Queensland Residential Tenancies Act Changes 2024–2026: What Property Managers Must Know

Your rent roll did not stand still while Queensland’s tenancy laws were rewritten around it. Since June 2024, a cascade of amendments to the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld) — delivered in staged proclamations across 2024 and into 2025, with further regulatory changes taking effect in September 2025 — has fundamentally shifted what property managers are required to do, document, and disclose on behalf of their clients.

Rental law changes for general tenancies, rooming accommodation, and moveable dwelling tenancies were introduced in 2024–25 under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024, which amended the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008. The changes did not land all at once. Proclamation commenced in two parts: part one from 30 September 2024 and part two from 1 May 2025. Add to that the minimum housing standards deadline of 1 September 2024 and the looming smoke alarm phase-three deadline of 1 January 2027, and the compliance picture is dense.

What follows is a date-stamped, obligation-by-obligation breakdown of every change that directly affects how you manage a Queensland residential tenancy — and what you need to do about each one.

The Rent Increase Cap: Property-Level, Not Tenancy-Level

From 1 July 2023 — and then tightened from 6 June 2024

The once-per-12-months rent increase limit is not new. From 1 July 2023, Queensland rental laws limited the frequency of rent increases to once a year for all tenancies. What most property managers on long-established rent rolls failed to anticipate was the critical amendment that followed.

From 6 June 2024, the annual rent increase frequency limit applies to the property, rather than the tenancy. This is the change that matters most in practice. Previously, if a tenancy ended and a new agreement was signed, the clock reset — meaning a lessor could theoretically increase rent again at the commencement of each new tenancy even if only a few months had elapsed. That loophole is closed. If a new residential tenancy agreement for the residential premises is entered into with a new tenant, the rent must not be increased until 12 months after the last increase — regardless of the change in occupant.

The practical implication is significant. If the previous tenant received a rent increase on 1 November 2024, and a new tenancy commences on 1 February 2025 with a different tenant, the earliest a further increase can be applied is 1 November 2025. The property, not the tenancy agreement, is the unit of measurement.

There is also a new disclosure obligation attached to this. A written agreement entered into before the commencement date is not required to include the day the rent was last increased for the residential premises — but for agreements signed after the June 2024 commencement, this information must appear on the tenancy agreement. Property managers need to have accurate records of the last rent increase for every property they manage, and those records need to be reflected correctly on new Form 18a agreements.

Ensure your property management software is flagging the 12-month anniversary against the premises address, not the tenant commencement date. The two are now different calculations, and conflating them creates exposure.

Minimum Housing Standards: No Property is Exempt

In effect for all tenancies from 1 September 2024

Minimum housing standards came into effect for new tenancies (including renewed tenancies) from 1 September 2023 and for all remaining tenancies from 1 September 2024. As of that September 2024 deadline, there is no tenancy in Queensland — new, renewed, or long-running — where these standards do not apply.

Minimum housing standards aim to ensure all Queensland rental properties are safe, secure and functional. All residential rental properties in Queensland must meet minimum housing standards when the tenant moves in and throughout the tenancy agreement. The obligation is ongoing, not a one-off box to tick at lease commencement.

From 1 September 2024, minimum housing standards apply to all residential tenancies in Queensland. Lessors must ensure that their premises and inclusions comply with any prescribed minimum housing standards from the start of the tenancy, and continue to maintain the premises throughout the tenancy. The prescribed minimum housing standards are stated in Schedule 5A of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2009 (RTRA Regulation).

What the standards actually require

Minimum housing standards specify that rental properties must be weatherproof and structurally sound; be in good repair with fixtures and fittings, such as electrical appliances, that are not likely to cause injury through normal use; and have functioning locks or latches on all external doors and windows that can be reached without a ladder. Beyond those, properties must be free from vermin, damp and mould (unless caused by the tenant); include curtains or other window coverings providing privacy in rooms where privacy is reasonably expected; have adequate plumbing and drainage connected to hot and cold water suitable for drinking; provide privacy in bathroom areas with flushable toilets; have a functional cooktop if a kitchen is provided; and include the necessary fixtures for a functional laundry if laundry facilities are provided.

The emergency repair reclassification

One consequence of the full September 2024 rollout that managers continue to underestimate: during a tenancy, repairs required to make the property meet minimum housing standards are classified as emergency repairs and the emergency repair process should be followed. That means the standard response timeframes for routine maintenance no longer apply to standards-related defects. A leaking roof that allows water ingress, a broken external lock, or a mouldy bathroom caused by structural failure are all emergency repair scenarios under the current framework.

A tenant who believes the property fails standards from the outset has meaningful escalation options. From 1 September 2023, new tenants have had the option to end a tenancy within the first 7 days of occupying the rental property if they believe it does not meet minimum housing standards. Beyond that, a tenant can apply to QCAT to request a termination order on grounds that the property manager or owner gave false or misleading information about the condition of the premises. This is classified as a non-urgent tenancy dispute, meaning the matter must first go through free RTA dispute resolution, and the tenant must apply within the first 3 months of living at the rental property.

There is one further point worth communicating clearly to lessor clients. Increased rent is not payable by a tenant if it relates to compliance of the premises or inclusions with the prescribed minimum housing standards. The tenant may apply to QCAT for an order reducing or setting aside a proposed rent increase if that increase relates to minimum housing standards compliance. Landlords cannot pass the cost of achieving mandatory compliance on to tenants through a rent increase. Frame it for your clients as a cost of holding investment property in Queensland, not a cost to be recovered from the tenancy.

Domestic and Family Violence Provisions

Commenced 20 October 2021 — expanded and terminology-updated from 6 June 2024

Queensland’s domestic and family violence tenancy framework predates the 2024 amendments, but those amendments made meaningful additions. Reforms for people experiencing domestic and family violence to leave a tenancy or remain in the property safely commenced as of 20 October 2021. The 2024 amendments then introduced changes to terminology and an expansion of confidentiality requirements.

The operational framework for property managers is grounded in the RTRA Act, particularly Chapter 5, Subdivision 2A. Tenants or residents who believe they can no longer safely occupy their premises due to domestic and family violence have the right to terminate their tenancy agreement. The process is structured and form-driven. A victim-survivor can vacate the property immediately but must give the property manager or landlord 7 days’ notice to end their interest in the tenancy agreement. Notice is given by sending a Notice Ending Tenancy Interest (Domestic and Family Violence) — Form 20 — along with any supporting evidence.

Confidentiality is mandatory — and carries penalties

This is the area where property managers carry the most direct personal exposure. After the Form 20 notice supported by relevant evidence is provided to the property manager or owner, they must not disclose the supporting evidence to anyone, unless in specific permitted circumstances outlined in the RTRA Act. There are penalties that apply if this rule is not followed.

Critically, the departing tenant is not required to provide their forwarding address when they end their interest in the tenancy due to domestic and family violence. You cannot ask for it, you cannot record it, and if the perpetrator of violence is a co-tenant and requests it, you cannot provide it. Under section 308I of the RTRA Act, the information shared with you in support of the Form 20 is confidential. The information shared with the property manager or landlord must remain confidential unless permitted by the RTRA Act, and there are penalties for breaching the tenant’s confidentiality.

The residential tenancy agreement will end the later of 7 days after the notice is given or the day the tenant hands over vacant possession, under section 308D of the RTRA Act. Where co-tenants remain, property managers have legislative obligations to inform those remaining tenants that the departing tenant’s interest has ended — but the process must allow sufficient time for the victim-survivor to safely leave. The departing tenant is not required to repair or compensate for damage caused by an act of domestic violence, under section 188(5) of the RTRA Act.

Property managers should ensure their team members know the Form 20 process, know that it cannot be delegated back to the tenant to explain, and know that the supporting documentation must be stored securely and never disclosed. The expansion of confidentiality requirements under the 2024 amendments makes this a legislative certainty, not merely a best-practice recommendation.

Smoke Alarm Compliance: Where Rental Properties Now Stand

Rental property phase completed 1 January 2022 — final phase deadline: 1 January 2027

Smoke alarm compliance under the Fire Services Act 1990 (Qld) and the Fire and Emergency Services (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Amendment Act 2016 operates on a separate legislative track to the RTRA Act, but it intersects with property management obligations at every lease commencement and renewal.

The 10-year phased rollout of interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in Queensland began on 1 January 2017 and continues over three specific time periods, with the second phase commencing on 1 January 2022 and the third phase concluding on 1 January 2027. For rental properties, the obligations attached to the January 2022 deadline have been in force for over three years. All rental properties in Queensland that are classed as a ‘domestic dwelling’ under the Fire Services Act 1990 must have interconnected, photoelectric smoke alarms installed.

The approaching January 2027 deadline matters for two reasons. First, it brings owner-occupied properties into the same compliance framework that rental properties already meet. Second, any rental property that has not yet been upgraded — or has had non-compliant equipment installed — must be rectified before that date regardless. From 1 January 2027, every home in Queensland — including rental properties, sales properties, owner-occupied dwellings, caravans and motorhomes — must comply with the same fire safety standards.

The day-to-day management obligations

The Fire Services Act 1990 states that property managers and owners must replace any flat or nearly flat smoke alarm batteries within 30 days before a lease begins or is renewed. This is a hard obligation, not a recommendation. A property manager or owner must not pass on their obligations to the tenant — for example, a property manager must not ask a tenant to test smoke alarms at the start of a tenancy. Once a tenancy is underway, the position shifts: tenants are responsible for testing and cleaning smoke alarms during the tenancy. The Fire Services Act 1990 states that tenants must replace any flat or nearly flat smoke alarm batteries during their tenancy.

Smoke alarm legislation is administered by the Queensland Fire Department under the Fire Services Act 1990 and the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008. The compliance standard is Australian Standard AS 3786-2014, and alarms must be photoelectric — not ionisation type. Property managers, owners and tenants must not remove smoke alarms in domestic dwellings or do anything to reduce their effectiveness, such as painting or covering them.

The practical risk that catches agencies out is the gap between the physical compliance check and the documentation of it. While a third-party compliance certificate is not a legislative requirement in every scenario, it is a risk management tool worth using — particularly given the consequences of being unable to demonstrate pre-tenancy compliance if an incident occurs.

The September 2024 and May 2025 Proclamation Changes: Additional Obligations

From 30 September 2024

Key changes that commenced on 30 September 2024 include maximum bond amount, reletting costs, rent payment methods, utility bills, evidence for bond claims, information sharing, and false and misleading information.

The bond-related changes are operationally critical. When making a bond claim or disputing a bond, the property manager or owner must provide the tenant with supporting evidence within 14 days of lodging a claim or dispute. For bonds lodged with the RTA before 30 September 2024, a 12-month transitional period applied from 30 September 2024 to 30 September 2025. Bonds lodged after 30 September 2024 require supporting evidence to be provided when the property manager or owner claims or disputes the bond. The transitional period has now passed. Every bond claim made today requires supporting documentation — receipts, invoices, quotes — within the 14-day window. Breaching this requirement is an offence.

From 30 September 2024, the maximum bond amount that can be charged is 4 weeks’ rent for all rental premises other than moveable dwellings. If any of your clients are still holding bonds in excess of four weeks for general tenancies, those arrangements need to be corrected.

On rent payments, tenants must be offered two ways to pay rent, including a way that does not incur more than usual bank costs and is reasonably available to a tenant. The property manager or owner must also declare in writing any financial benefits they might receive if the tenant uses a particular method to pay rent.

From 1 May 2025

Changes from 1 May 2025 include updates to the rental application process, entry notice periods, entry frequency, protecting privacy, disclosing benefits, and a revised process for requests for fixtures and structural changes.

The minimum entry notice period increased from 24 hours to 48 hours. Limits also apply to the frequency of entry after a notice to end the tenancy has been issued. The updated RTA Form 22 rental application applies from this date, and from 1 May 2025, rental property owners and managers must only collect or access personal information about renters — including photographs of personal belongings — to assess their suitability for the property during the rental application process. Rental property owners and managers are required to securely store and destroy the information — within 3 months for unsuccessful rental applicants, unless the applicant agrees to a longer period.

From 1 September 2025

Following a sunset review of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2009 involving targeted sector consultation, the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2025 was made and commenced on 1 September 2025. The new Regulation clarifies ‘good repair’ of a fixture in a Minimum Housing Standard by including an example, and makes emergency contact details a required detail in the tenancy agreement from 1 September 2025.

Rent-to-Income Ratio Considerations: Not Legislated, But Relevant

There is no provision in the RTRA Act that caps the rent a landlord may charge relative to a tenant’s income. Queensland has not introduced rent control, and the rent-to-income ratio has not become a compliance obligation. However, it has become a risk management consideration for property managers, particularly when preparing rental recommendations for lessor clients and screening applicants.

The prohibition on rent bidding — which commenced 6 June 2024 — has a direct effect on how applications are assessed. From 6 June 2024, all forms of rent bidding are banned. Rental property owners and managers must not solicit, invite, or accept offers of rent above the advertised price. This means the informal practice of signalling to applicants that a higher rent offer improves their chances is now an offence. If a property manager communicates anything to a prospective tenant that suggests a higher rent offer would be welcome or would confer any advantage, they are exposed.

This interacts with affordability screening in a way that requires care. Using an income-based rent affordability threshold as part of an application assessment — a common practice in the industry — remains permissible, provided it is applied consistently and does not constitute unlawful discrimination under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld). Advising a tenant that they might want to offer more than the listed rent is not.

What This Means for Queensland Property Managers

The cumulative weight of these changes is not merely procedural. Property managers are now the primary compliance interface between lessors and a significantly more detailed and more enforced legislative framework. Several of the new obligations attach penalties directly to non-compliance, and the RTA now has expanded information-sharing powers with other government agencies. The RTA has the ability to share information with other government agencies and departments to drive greater compliance and enforcement outcomes for the sector.

Here is where to focus attention across your rent roll right now:

• Rent increase tracking: Audit every property’s last increase date against the premises address. Your software should be flagging the 12-month property-level anniversary, not the tenancy commencement date.
• Minimum housing standards compliance: It is the property manager’s and owner’s responsibility to ensure the property meets minimum housing standards at the start of the tenancy. Conduct a standards audit against Schedule 5A of the RTRA Regulation for every property. Flag non-compliant items to your lessor clients in writing and obtain instructions.
• Bond claim documentation: From the moment a tenancy ends, begin collecting receipts, quotes, and invoices. The 14-day evidence window after lodging a bond claim is tight in a market where tradesperson availability is stretched.
• Domestic and family violence procedures: Ensure every team member managing day-to-day tenancies can identify a Form 20, knows their confidentiality obligations under section 308I of the RTRA Act, and understands that the departing tenant’s forwarding address is never to be requested or disclosed.
• Smoke alarm pre-tenancy checks: Document and date your 30-day pre-tenancy battery replacement and alarm functionality test for every new lease and renewal. The 1 January 2027 deadline for universal compliance is now less than two years away — identify any properties in your portfolio that have not been upgraded and advise their owners.
• Rental application process: The new Form 22 applies from 1 May 2025. Applicant personal information must be securely stored and destroyed within 3 months for unsuccessful applicants unless the applicant has agreed otherwise. Review your data retention and destruction practices.

The density of change since 2021 has been exceptional. That pace is unlikely to slow. Staying current is not a value-add for property managers — it is the baseline expectation of every client who entrusts their investment to your management.

All legislative references are to the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld) and its subordinate legislation as amended. Commencement dates reflect official Queensland Government and RTA publications. This article provides factual and practical information only and does not constitute legal advice. Practitioners should verify current legislative provisions at legislation.qld.gov.au and consult the RTA at rta.qld.gov.au for the most current guidance.