How to Issue a Valid Rent Increase Notice in Queensland: Template and Requirements

A landlord instructs you to increase the rent. The property has been tenanted for 14 months, the market has moved, and the owner has every right to act. You prepare the notice — but if it’s missing one of three required elements, or if you’ve miscounted the 12-month clock, it’s invalid. The tenant isn’t obliged to pay a cent more, and you’ve handed them grounds for a dispute.

Getting the rent increase notice right in Queensland is not complicated, but there is no margin for approximation. The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld) (RTRA Act) is precise about what the notice must contain, when it must be given, and when the clock actually starts. This article sets out the complete requirements — including the changes that took effect from 6 June 2024 — and provides a ready-to-use template structure that satisfies the Act.

The Legal Framework: Sections 91, 93, and What Changed in 2024

Rent increases for general tenancies in Queensland are governed by Sections 91, 92, and 93 of the RTRA Act. Section 91 sets out how a notice must be given and what it must contain. Section 93 establishes the minimum period between increases. Section 92 deals with a tenant’s right to apply to QCAT about the increase.

Understanding how these sections interact is the foundation of a compliant rent increase process.

From 1 July 2023, Queensland rental laws limited the frequency of rent increases to once a year for all tenancies. From 6 June 2024, that annual rent increase frequency limit was extended to apply to the property itself, rather than the tenancy. This is the most consequential change for property managers. Rent must not be increased within 12 months after the date it was last increased for the property — and this requirement applies regardless of whether there is a change of tenant or lessor in the 12-month period.

The practical implication: if a previous tenant vacated in month ten after a rent increase, and you’ve now onboarded a new tenant, you cannot increase again until the full 12 months from the original increase date has elapsed. The 12-month period applies even if the last rent increase was related to a different tenancy agreement with another tenant or by a previous agent or owner of the property. When you inherit a management, confirming the last increase date for the premises is not optional — it’s the first step before any increase is considered.

The Three Required Elements of a Valid Notice

There is no prescribed form for a rent increase notice in Queensland. The Act simply requires written notice containing three elements.

The notice must include: the increased amount, the day the increase will take effect, and the date the rent was last increased for the premises.

These three elements must all appear in the one written notice. A notice that states the new amount and the effective date but omits the date of the last increase is non-compliant under the current legislation. The property manager or owner must give the tenant or resident separate written notice of the increase — it does not automatically come into effect because it is stated in the agreement.

This last point catches some agents who assume that a new agreement executed at a higher rent amount is sufficient notification. It is not. The separate written notice is a distinct requirement, and the new tenancy agreement (which must also record the date of last increase) does not substitute for it in a periodic tenancy context.

The Date of Last Increase: A New Obligation with Teeth

The requirement to include the date of the last rent increase in the notice is a 2024 reform. From 6 June 2024, property managers and/or owners are required to provide the date of the last rent increase in a general tenancy and rooming accommodation agreement. It must also appear in the rent increase notice itself.

The date of the last rent increase must be included in the tenancy agreement. Tenants have the right to request written proof of the last rent increase during the tenancy, and the property manager or owner must provide this information within 14 days of receiving the request — it is an offence not to do so.

Failing to state the date of the last rent increase in a new tenancy agreement carries a maximum penalty of 40 penalty units (approximately $6,676 as of January 2026). Landlords that do not provide evidence of the last rent increase within 14 days of a written request from a tenant may also face a maximum penalty of 40 penalty units.

For newly acquired properties or first-time rental situations, the date of last increase has a specific starting point. For properties being rented for the first time, the date of the last rent increase is the date the property is first rented. Keep that date in your property management file from day one — you will need it for every future increase.

Notice Periods: Timing Requirements by Tenancy Type

The minimum notice period depends on the type of tenancy agreement.

Rent can be increased if it has been at least 12 months since the current rent amount became payable and the property manager or owner gives the tenant or resident at least: two months’ notice in writing for general tenancies, or four weeks’ notice in writing for rooming accommodation agreements.

For the majority of property managers working with standard residential tenancies, the operative figure is two months. This is a hard minimum — you cannot serve shorter notice and request that a tenant waive it, and a notice served with insufficient lead time is invalid regardless of whether the tenant acknowledges it.

Calculating the Effective Date Correctly

The effective date stated in your notice must satisfy two conditions simultaneously, not just one. The day stated in the notice must not be earlier than the later of the following: two months after the day the notice is given to the tenant, or the end of the minimum period before the rent may be increased under section 93.

The effective date of the increase must not be earlier than the later of two months after the notice is given, or the end of the 12-month minimum period under Section 93. So if the last increase was 10 months ago, you can give notice now, but the effective date must be at least 12 months after the last increase — even if that’s more than two months from the date of your notice.

This is the calculation error that creates most disputes. Always work from the date the last rent increase took effect — not the date you issued the previous notice, not the date a new tenancy commenced — and count forward 12 calendar months. Then check that your proposed effective date is also at least two months from the date you serve the current notice. If the two-month notice pushes you past the 12-month mark, use the later date.

Fixed-Term Agreements

Rent cannot be increased during a fixed term unless it is stated in the tenancy agreement and all of the following occurs: the property manager or owner gives the tenant at least two months’ notice in writing for a general tenancy and four weeks’ notice for a rooming accommodation agreement, and it has been at least 12 months since the last increase for the premises or room.

The critical qualifier here is that the agreement itself must provide for the increase. A standard fixed-term agreement that is silent on mid-term increases cannot be unilaterally amended with a notice. If your management agreement template does not include a rent review clause, mid-term increases are not available regardless of market movement. Review new tenancy agreements at execution to ensure this clause is included if the owner intends to use it.

At the end of a fixed term, the process is different. The property manager or owner and tenant can agree to a rent increase at the end of a fixed term agreement by entering into a new agreement; however, it must be at least 12 months since the last rent increase. There is no requirement to serve a separate notice about the increase in this scenario. The new agreement itself documents the change.

Rent Increase Notice: Template Structure

There is no RTA-prescribed form for a general tenancy rent increase notice, so agencies typically use their own letterhead or a Realworks template. The REIQ has created a template form which is available in Realworks. Whether you use that template or a house format, every compliant notice must contain the following information:

NOTICE OF RENT INCREASE (General Tenancy — Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008, s.91)

Property address: [Full address of the rental premises]

Tenant/s: [Full name/s of all tenants]

Current weekly rent: $[amount]

New weekly rent: $[amount]

Date the new rent is payable from: [Date — must be at minimum two months from the date this notice is served, and no earlier than 12 months after the date of last increase]

Date the rent was last increased for these premises: [Date]

This notice is given in accordance with section 91 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld).

Issued by: [Property manager’s name, agency name, licence number]

Date of this notice: [Date served]

Signed: ___________________________

This structure satisfies all three statutory elements. Keep a copy of every notice issued and record the method and date of service — email with read receipt, registered post, or hand delivery with acknowledgement are all sound practice for evidential purposes.

When the 12-Month Restriction Does Not Apply

Some rent increase rules do not apply to exempt property managers or owners. The Act provides definitions for an exempt property manager or owner.

Exempt lessors and providers include those who receive funding for the premises under the Housing Act 2003 (Qld), where the amount of rent payable for the premises is determined by household income. Community housing providers operating under qualifying arrangements, and certain State Housing configurations, fall within these exemptions. For standard private market management, these exemptions will rarely be relevant — but it is worth being aware of them if you manage any community or affordable housing properties.

There is also a pathway for non-exempt lessors to apply early if circumstances justify it. A managing party may apply to QCAT for permission to increase rent within 12 months due to undue hardship. The tribunal must have regard to any representation made by the tenant in relation to affordability and ability to continue to pay rent.

Under Section 93B, a lessor can apply to QCAT for permission to increase rent within the 12-month period if they would be caused undue financial hardship otherwise. This is a narrow exception — it is not a general override mechanism for owners who simply want a higher return sooner. The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate hardship, and QCAT will weigh the tenant’s financial position against it.

Prohibited Rent Increases

Two specific categories of rent increase are expressly prohibited under Queensland law, and property managers must be aware of them when handling owner instructions.

First, pet approval cannot be made conditional on a rent increase. A rent increase is not a reasonable condition of granting approval for a pet. If an owner instructs you to notify a rent increase in the same breath as approving a pet, that increase — if purportedly connected to the pet — is unlawful. The two matters must be handled entirely separately, and the increase must stand on its own merits.

Second, a landlord cannot use a rent increase to recoup costs associated with bringing a property up to minimum housing standards. A landlord cannot increase rent for minimum housing standards compliance or for allowing a pet. Minimum housing standards have applied to all Queensland tenancies since 1 September 2024, and compliance with them is a baseline obligation of the owner — not a cost to be passed on through rent.

Tenant Challenges: What Happens After You Serve a Valid Notice

A valid notice does not mean a final increase. When a tenant is notified of a rent increase, they can make an application to QCAT within 30 days. QCAT must have regard for the types of issues mentioned in Section 92(4) of the RTRA Act.

QCAT will consider a range of factors when determining if a rent increase is excessive, including current market rents, the condition of the property, and the length of the tenancy. They have the authority to either approve the increase, reduce it, or disallow it altogether.

There is no statutory cap on the dollar amount or percentage of a Queensland rent increase — unlike some other jurisdictions. There is no automatic cap on the dollar amount of an increase, but increases must be reasonable and can be reviewed by the tribunal. The practical constraint is the market itself and a tenant’s willingness to accept or challenge. If you are advising an owner on a proposed increase that sits significantly above recent comparable rentals in the area, flag the QCAT risk clearly.

From the property manager’s perspective, the most useful thing you can do ahead of any substantial increase is to have current market evidence on file — recent comparable leases in the same suburb at similar configuration. If a tenant does challenge and the increase is supported by genuine market data, QCAT is likely to find the increase reasonable.

Bond Implications of a Rent Increase

When rent increases, the bond can potentially move with it — but the rules are distinct from the rent increase process itself.

The bond may be increased if it has been at least 11 months since the last bond increase or the start of the tenancy. Any extra bond must be lodged with the RTA using a Bond lodgement (Form 2) or through the RTA’s Bond Lodgement Web Service.

The tenant must pay the increase in bond by the date stated on the notice, which must be at least one month after the tenant received the notice.

Note that the bond cap also applies. From 30 September 2024, the maximum bond allowed to be taken is equivalent to four weeks’ rent for general tenancies. If the existing bond already equals four weeks of the new rent amount, no additional bond can be requested.

Serve the bond increase notice separately from the rent increase notice, and track the 11-month eligibility period independently from the 12-month rent increase clock. They are different calculations.

Common Errors That Invalidate a Rent Increase Notice

A notice that fails on any of these points is not merely deficient — it is invalid, and the increased rent is not payable:

• Missing the date of last increase. Since 6 June 2024, this is a mandatory element of the notice. A notice that states the new amount and effective date but omits the last increase date does not comply with the current legislation.
• Effective date too early. Stating an effective date that falls within two months of the notice date, or within 12 months of the last increase date (whichever is later), renders the notice invalid.
• Verbal or informal notice. The notice must be in writing. A phone call or a message through a property management portal that does not constitute a formal written document does not satisfy the requirement.
• Increasing rent during a fixed term without authority. If the tenancy agreement does not contain a provision for mid-term increase, no notice can effect one.
• Increasing within 12 months of the last increase for the premises. It is an offence under the Act to increase the rent in less than 12 months, with a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units.

Keeping a rent increase register — noting the date each increase took effect for every property under management — is the most straightforward way to avoid the 12-month error, particularly when properties change hands or tenants turn over.

What This Means for Queensland Agents

The rent increase process in Queensland has more moving parts than it appears. A valid rent increase notice requires all three mandatory elements — the new amount, the effective date, and the date of last increase for the premises — every time, without exception. The two-month notice period for general tenancies is a floor, not a guide. And the 12-month restriction now attaches to the property itself, meaning a change of tenant or owner does not reset the clock.

From 6 June 2024, rent can only be increased 12 months after the previous rent increase became payable for the premises. The 12-month minimum still applies even if there is a change of rental property manager, owner, or tenant. This means your first step when taking on a new management is always to establish when rent was last increased for those premises — not just when the current tenancy began.

When preparing a notice, use a consistent agency template that prompts for all three legislative elements. Serve it in a form that creates an evidential record. Calculate the effective date from two reference points simultaneously: two months from the service date, and 12 months from the last increase date — then use whichever falls later. If you are unsure about any aspect of a specific increase scenario, seek guidance through the REIQ’s Property Management Support Service or consult the RTA directly at rta.qld.gov.au.

Getting a rent increase notice wrong does not just delay the outcome — it can damage the landlord-tenant relationship, expose your agency to complaints, and in some cases attract penalties under the Act. Getting it right takes ten minutes of careful process. That is a reliable trade.