Renter Elizabeth Clark knows first hand the financial pain and anxiety of moving without a bond return.
"We had no bond to move to another place, so I had to ask my mum and dad if we could borrow the money," Ms Clark said.
"It was so stressful, my husband was having chest pains and I was getting rashes."
Ms Clark moved from regional New South Wales to Chermside in Brisbane in 2019, and never got her bond back over a property damage dispute.
She said her and her husband lost more than $1,700.
"I don't know how single parents or vulnerable people do it," Ms Clark said.
Tenants Queensland said across the country, steep rent rises and cost of living pressures are leaving many renters struggling when moving to a new home, meaning they can't afford to fight lengthy bond dispute claims.
CEO Penny Carr wants the Queensland government to introduce a provisional bond transfer system to ease financial stress so bonds could be moved from property to property.
"When you're moving … it's a time when people are quite hard up and they need that cash flow," Ms Carr said.
"Some people who give up some of their bond give that up so they can get their bond back quickly.
"They may not feel like they owe that money, but they agree to it because otherwise they could be in a dispute that rolls out over several months, and they can't wait that long for their money."
'Quickest way' for bond to be released is to reach agreement
Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) data from the 2021-22 financial year shows tenants and residents were refunded an average of 74.9 per cent of their bond.
It also found bond lodgements and increases rose by 23.9 per cent, which it credits to rising bond prices.
The RTA's Sam Galer said the best way for tenants to get their bond back quickly, was to maintain a good dialogue with the agent or owner.
"The ability to have an agreement at the end of the tenancy, that's the quickest way for the bond to be released, where all parties agree," he said.
"The RTA process is designed to be fair. We don't want people giving portions of bond if they're not sure, so we help people make an informed decision."
Mr Galer said tenants and landlords could access the RTA's voluntary dispute resolution service and if an agreement couldn't be reached, they then could go to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
"It's not ideal. With bond disputes, we endeavour to get to them as quickly as we can because we're mindful of the impact that it can have to people but the quickest way really is for them to reach an agreement."
How would bond transfers work?
Ms Carr said any damage claims on a provisional bond which had been transferred could be paid out in a fixed time period to give renters more flexibility.
"That would be much more workable for people with the current cost of living pressures and rent increases that are happening," she said.
"Imagine trying to enter a new property when the rents are going to be challenging, and you've got to pay a four-week bond plus two weeks rent, and you haven't got your previous bond back," Ms Carr said.
"It's very, very challenging for people."
She also wants bond claim disputes to only be filed with substantial supporting evidence.
Ms Carr urged renters to fill out entry and exit condition reports thoroughly with photos, to avoid unreasonable bond claims.
Ms Clark, who owns a property in Far North Queensland but rents for the lifestyle flexibility, said the experience of losing her bond made her delay moving again.
"Our children have now left high school and we both have jobs closer to the city, but the drama of having to pack up the house and going through the bond … plus there's a rental crisis," Ms Clark said.
"There's no point."
