RBO top tip 1: Be vigilant against scammers
NSW Fair Trading has advised REINSW of numerous scam emails requesting agents to login to a hoax website to update information for a property managed by their agency. To ensure you are not affected, please take the following actions:
If you are concerned about the authenticity of an email or text, or you think you have inadvertently interacted with a scam email or text, call 1800 990 724 for assistance.
Further information about online scams is available from Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Scamwatch
RBO top tip 2: Have you finalised your Rental Bonds Online Pending Lodgements?
When your tenant pays the bond money to NSW Fair Trading, Rental Bonds Online will notify you that a payment has been received.
To complete the bond lodgement process, you must finalise the Pending Lodgement after the tenancy agreement has been signed. RBO will then allocate the Rental Bond Number and notify all parties.
This is an important step as tenants may request a return of funds if a Pending Lodgement is not finalised.
If you need assistance finalising a Pending Lodgement, refer to the online Help pages in your Rental Bonds Online account. If you need further assistance, please call Rental Bonds Online Security and Support on 1800 990 724.
RBO top tip 3: Claims against Online Bonds must be submitted using Rental Bonds Online
Rental Bonds is unable to accept or process a paper claim for an online bond. All claims against an online bond must be submitted using RBO. Failure to do so may delay the refund.
If you need assistance submitting a claim for an online bond, refer to the online Help pages in your Rental Bonds Online account. If you need further assistance, please call Rental Bonds Online Security and Support on 1800 990 724.
RBO top tip 4: Rental Bonds Online - RBO identification number retrieval function for tenants
Tenants can now retrieve their RBO identification number from the RBO Standard website.
If the tenant is using the mobile site, they will need to click on the link at the bottom of the login page - “Visit RBO standard website”
In order to retrieve their user ID, the tenant will need their email address and mobile number linked to their RBO account and either the bond number or pending lodgement number. They can then click on the “Forgot your identification number?” link & follow the instructions provided.
NOTE: If the tenant has changed their email address or mobile number these will need to be updated by contacting the Rental Bonds Online Security and Support Desk on 1800990724.
RBO top tip 5: Rental Bonds Online - Change of Managing Agent/Owner
Managing Agents/Landlords can now initiate and accept a Change of Managing Agent/Owner through RBO.
This process can be used for both online and paper bonds.
• The Managing Agent/Owner currently managing the bond initiates the change
• An email containing a temporary code and instructions is sent to the email address entered
• The temporary code expires after 72 hours
• On receiving the email, the new Agent or landlord will need to log into RBO, enter the unique code in the “Respond to change of managing agent request” text box, review the bond details, then may either accept or reject the request for them to manage the bond
• Accepting the request will update the Agent ID or Landlord code on the bond record
• If the request is rejected or is not completed prior to expiry time, the original Agent/landlord remains responsible for the bond
NOTE: The privileges for existing Property managers will need to be updated by the RBO Principal or Officer Manager in Manage Users to allow this functionality.
RBO top tip 6: Bonds funded partially or fully by the Department of Communities and Justice - DCJ (Formally Department of Family and Community Services - FACS)
Where a bond loan has been approved by The Department of Communities and Justice, instructions on lodging the bond online will be included with the approval letter.
After entering the bond loan code provided, the following information will need to be entered:
• Tenant’s Surname
• Total bond amount including the bond loan amount
• Street name and Street type as displayed on the letter e.g. Smith St or Smith Street. Do not include the street number.
Once these details have been verified, the process is the same for all online bonds.
For tenants who do not have an existing RBO account, they will need to enter the total bond amount including the bond loan amount when prompted after clicking the link in the email.
The tenant must complete the full process including “Create an account and pay the bond” section even when the bond is fully funded by DCJ – they are not required to pay any money if this is the case. The final screen the tenant will be directed to if they have completed the process correctly is the “Receipt” screen which confirms payment of the bond.
An email will be sent to the Managing Agent or Landlord advising the bond money has been received and they can now finalise the bond.
As with all online bonds, the bond must be finalised for the bond to be held by NSW Fair Trading.
RBO top tip 7: Disabling Rental Bond Online access for a staff member that leaves the agency
When an employee who has access to Rental Bonds Online leaves your agency, it is imperative that their access to RBO is disabled to ensure there is no potential for misuse. NOTE: No other users can be allocated another RBO users login details for use.
The RBO Principal, Officer Manager and Office Manager Assistant users can disable Rental Bonds Online user accounts by accessing the Manage users tab after opting into security mode.
Prior to disabling the user, ensure that no current held bonds are allocated to them. If there are held bonds allocated to them, they will need to be unallocated or reallocated to another Property Manager through Manage Properties tab prior to disabling the user.