathroom, a pre-existing scuff that was missed — acknowledge it, add a note to the tenancy record, and photograph the item if access is possible. If the tenant disputes something you believe is accurately recorded and photographed, note the disagreement on file without revising your assessment. Both the agent's assessment and the tenant's comment form part of the record.

Send a reminder at day 5. A brief email — "Just a reminder that your copy of the property condition report is due back by [date]" — reduces the likelihood of a non-return and creates a documented communication trail that demonstrates good faith if the matter is ever reviewed.

Western Australia caps the security bond at four weeks' rent for most residential tenancies, regardless of whether the property is furnished or unfurnished. The exception is where the weekly rent exceeds $1,200, in which case no maximum cap applies. Despite the standard bond cap, furnished tenancies carry a heavier documentation obligation that property managers must understand.

For a furnished property, every piece of furniture included in the tenancy must be documented in the entry PCR. This means recording the item (sofa, dining table, chairs, bed base, mattress, dresser, and so on), a description of the item (material, colour, approximate size), and its condition at entry — with specific notes for any existing wear, staining, scratches, or damage already present.

The practical consequence of not documenting furnished items is that they cannot be claimed against at exit. If a sofa is damaged during the tenancy and the entry PCR does not record the sofa's condition at entry, the agent has no baseline from which to demonstrate the damage occurred during the tenancy rather than being pre-existing.

A furnished entry inspection takes longer, and the PCR is more detailed. Budget additional time for furnished tenancies. Use the PCR's additional items section, or add a separate schedule, to list every piece of furniture with condition notes and photographs.

Photographs of furniture are particularly important for furnished WA properties. Furniture condition is inherently subjective — "good" and "poor" mean different things to different people — and photographic evidence of specific staining, scratching, or wear at entry is the clearest basis for a comparison at exit. Photograph the overall piece and any specific existing damage or wear in close-up.

Embed furniture items into the relevant room sections where possible. Documenting the dining table under the dining area, the bed under each bedroom, and the sofa under the living area makes the exit comparison more straightforward than maintaining a separate furniture list alongside the room-by-room report.

Since March 2026, most WA bond disputes are handled by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection through the Determinations Branch of Bonds Administration — not the Magistrates Court as the first step. This change is one of the most significant reforms to WA's residential tenancy system in years, and it has made the quality of the entry PCR more operationally significant than it was under the previous framework.

Under the March 2026 process, when a bond dispute is lodged, the Commissioner for Consumer Protection reviews the documentary evidence submitted by both parties — the entry PCR, the exit PCR, photographs, quotes, invoices, and correspondence — and makes a determination. Parties can appeal that determination to the Magistrates Court. The Commissioner's determination process is document-driven. If the entry PCR is vague, incomplete, or not supported by photographs, the agent's ability to establish a baseline for claimed damage is significantly weakened at this stage.

The direct line from entry documentation quality to bond dispute outcomes is this: a specific, detailed entry PCR with timestamped photographs makes the assembly of exit evidence straightforward. An entry PCR with generic comments and no photographs makes it very difficult to demonstrate that damage found at exit was not pre-existing — which is the foundational question in any WA bond dispute.

For WA property managers, the practical implication is that the entry inspection is not a one-time administrative task that ends when the copies are delivered to the tenant. It is the document the entire end-of-tenancy evidence structure rests on. Every claim made at exit — for cleaning, damage, missing inclusions, or garden deterioration — depends on the entry PCR establishing what condition those items were in when the tenancy began.

For the full WA bond dispute process from exit inspection to Commissioner determination, see WA bond and condition report rules. For the WA bond evidence requirements specifically, see WA bond condition report rules.

These are the entry condition report errors that most frequently undermine Western Australian property managers' bond claims before the Commissioner for Consumer Protection.

Completing the PCR after the tenant has moved in. The entry report must record the property's condition while it is vacant. An inspection conducted with the tenant's furniture and belongings present cannot accurately document floors, walls behind items, or built-in storage. Always inspect before possession is transferred.

Providing only one copy instead of two. Section 27C requires two signed copies to be provided. Agents who provide a single copy — whether paper or electronic — are not meeting the statutory requirement. If delivering electronically, provide two separate copies or confirm with the tenant that a single electronic copy satisfies the two-copy intent in your specific workflow.

Vague written descriptions. "Good condition," "clean and tidy," and "no damage" carry almost no evidentiary weight in a bond dispute. If the item is clean, describe what clean specifically looks like in this property. If there is pre-existing wear or damage, describe its exact nature and location. The condition report is only useful as a bond dispute document if the exit condition can be compared to the entry condition with clarity.

No photographs. Consumer Protection WA recommends photographs, and the Commissioner for Consumer Protection expects them. A bond claim without supporting entry photographs is at a significant evidentiary disadvantage, even when the written descriptions are adequate. Photograph every room and every item of note at entry.

Not documenting furnished items. For furnished properties, every piece of furniture must appear in the entry PCR with condition notes. An item not in the entry report cannot be claimed for at exit.

Delaying delivery past the 7-day window. The $5,000 penalty under section 27C for failing to provide the entry PCR within 7 days of possession is a real enforcement risk for agencies that do not treat entry inspection timing as a priority. The delivery should happen on handover day where possible, and no later than day 7.

Not tracking the deemed acceptance deadline. If the tenant does not return their copy within 7 calendar days, the deemed acceptance rule protects the agent's position — but only if the agent can demonstrate the report was delivered and the return window closed. Track delivery dates and calendar the return deadline for every tenancy.

Purpose-built inspection software significantly improves both the quality and efficiency of WA entry condition reports. For Western Australian property managers, the capabilities that matter most are those that address the weaknesses most commonly exposed in bond disputes.

WA-format templates. The software must generate a report consistent with the Consumer Protection WA standard PCR structure — the same room-by-room layout with written comment fields, not a generic multi-state template. Confirm with any vendor that their WA output mirrors the Consumer Protection WA format rather than a template adapted for Queensland or New South Wales.

Per-item photo attachment. Photographs embedded alongside the specific item and room they document — not uploaded as a separate gallery — produce evidence packages that are faster to review in a bond dispute. When the Commissioner for Consumer Protection or a Magistrates Court associate wants to see the entry condition of the bathroom tiles, they should be able to navigate directly to the bathroom section of the report and see the photographs there, not search through an unorganised photo folder.

Electronic delivery with a delivery record. The software should email the completed and signed PCR to the tenant with a timestamped delivery confirmation. This satisfies the delivery obligation and creates documented evidence of exactly when and how the report was provided — valuable if a deemed acceptance issue arises later.

Tenant return tracking. A feature that flags when the 7-day return window is approaching or has closed reduces the risk of missing the deadline without documentation. Even a basic calendar reminder built into the software or triggered by the delivery step is valuable.

Entry-to-exit comparison. At the end of the tenancy, the ability to view entry and exit conditions side by side — for each item, in each room — dramatically speeds up the assembly of bond claim evidence for the Commissioner's determination process. When the entry description and the exit description for each item are in the same view, identifying claimed items and assembling supporting evidence becomes a structured process rather than a manual comparison of two separate documents.

ConditionHQ generates AI-assisted condition descriptions, produces PCR-format WA condition reports, and maintains a timestamped audit trail suitable for bond dispute proceedings. The free tier includes three full reports per month — enough to run a real WA entry inspection and evaluate whether the output quality and compliance coverage meet your agency's standards before committing to a paid plan.