Get Your Rental Bond Back
What the agent checks and in what order, what counts as fair wear and tear, and the photo list before you hand back the keys.
They're inspecting against a document you've never read.
The condition report you signed on day 1 is the whole game, and you filled it in during your first week when you were busy and optimistic and wrote "good" for everything.
Now they're comparing that to a place you've lived in for 3 years, and the gap between the two is your money. Most people lose a few hundred dollars here without ever asking whether they should have.
I've had 2 bonds returned in full since I started prepping like this.
The prompts
1. Start here
Tells you what's actually being assessed.
I'm moving out of a rental on [date] after [how long]. Ask me about the condition of the place, then tell me what the agent will actually check and in what order.
2. Go deeper
Separates your problem from theirs.
Now tell me which of those I should fix myself before handover, and which are fair wear and tear that a tenant shouldn't be charged for.
3. Bonus
The evidence you'll wish you had.
Give me the exact photo list to take before I hand back the keys, and the structure of a claim if they try to keep part of the bond.
Bonus: Make it yours
Tell Claude which state you're in. Wear-and-tear rules and bond timeframes are different in every one.
This gives you the shape of the argument, not a ruling. Check the specifics with your state tenancy authority before you dispute anything.
Do this today: photograph the 5 things you're most worried about, dated. Evidence is much easier to take than to explain later.
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