How to Write a Condition Assessment Report (Step-by-Step Guide for Property Managers)

If you have searched for guidance on writing condition reports in Australia, you have probably noticed that the terminology shifts depending on who is writing and which state they are in. The document is called a condition report in most states, a property condition report in Western Australia, a condition of premises report in the ACT, and is sometimes referred to generically as a condition assessment report across the property management industry.

Regardless of the name, the purpose is the same. A condition assessment report is a detailed, room-by-room record of a rental property's condition at a specific point in time, typically at the start of a tenancy (entry report) or at the end (exit report). It serves as the baseline against which any bond claim will be measured. If a dispute reaches a tribunal, the condition assessment report is almost always the first document the adjudicator asks to see.

The quality of this document directly determines how much protection it provides. A condition assessment report that says "lounge room — good condition" is worth almost nothing at a hearing. A report that says "lounge room — walls painted off-white, no marks or scuffs, carpet medium grey, no stains, all four power points operational, ceiling fan operational and clean, venetian blinds white with all slats intact" gives you a specific, defensible standard against which to measure any changes at exit.

This guide walks through the entire process of writing a thorough condition assessment report, from preparation to final delivery to the tenant. It is written for Australian property managers and reflects the requirements across all states and territories.

A thorough condition assessment report starts before you walk through the front door. Preparation is what separates a professional report from a rushed one that will collapse under scrutiny.

Gather the correct form for your state. Queensland requires Form 1a for entry reports and Form 14a for exit reports. Victoria, NSW, SA, Tasmania, and the ACT each have their own prescribed or recommended formats. Western Australia uses a Property Condition Report form. If you are using digital software, confirm that it generates reports compliant with your state's requirements.

Check the previous condition report if one exists. If this is an exit report, pull up the entry report so you can compare as you walk through. If this is an entry report for a property that has been tenanted before, reviewing the previous exit report gives you context on any recent repairs or maintenance.

Charge your phone or camera. You will need to take a significant number of photographs, and running out of battery halfway through is more common than anyone likes to admit. Bring a portable charger if needed.

Ensure your device's camera has timestamps enabled. EXIF data embedded in photos is far more credible at a tribunal than a handwritten date on a paper form. Check that your phone's date and time are correct.

Bring a torch. Condition reports frequently require inspecting areas with poor lighting: inside ovens, under sinks, behind toilets, inside built-in wardrobes. A phone torch works, but a small handheld torch with stronger output makes the job easier and produces better photographs.

Allow enough time. A thorough condition assessment for a standard three-bedroom house takes 45 to 90 minutes. Rushing the report to fit it into a 20-minute slot between other appointments is how critical items get missed. Block adequate time in your schedule.

If the tenant will be present, let them know in advance that the process takes time and that you will be systematically going through every room and area. Setting this expectation reduces the pressure to hurry.

Consistency is the most important quality in a condition assessment report. Every room should be assessed using the same methodology, covering the same elements in the same order. This prevents you from missing items and creates a predictable structure that is easy to compare against at exit.

Start at the front of the property and work your way through systematically. A logical flow is: exterior and entry, then the main living area, kitchen, each bedroom in order, each bathroom, laundry, garage or carport, and finally the backyard or outdoor areas. Do not jump between rooms or go back to re-check areas you have already completed unless you notice something specific that requires a second look.

For each room, assess the following elements in this order:

Ceiling: Note the material (plaster, timber, etc.), condition, and any marks, cracks, stains, or damage. Check ceiling fans, light fittings, and exhaust fans.

Walls: Work around the room clockwise. Note the finish (painted, wallpapered, tiled), colour, and condition. Record any marks, holes, scuffs, cracks, or areas where paint is peeling or damaged. Pay attention to wall areas behind doors, which are often overlooked.

Floors: Note the type (carpet, tile, timber, vinyl, laminate), colour, and condition. For carpet, check for stains, wear patterns, and damage. For hard floors, check for chips, cracks, scratches, and grout condition.

Windows and window coverings: Check each window opens and closes properly. Note the type and condition of coverings (blinds, curtains, shutters). Check fly screens for tears or damage.

Doors: Check that each door opens, closes, and latches properly. Note the condition of door frames, handles, and locks. Check for scratches, dents, or damage.

Power points and switches: Test each power point and light switch. Note their condition and whether any are cracked, discoloured, or non-functional.

Built-in fixtures: Wardrobes, shelving, cupboards. Open every door and drawer. Check hinges, tracks, shelves, rails, and internal surfaces.

For kitchens and bathrooms, add: benchtops, splashbacks, tapware, sinks, drains, ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, dishwashers, toilets, showers, bathtubs, mirrors, towel rails, and any other fixtures.

This systematic approach ensures nothing gets missed. The first few times you use it, it will feel slow. After a dozen reports, it becomes second nature.

The descriptions in your condition assessment report need to be specific, objective, and consistently structured. Vague or subjective language is the most common weakness in condition reports that fail at tribunal.

Avoid these words and phrases: "good condition," "fair," "average," "OK," "acceptable," "some wear," "minor marks," "general wear and tear." These terms are subjective and mean different things to different people. A tribunal member cannot assess "good condition" because they do not know your standard of good.

Instead, describe what you actually see. Replace "good condition" with a specific description of the surface, its colour, its finish, and any defects present or absent.

Here are before and after examples showing the difference:

Poor: "Kitchen benchtop — good condition." Good: "Kitchen benchtop — laminate, light grey, no chips, scratches, or stains. Edges intact. Joins sealed."

Poor: "Bathroom — some marks on walls." Good: "Bathroom walls — painted white, semi-gloss finish. Two scuff marks on wall behind door, each approximately 30mm, light grey. No other marks. No mould visible on any wall surface."

Poor: "Carpet — fair wear." Good: "Carpet — medium grey, short pile. Traffic wear visible in doorway and path between door and window. No stains. No pulls or fraying. Edges intact at all walls."

Poor: "Oven — needs cleaning." Good: "Oven interior — moderate grease buildup on back wall and both side walls. Door glass has light grease film. Racks have baked-on residue. Oven functional, all elements heating."

Notice the pattern: material or type, colour, then condition with specific observations. When defects are present, describe their location, size, and nature. When an area is clean or undamaged, say so explicitly rather than leaving it to assumption.

Use consistent terminology. If you describe wall finish as "semi-gloss" in the kitchen, use the same term in other rooms with the same finish. If you measure marks in millimetres in the lounge, do the same in the bedroom. Consistency makes the report easier to read and harder to challenge.

One important principle: record what is there, not what you think happened. "Scuff mark, approximately 40mm, at 900mm height on south wall" is a factual observation. "Scuff mark caused by furniture" is an interpretation. Stick to observations in the report.

Photographs are the most powerful evidence in a condition assessment report. A well-taken photo is objective, timestamped, and shows exactly what the property looked like at that moment. Your description supports the photo; the photo proves the description.

For each room, take a minimum of four wide-angle shots from each corner, capturing the full room from different perspectives. These establish the overall condition and layout. Then take close-up shots of every element you have described: benchtops, floors, fixtures, appliances, and any defects or areas of concern.

Use the wide-then-close technique. The wide shot provides context (this is the kitchen), and the close-up provides detail (this is the specific mark on the benchtop near the sink). Without the wide shot, a close-up of a scratch could be from anywhere. Without the close-up, a wide shot does not show the scratch at all.

For defects, include a reference object for scale. A coin, a ruler, or even a pen beside a crack or hole helps the viewer understand its actual size. "A 50mm crack" in a description is supported by a photo showing the crack next to a 20-cent coin.

Lighting matters more than most property managers realise. Use the room's own lighting plus natural light where possible. For dark areas (inside ovens, under sinks, inside wardrobes), use your torch to illuminate the area and then photograph it. Avoid using flash directly on glass or glossy surfaces, as it creates glare that obscures the condition.

Keep your camera steady and check each photo immediately after taking it. A blurry photo is useless. If it is not sharp, take it again. The extra 10 seconds per photo saves hours of frustration later.

At entry, photograph clean surfaces as well as damaged ones. A photo of a clean, empty oven at entry is just as important as a photo of a dirty oven at exit. Without the entry photo, you have nothing to compare against.

For exit reports, match your entry photo angles as closely as possible. Standing in the same position and photographing the same view at both entry and exit creates a direct visual comparison that requires no interpretation.

Even experienced property managers fall into description habits that undermine their reports. Here are the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Using "clean" as the entire description. Writing "kitchen — clean" for an entry report means that if the tenant returns the kitchen in a slightly less clean state, you have no specific standard to enforce. Instead, describe the cleanliness of specific surfaces: "Oven interior clean, no grease residue. Rangehood filter clean, no buildup. Benchtops clear, no stains or residue. Sink and drainer clean, no limescale."

Skipping areas that look fine. The rooms and items that are in perfect condition at entry are exactly the ones you need to document most thoroughly. If you do not record that the carpet was spotless, you cannot claim at exit that the stain was not there before. Document everything, not just the defects.

Inconsistent room naming. If your entry report calls it "Bedroom 2" but your exit report calls it "Second Bedroom" or "Back Bedroom," you create confusion about whether you are describing the same room. Use consistent naming across all reports for a property.

Forgetting outdoor areas. Fences, gates, driveways, paths, garden beds, lawns, clothes lines, letterboxes, and external walls all need to be assessed. Outdoor bond claims are common (dead lawns, damaged fences, oil stains on driveways) and are easy to lose if the entry report does not cover them.

Not recording the working condition of fixtures and appliances. An oven that does not heat, a toilet that runs, a window that does not lock — these need to be noted at entry so the tenant is not held responsible at exit. Test everything that has a function and record whether it works.

Recording tenant belongings as part of the property. During an entry report at the start of a tenancy, the property should ideally be empty. If it is not (perhaps the previous tenant has not fully vacated, or the landlord has left furniture), clearly distinguish between the property's permanent fixtures and any items that will be removed. Do not assess conditions behind or under furniture you cannot move.

Australian property managers have traditionally completed condition reports on paper forms provided by their state's tenancy authority. Paper forms remain legally valid in every state and territory, and there is no legislative requirement to use digital tools.

However, the practical advantages of digital condition assessment reports have led to a significant industry shift. Here is how the two approaches compare.

Paper reports require printing the correct state form, completing it by hand during the inspection, attaching printed photographs separately, and manually filing the completed report. Handwritten entries can be difficult to read, photographs lose their embedded timestamps when printed, and paper reports can be lost, damaged, or misfiled over time. Creating the exit comparison requires placing both paper reports side by side and manually checking each item.

Digital reports are completed on a phone or tablet during the inspection. Photographs are captured within the app and embedded directly in the report alongside the relevant room and item descriptions. Timestamps are preserved automatically. The report is stored in the cloud with automatic backups. Exit comparisons can be generated by the software, highlighting changes between entry and exit condition.

The evidence advantages of digital reports are particularly relevant given the increasing scrutiny applied to condition reports in bond disputes. Digital reports provide embedded photo timestamps (EXIF data), automatic audit trails showing when the report was created and whether it was modified, consistent formatting that meets state requirements, and easy retrieval years after the report was created.

The main consideration with digital tools is choosing one that generates reports compliant with your state's prescribed form requirements. Not all inspection apps do this, particularly apps designed for markets outside Australia. Ensure any tool you adopt produces reports that meet your state's specific format.

A completed condition assessment report is not finished until it has been delivered to the tenant and they have had the opportunity to review it.

Every state and territory in Australia requires that the entry condition report be provided to the tenant at or before the start of the tenancy. The tenant then has a set period (typically 3 to 5 business days, depending on the state) to review the report, note any disagreements with the recorded condition, and return a signed copy.

In Queensland, the tenant has 3 business days to sign and return Form 1a. If they do not return it, the report as completed by the agent is taken to be agreed. In Victoria, the tenant has 5 business days. In NSW, the tenant has 7 days. Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory each have their own timeframes specified in their respective tenancy legislation.

When providing the report to the tenant, use a method that creates a delivery record. Email is ideal because it automatically timestamps the delivery and creates a copy in your sent folder. If you deliver a paper report in person, have the tenant sign an acknowledgment of receipt, or at minimum note the date and time of delivery.

Encourage the tenant to walk through the property with their own copy of the report and note anything they disagree with. This is better for both parties. If the tenant identifies an issue at entry that you missed, correcting it in the report at this stage is far better than discovering the discrepancy during a bond dispute years later.

If the tenant returns the report with amendments, review their notations carefully. If you agree, update the report. If you disagree, note the disagreement. The signed report with both parties' observations becomes the agreed baseline for the tenancy.

Keep the signed entry report accessible for the entire duration of the tenancy. You will need it when the tenancy ends, and tenancies can last years. A report that cannot be located when it is needed is almost as problematic as a report that was never completed.

Writing a thorough condition assessment report is time-consuming, and the detail required to produce a tribunal-ready document means that shortcuts inevitably create risk. ConditionHQ was built specifically to help Australian property managers produce comprehensive reports without spending 90 minutes per property.

The AI-assisted description feature generates detailed, objective descriptions from your photographs. Instead of typing out "laminate benchtop, light grey, no chips or scratches, edges intact, joins sealed" for every surface in every room, you photograph the benchtop and the AI produces a description that matches the specificity standard described in this guide. You review, adjust if needed, and move on.

Reports are generated in the format required by your state's legislation, whether that is Queensland's Form 1a and Form 14a, Victoria's prescribed format, or the requirements for any other state or territory. You do not need to check whether your report template is current or compliant.

All photographs are embedded directly in the report with their original timestamps preserved. The wide-then-close technique described earlier is built into the workflow: the app prompts you for overview shots and detail shots for each room.

When a tenancy ends, the exit comparison feature places entry and exit descriptions and photographs side by side, highlighting any changes. This comparison is the evidence package that supports your bond claim, assembled automatically rather than manually.

ConditionHQ offers a free tier with three reports per month, which is enough to try the platform on your next few inspections and see whether the output quality meets your standards. The Pro plan at $59 per month and Agency plan at $149 per month provide unlimited reports for larger portfolios.