 Hello, my name is Deb and I work at the Residential Tenancies Authority or RTA for short. This is the third and final video in a series about renting in Queensland for students. Before we get started, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this country and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging. In our previous videos, we talked about the first three stages of renting, as well as your rights and responsibilities during a tenancy. In this video, we'll discuss what happens at the end of a tenancy. One question you may have is, I have a fixed term tenancy. What happens if I want to move out before the end date? Moving out before the end date is known as a lease break. You may be responsible for the costs for ending a lease early. For example, reletting expenses might be one week's rent plus GST and you may have to pay compensation for the loss of rent until either a new tenant is found or until the end date of your lease. Your landlord or agent is required to mitigate your loss when they seek compensation. This means they should take action to minimise the costs they claim from you. For example, when you give notice of the date you will move out, they need to advertise promptly. You may be able to help with finding a replacement tenant. You can also work with the landlord or agent to allow convenient access for prospective tenants to inspect the property. There are special rules about ending an agreement early, if you are a student living in what is mostly student accommodation. In this case, if you stop being a student, then you can give one month's notice to end your agreement. Your landlord or agent could also give one month's notice for you to move out if you stop being a student. If this situation comes up for you, call us to double check if this rule might apply to your type of arrangement. And we also encourage you to talk to your agent or landlord about your circumstances to see what you can negotiate. There are also options to end your tenancy early if you are facing hardship or if the landlord or agent is breaching the agreement. For more information, visit the RTA website and click ending a tenancy. And call us if you have any questions. Even if you're not moving out early, at the end of your tenancy, you must give written notice of your intention to leave. Alternatively, if your landlord wants you to leave, they have to give you notice in writing. There are required time frames for the amount of notice before a tenancy will end. You can check these on our website. If neither of you want the tenancy to end, you might be offered a lease renewal, or your agreement might continue into a periodic agreement. Remember to check your rent has been paid to the vacating date. You must clean the property and any damage must be fixed. You're responsible to ensure the property is returned in the same condition it was at the start of your tenancy, less fair wear and tear. Make sure you complete an exit condition report similar to what you completed at the start. Take photos to back up what you write in the report. Show that you have cleaned the rooms, including fixtures like ovens and bathroom facilities. Show any damage. Whether it happened before the tenancy or during the tenancy, you want an accurate photo in case there are any disputes about who should pay a repair and how much it should cost. Your photos should also show that any inclusions are in good condition, for example curtains or furniture. To help things go smoothly, ask if you can do a vacate inspection with your agent or landlord. This way you can check your agree and cover any missed spots in your cleaning. If you paid a bond, remember to get this money back. You have the right to get your full bond back if nothing is owed at the end of your tenancy. If there are issues with cleaning, unpaid rent, or damage to fix, you may only get part of your bond back or you may not get any depending on how much is owed. You can start a bond refund request only on or after the tenancy end date or handover date. You cannot apply before this date. Make sure we have your new address, update your details with the RTA, and be mindful that we can only make payments into Australian bank accounts. Double check the bank details you have provided to us. Never sign a blank form. If the agent or landlord asks you to sign a refund form that is not fully completed, don't. You must have reviewed and finalised the form together. Either party can submit a bond refund request at the end of the tenancy once the keys are handed over. You can jump online and get the process started. If you have any issues with your tenancy or your bond, you can apply to the RTA for our dispute resolution service. This is a free and confidential service and our conciliators are impartial. This means they won't take sides or make decisions. They are there to help both parties to talk about the dispute to reach an outcome. Please reach out to us if you need help. Our contact centre is available Monday to Friday and we have free access to interpreters. We wish you all the very best with your studies.