A private landlord from Jane Brook has been fined $3,300 and ordered to pay $2,606 in costs after failing to lodge a tenant’s security bond as required under Western Australia’s residential tenancy laws.
- Jane Brook landlord convicted over failure to lodge a $2,200 tenant bond
- Perth Magistrates Court imposes $3,300 fine and $2,606 in costs
- Landlords reminded that bonds must be lodged within 14 days
A private landlord from Jane Brook has been fined $3,300 and ordered to pay $2,606 in costs after failing to lodge a tenant’s security bond as required under Western Australia’s residential tenancy laws.
Jay-Dee Roderick was convicted by the Perth Magistrates Court on 30 July 2026 for breaching the Residential Tenancies Act after he failed to lodge a $2,200 security bond with the Bond Administrator at the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety within 14 days of receiving it.
The court heard that Mr Roderick agreed to privately lease a Wembley property to a tenant on 6 December 2023. The following day, the tenant paid a total of $3,300 into Mr Roderick’s bank account, comprising a $2,200 bond and $1,100 for rent in advance.
Despite receiving the bond money, Mr Roderick did not lodge the $2,200 security bond with the Bond Administrator within the required timeframe or at all. At the time of sentencing, the bond had not been lodged for more than 900 days after it was received.
In sentencing, Magistrate White agreed that a strong message needed to be sent to this landlord and others who manage rental properties that lodging bonds is not optional and must be completed within the required timeframe.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake said private landlords have a legal obligation to properly lodge tenants’ bond money and cannot treat those funds as their own.
“A security bond is often one of the largest upfront costs a tenant faces when securing a rental property, which is why the law requires those funds to be protected through the Bond Administrator,” Ms Blake said.
“Tenants need to have confidence that their bond money is being handled correctly and will be available when the tenancy ends and any legitimate claims have been resolved.
“This was not a case of a bond being lodged a few days late due to an oversight. The court heard the bond had not been lodged for years, despite advice being provided on how to comply with the law. Cases such as this undermine confidence in the rental market and demonstrate why these protections exist.”
Tenants who believe their bond has not been properly lodged, or who experience other tenancy-related issues, can lodge a complaint on the Consumer Protection website
