Queensland Exit Condition Report (Form 14a): Complete Guide for Property Managers

The exit condition report is the document that records the condition of a rental property at the end of a tenancy, after the tenant has vacated. In Queensland, the prescribed form for a general tenancy is Form 14a, issued by the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA). It is the companion to Form 1a, the entry condition report completed at the start of the tenancy, and together the two documents form the evidentiary backbone of any bond claim or bond dispute.

The purpose of Form 14a is to create a documented record of the property's condition when the tenant leaves, which can then be compared directly against the entry condition report. Where the two reports show a difference that goes beyond fair wear and tear, the landlord or property manager may have grounds to claim against the bond. Where they match, the bond should be refunded in full.

Getting the exit condition report right matters in practical terms. Bond disputes in Queensland are resolved through RTA conciliation and, where agreement cannot be reached, through QCAT (Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal). In both forums, the quality of the exit condition report and how it compares to the entry report is central to the outcome. A thorough, specific Form 14a strengthens a legitimate bond claim. A vague or incomplete one undermines it.

Understanding how Form 14a works — who completes it, when, and what obligations apply to the property manager — is essential for any agency managing Queensland residential tenancies.

Form 14a is the approved form for general tenancy exit condition reports under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2009. It is available for download from the RTA's website at rta.qld.gov.au and is updated periodically to reflect legislative changes. Property managers should always use the current version of the form.

The form covers the same areas as Form 1a: every room in the property, each fixture, fitting, and inclusion. This parallel structure is deliberate — it allows a direct, item-by-item comparison between the property's condition at entry and at exit. For each room and each item, Form 14a provides space to record condition notes and, in the property manager's review, to mark any disagreements with the tenant's assessment.

A separate form, Form 14b, applies to exit condition reports for moveable dwellings and sites such as caravan parks. This guide covers Form 14a, which is the prescribed form for standard residential general tenancies: houses, townhouses, units, and similar dwellings.

The RTA accepts digital condition reports that replicate the prescribed form's content and structure, provided they contain all the same information as Form 14a. The medium does not have to be paper, but the content must be equivalent to the prescribed form. A generic inspection checklist that does not follow the structure of Form 14a would not meet the prescribed form requirement.

The exit condition report requirement for Queensland residential tenancies is established by section 66 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (RTRAA 2008). Property managers operating in Queensland need to understand both what the section requires and how it allocates responsibilities between the tenant and the lessor or agent.

Section 66(2) places the primary obligation for preparing the exit condition report on the tenant. The tenant must prepare the exit condition report in the approved form (Form 14a), on or before the day the residential tenancy agreement ends, and must give a copy to the lessor or agent as soon as practicable after the agreement ends.

Section 66(3) then places a response obligation on the lessor or agent. Within 3 business days of receiving the tenant's completed Form 14a, the lessor or agent must mark any parts of the report they disagree with, and return a signed copy to the tenant at whatever forwarding address the tenant has provided.

Section 66 also requires the lessor or agent to keep a copy of the signed condition report for at least one year after the tenancy agreement ends. This record-keeping obligation ensures that evidence is preserved in the event of a bond dispute lodged some time after the tenancy concludes.

This division of responsibility is often misunderstood. Unlike the entry condition report (Form 1a), where the agent's obligation to complete and provide the form to the tenant is explicit, it is the tenant who is responsible for preparing Form 14a. The agent's formal obligation under section 66 is to respond to the form, not to initiate it — though in practice, property managers routinely conduct their own exit inspection and document the property's condition regardless of whether the tenant completes their side of the form.

The tenant is responsible for completing the exit condition report. Under section 66(2) of the RTRAA 2008, the tenant must prepare Form 14a on or before the day the tenancy agreement ends, and provide a copy to the lessor or agent as soon as practicable after the agreement ends.

In practice, many property managers conduct a joint exit inspection with the tenant on or near the vacate date, walking through the property together to assess each item and record conditions. This approach reduces the likelihood of post-vacate disputes because both parties see the same condition in real time. If there is a point of concern — a mark on the carpet, grease in the oven, or staining on grout — both parties can discuss it, photograph it, and agree on how it will be recorded and whether it needs to be addressed before the bond is returned.

Whether or not the inspection is joint, the property manager should complete their own assessment of the property as close to the vacate date as possible, after the tenant has fully moved out and the property is accessible. The exit inspection must be conducted before any cleaning, maintenance, or repairs are organised. The documentation needs to capture the condition the tenant left the property in — not the condition after rectification.

The timing of the exit inspection also matters for the bond evidence requirement. If a claim is made against the bond, the property manager must provide supporting evidence to the tenant within 14 days of making that claim. Completing the exit condition report promptly after the tenant vacates keeps that evidence ready.

Under section 66(3) of the RTRAA 2008, the lessor or agent has 3 business days after receiving the tenant's completed Form 14a to mark any parts of the report they disagree with, and to return a signed copy to the tenant at the forwarding address the tenant has provided.

This 3-business-day window is a hard legislative deadline, not a guideline. For property managers managing several vacating properties simultaneously, or dealing with a tenant who vacates on a Thursday or Friday, this deadline requires active tracking. The clock starts from the moment the agent receives the tenant's completed Form 14a — not from when they get around to reviewing it.

In practical terms: when the tenant provides their completed Form 14a, the property manager should promptly inspect the property (if not already done), compare the tenant's assessment against their own observations, note any items of disagreement, sign the form, and return the marked-up copy to the tenant's forwarding address within 3 business days. If the property manager agrees with every item in the tenant's report, the form should still be signed and returned within that window.

The forwarding address requirement is specific. The property manager must return the form to whatever address the tenant has nominated as their forwarding address. If the tenant has not provided a forwarding address, this component of the obligation cannot be met, though the agent should still complete and retain their review of the report.

Property managers should keep clear records of when they received the tenant's Form 14a and when they returned their response. The date of receipt and the date of response are both facts that may be relevant if the process is questioned during a bond dispute.

The exit inspection follows the same structure as the entry inspection: work through the property room by room, systematically checking every item that was documented on Form 1a. Having the entry condition report open — on a tablet, phone, or printout — during the exit inspection makes the comparison immediate and methodical.

For each room, check walls, ceilings, floor coverings, windows and window tracks, doors, light fittings, power points, and any fixtures or inclusions. For bedrooms, check built-in wardrobes inside and out. For bathrooms, check tiles and grout, shower screens, silicon seals around baths and showers, toilet condition, vanity, mirror, exhaust fan, and tapware. For kitchens, check the oven interior and exterior, cooktop, rangehood and filter, dishwasher if applicable, benchtops, splashback, sink, and all cupboards inside and out. Check outdoor areas: patios, balconies, gardens, carports, fencing, clotheslines, and any garden or pool equipment included in the tenancy.

Cleanliness is often the most disputed category at exit. Document the cleaning standard for each area specifically: "oven interior has grease buildup on base and sides, racks have baked-on residue" is far more useful than "oven: dirty." Specific descriptions give the tenant a clear picture of what needs to be addressed and give a tribunal member an accurate sense of the exit condition.

Photograph everything at the exit inspection, regardless of whether it looks the same as at entry. Take wide shots of each room and close-ups of any areas that differ from the entry condition. Where damage or uncleanliness will be the basis for a bond claim, a photograph that clearly shows the condition at exit — taken on the inspection date with a visible timestamp — is essential. Where possible, match the angle and framing of the entry photographs so the comparison is visually clear and direct.

The purpose of the exit condition report is not to document the property's condition in isolation, but to enable a direct comparison with the entry condition report. The two forms mirror each other in structure so that each item documented at entry has a corresponding entry at exit.

When reviewing Form 14a alongside Form 1a, property managers are looking for items where the exit condition is materially worse than the entry condition, and where that deterioration goes beyond fair wear and tear. If the entry report records "carpet: beige, medium pile, no stains, no wear patterns" and the exit report records "carpet: stain approximately 30cm diameter near bedroom doorway, dark in colour, not present at entry," there is a clear documented discrepancy that may support a damage or cleaning claim.

The quality of Form 1a directly determines how useful this comparison is. If the entry report uses vague descriptions like "carpet: good," the tenant and any tribunal member can dispute what "good" meant. If the entry report uses specific, objective descriptions, the comparison is clear and direct.

Property managers who complete both forms with the same level of detail, using consistent language and parallel structure, find that resolving bond disputes is significantly more straightforward. The combination of a thorough Form 1a, a thorough Form 14a, and timestamped photographs from both inspections produces the strongest possible evidentiary package for a Queensland bond claim. For a deeper explanation of how Form 1a works and how to complete it thoroughly, see the RTA Form 1a QLD guide.

Section 66(2) of the RTRAA 2008 places the obligation to prepare and provide Form 14a on the tenant. However, the Act does not prevent the property manager from conducting their own exit inspection if the tenant fails to provide their completed Form 14a. In practice, property managers regularly inspect and document the property's condition independently, regardless of whether the tenant has submitted their own form.

If the tenant does not submit Form 14a, the property manager should complete a thorough exit inspection as soon as practicable after the tenant vacates, document the condition of each room and each item with the same level of detail as an equivalent Form 14a, and take a comprehensive photographic record of the entire property. This self-completed exit inspection report becomes part of the evidence that can be presented in a bond claim or dispute, alongside the Form 1a entry report and photographs from both inspections.

Where the property manager has conducted the exit inspection independently, the documentation should clearly note the date and time of the inspection, and that it was completed in the absence of a tenant-submitted Form 14a.

In a bond dispute, the absence of a tenant-submitted Form 14a does not automatically resolve anything in the property manager's favour. QCAT will consider all available evidence from both parties. What it does mean is that there is no mutually acknowledged exit record, which can complicate the dispute. The property manager's independent exit inspection and photographs become the primary source of documented exit condition evidence, and their quality will determine how effectively a bond claim can be supported.

The principle of fair wear and tear applies at every exit inspection in Queensland. Tenants are required to return the property in the same condition as they received it, taking fair wear and tear into account. Not every change in condition between entry and exit is claimable against the bond.

Fair wear and tear refers to the gradual deterioration that occurs through normal, everyday use of a property over time. Faded paintwork, minor scuff marks at shoulder height in a hallway, slight carpet compression under furniture legs, and small marks around light switches are examples of changes that typically fall within fair wear and tear. These cannot be claimed against the bond.

Damage is deterioration beyond what normal use would cause, or that results from negligence, misuse, or accident. A cigarette burn in carpet, a hole in a wall, broken tiles, or pet damage are not fair wear and tear. Grease buildup in an oven, mould resulting from inadequate ventilation habits, or heavily stained grout from lack of cleaning are also typically claimable, provided the entry condition report documents that these issues were not present at the start of the tenancy.

The duration of the tenancy is relevant. A small scuff on a skirting board after a six-month tenancy may be treated differently from the same scuff appearing after a five-year tenancy, where considerably more wear would be expected. QCAT considers the length of the tenancy, the age and condition of the item at entry, and what a reasonable person would expect from normal use over that period.

For a detailed guide to distinguishing fair wear and tear from damage across common rental property items, see the fair wear and tear vs damage guide.

Queensland's bond evidence requirements changed progressively from 30 September 2024. For bonds lodged with the RTA on or after 30 September 2024, property managers were immediately required to provide supporting evidence to the tenant within 14 days of making a bond claim or disputing a bond refund request. For bonds lodged before 30 September 2024, a 12-month transitional period applied, ending 30 September 2025. From October 2025, the evidence requirement has applied to all bonds regardless of when they were lodged with the RTA.

The exit condition report is a central piece of that evidence package. When a property manager makes a claim against a bond for cleaning, damage, or missing items, they must provide the tenant with supporting documentation within 14 days of making the claim. For condition-related claims, the evidence package will typically include the exit condition report (Form 14a), the entry condition report (Form 1a) for comparison, and timestamped photographs from both inspections. For other claims — rent arrears, unpaid utilities — invoices, statements, or ledger records are required.

Not providing supporting evidence to the tenant within the required timeframe when making or disputing a bond claim is an offence under Queensland law. The RTA has confirmed this position publicly, including in its guidance on offences it can investigate.

This 14-day window means property managers need their exit condition report completed, their photographs organised, and their supporting documentation ready quickly after the tenancy ends. A thorough exit condition report stored digitally alongside the entry report and the photographic record is far easier to retrieve and share within 14 days than documentation spread across email folders or paper files.

For more detail on Queensland's bond evidence requirements and what documentation is required for each type of claim, see the QLD bond evidence requirements guide.

Bond claims that fail or are significantly reduced at RTA conciliation and QCAT often trace back to one of a small number of avoidable mistakes in the exit inspection and Form 14a documentation.

Inspecting before the property is fully vacated. Conducting the exit inspection while the tenant's belongings are still in the property makes it impossible to accurately assess floors, walls, and other surfaces. Always wait until the property is completely empty and the tenant has returned all keys.

Vague condition descriptions. "Kitchen: not clean" is not useful evidence. "Kitchen oven interior: heavy grease and food residue on base, sides, and door glass; oven racks have baked-on food residue" is useful evidence. The specificity of each description determines how usable it is in a dispute.

Not having the Form 1a available during the exit inspection. Without the entry report as a reference, the comparison relies on memory or photographs alone. Having Form 1a open during the exit walkthrough means every item is checked against the documented entry condition in real time, and discrepancies are caught systematically rather than retrospectively.

Photographing after cleaning or repairs have been done. If tradespeople or cleaners have already been through the property before the exit condition is photographed, the evidence of how the tenant left it is gone. Complete the photographic documentation before any work is carried out.

Missing the 3-business-day response window. Once the tenant provides their Form 14a, the obligation runs from that moment. Three business days passes quickly when there are other vacating properties and routine inspections in the schedule. Set a calendar reminder as soon as the tenant's form is received.

Not keeping the documentation. The record-keeping requirement under section 66 is at least one year after the tenancy ends. Bond disputes can be initiated well after the tenancy has concluded. Digital storage with automatic backup means the documentation is available when it is needed, rather than lost in a physical filing system.

Digital condition report tools have become standard in Queensland property management for practical reasons: they integrate photographs directly into the report, create automatic timestamps, enable cloud storage with backup, and make the comparison between entry and exit reports straightforward.

A digital exit condition report must contain all the same information and cover all the same areas as Form 14a to be compliant with the prescribed form requirement. It cannot be a generic inspection checklist that omits sections or does not follow the structure of the prescribed form. Property managers using digital tools should confirm that their chosen platform generates a report that is equivalent in content to Form 14a.

The practical advantages of digital exit condition reports over paper-based Form 14a completion are meaningful. Photographs attach directly to the relevant item in the relevant room, rather than sitting in a separate folder where the connection between image and written description can be lost. Timestamping is automatic and embedded in the file. Reports can be emailed to the tenant immediately after completion, creating a timestamped delivery record. Historical entry reports are accessible alongside the exit report for direct item-by-item comparison.

AI-assisted platforms like ConditionHQ can generate specific, detailed condition descriptions based on photographs and inspection notes. This addresses the most common weakness in exit condition reports: descriptions that are too vague to function as evidence. Condition descriptions that are specific, objective, and clearly linked to photographs are far more useful in bond claims than descriptions written quickly at the end of a busy inspection day.

For Queensland general tenancies, the complete documentation set — Form 1a entry report, Form 14a exit report, and all photographs from both inspections — should be stored together and remain accessible for at least one year after the tenancy ends. This is the documentation package that must be produced if the bond is disputed and evidence is required within 14 days of making a claim.