Rent Increases in Queensland: Rules, Notice Requirements and What Property Managers Must Know

Your landlord client calls to ask why their tenant is refusing to pay the higher rent. The increase was served three weeks ago, the property manager explains, by including it in the new agreement. No separate written notice was issued. No one checked when the last increase occurred for that property — and it was eleven months ago, not twelve. The increase is invalid. The tenant pays the old rent. The process starts again.

This scenario plays out more often than it should, and it is entirely avoidable. Queensland rental law changes were introduced under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024, which amended the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (the Act). The cumulative effect of reforms introduced between 2023 and 2025 has made rent increase compliance more technical, not less. Property managers who understand the rules precisely — not approximately — protect their landlords from delayed income, penalty exposure, and tenant disputes.

The 12-Month Frequency Rule: What Changed and Why It Matters

From 1 July 2023, Queensland rental laws limited the frequency of rent increases to once a year for all tenancies. That initial reform was significant, but it left a gap: a landlord could reset the clock simply by signing a new lease with a new tenant. That gap was closed.

From 6 June 2024, the annual rent increase frequency limit applies to the property, rather than the tenancy. The practical consequence is substantial. The Act provides a clear example in section 93(3): if rent was increased on 1 November 2024 under an agreement with Tenant A, and a new agreement is entered into with Tenant B commencing 1 February 2025, the rent must not be increased until 12 months after 1 November 2024. The fact that Tenant B is a different person on a different agreement is irrelevant.

It is an offence under the Act to increase the rent in less than 12 months. 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 manager or owner of the property. This is the rule that catches newly appointed property managers and purchasers of investment properties. If you purchase a property mid-tenancy and the previous owner increased the rent six months ago, you cannot increase it again until the full 12 months have passed.

It is an offence under the Act to increase the rent in less than 12 months, with a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units. It is an offence to increase the rent more than once within a 12-month period — the maximum penalty for non-compliance is 50 units (approximately $8,345 as of January 2026). For context, 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).

The Date of Last Increase Obligation

The 2024 amendments introduced a specific obligation that many property managers are still catching up with. 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/owner must provide this information within 14 days of receiving the request — it is an offence not to do so.

The requirement to include the date of the last rent increase was added by the 2024 amendments — if you are using an older template or form that doesn’t include this field, update it. The RTA updated its standard tenancy agreements (Forms 18a, 18b and R18) following the commencement of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2025 on 1 September 2025. If your office is still running older templates, this is a compliance risk sitting in your management system right now.

There is one transitional carve-out worth noting: for properties purchased between 6 June 2023 and 6 June 2025, the requirement to include the date of the last rent increase in the tenancy agreement and to provide evidence of a rent increase upon the tenant’s request does not apply if the new owner or property manager does not have information about the previous rent increase. For all other situations, ignorance of the last increase date is not a defence.

Notice Period Requirements for Queensland Rent Increases

Rent can be increased if it has been at least 12 months since the current rent amount became payable and the property manager/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.

Two months’ written notice is the operative standard for the vast majority of residential tenancies managed in Queensland. The notice clock starts from the day the tenant actually receives the notice — not the day it is sent, not the day it is uploaded to a portal. If you are serving notice by post, factor in additional days for delivery. Serving with a day to spare on the two-month calculation is not good practice; serve with margin.

What the Written Notice Must Contain

The notice should include the increased amount, the day the increase will take effect, and the date the rent was last increased for the premises. All three elements are required. A notice that states the new rent amount and start date but omits the date of the last increase is, strictly speaking, deficient following the 2024 amendments.

There is no prescribed form for a rent increase notice in Queensland. The Act simply requires written notice containing these three elements. You can write a letter, send a formal notice on your own letterhead, or use any format — provided it contains all the required information. The REIQ has developed a Notice of Rent Increase form for members using its Realworks platform, available under the Property Management list. If a different special term has been used, it is recommended to follow the RTA’s advice as to what the notice must include and to seek legal assistance to draft the notice to comply with requirements and align with the relevant special term.

Critically, the property manager/owner must also give the tenant or resident separate written notice of the rent increase. It does not automatically come into effect because it is in the agreement. This is a point of frequent error: property managers who embed a rent increase in a new or renewed tenancy agreement without serving a separate written notice have not validly effected the increase, regardless of whether the tenant signs the agreement.

Rent Increases During a Fixed-Term Tenancy

A fixed-term tenancy creates significant constraints on when and how rent can be increased. 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/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.

Rent cannot be increased during a fixed-term tenancy unless the tenancy agreement specifically allows for it. If the existing agreement contains no special term permitting a mid-term increase, the landlord must wait until the agreement ends. There is no mechanism to impose an increase mid-term on a tenant who signed a fixed-term agreement without that provision.

The REIQ has developed a Notice of Rent Increase to assist property managers to compliantly give notice of a rent increase, if they have used the REIQ Special Condition – General Tenancy – Rent Increase During a Fixed Term Agreement. If your office uses a different special condition, check it carefully against the Act’s requirements. The REIQ has received reports of some confusion about when to provide notice to increase rent during a fixed term tenancy agreement if the rent increase date falls within the first two months of the agreement. The REIQ’s best practice position is that rent cannot be increased within the first two months of a tenancy agreement, because the requisite notice cannot be given to the tenant before the commencement date of the agreement under which rent is to be increased.

When a Fixed-Term Tenancy Becomes Periodic

This is one of the more nuanced scenarios, and the RTA issued a specific clarification on it in July 2025. Following internal review and legal clarification, it has been confirmed that under section 91 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008, the required minimum two months’ written notice for a rent increase can be given before the periodic agreement begins, provided the increase takes effect after the fixed term ends and the tenancy becomes periodic.

This is a meaningful clarification for property managers. It means you can issue the two-month notice while a fixed-term agreement is still running, so long as the increase itself does not kick in until after the transition to periodic. Timing this carefully — particularly on short fixed terms — requires attention. The increase must not take effect during the fixed-term period, only once the tenancy has rolled to periodic.

Under a periodic agreement, rent may be increased by the property manager/owner giving the tenant two months’ notice in writing for general tenancies and four weeks’ notice for rooming accommodation agreements. However, rent cannot be increased unless it has been at least 12 months since the current amount of rent became payable for the premises.

Rent Increases Between Fixed-Term Agreements

When a fixed-term tenancy ends and the landlord wishes to offer a new fixed-term agreement with higher rent, the process is different again. The property manager/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 notice about the increase.

The absence of a notice requirement in this scenario is a point of genuine distinction. Where a rent increase is built into a new agreement signed by both parties at the expiry of a fixed-term, the agreement itself serves as the vehicle for the change — provided the 12-month rule is satisfied. The rent can be increased between two fixed-term tenancies if the tenant and property manager/owner agree and it has been at least 12 months since the last rent increase.

Property managers should, however, bear in mind that signing a new agreement with a significant change — including a rent increase — gives the tenant a right to dispute that change. They must lodge their dispute request with the RTA within 30 days of signing the new agreement. The tenant must continue to pay rent and abide by other terms of the tenancy agreement during this time. The increase stands until a QCAT order says otherwise.

Periodic Tenancy Rent Increase Rules

For a tenancy running on a periodic (month-to-month) basis, the process is more straightforward in principle — but the same rules apply in full. For a periodic agreement, you can increase the rent at any time provided it has been at least 12 months since the last rent increase for the property. You must give the tenant at least two months’ written notice before the increase takes effect (section 91(4)).

The notice can be given at any point during the periodic tenancy. There is no restriction on when within the periodic tenancy you serve notice — only that the two months runs from receipt, and the increase cannot take effect until the 12-month period from the last increase has fully elapsed. You can give notice of a rent increase within the 12-month period, provided the increase does not take effect until the 12-month period has passed. This is a useful planning tool: if 12 months falls in, say, three weeks, there is nothing stopping you serving the two-month notice now.

No Cap on the Amount

There is no fixed cap on the maximum percentage or amount by which rent can be increased in Queensland. No Australian state or territory caps the dollar amount or percentage of a rent increase. A landlord may increase rent by any amount — the law does not regulate the quantum of the increase, only the process by which it is delivered and the frequency with which it can occur. The counterbalance is the tenant’s right to dispute the increase as excessive, addressed below.

Exemptions: When the 12-Month Rule Does Not Apply

The frequency restriction is not universal. Landlords may be exempt from the 12-month rental increase limit if they meet the requirements listed in the Act. In general, property owners and managers are considered exempt if the property is used as community housing where the rent is calculated based on the tenant’s income.

Landlords (or a property manager on behalf of one) can apply to QCAT to increase rent during the 12-month period — however, permission will only be granted for cases where the landlord would otherwise face undue hardship. When deciding whether to permit such an increase, QCAT must consider any representations made by the tenant about the proposed rent increase and its likely effects on the affordability of the premises and the tenant’s ability to continue paying the rent. The undue hardship exception is narrow and not a general avenue for landlords who simply want to increase rent more frequently.

Note: if a property manager/owner enters into a new agreement with cheaper rent than the previous agreement (for example, to allow friends or family to live in the property), they can apply to QCAT for permission to increase the rent within less than 12 months on the grounds of undue hardship. This scenario most commonly arises where a landlord has temporarily reduced rent for a known occupant and then seeks to return the property to market rent before the 12-month period expires.

Disputing an Excessive Rent Increase: QCAT and the RTA Process

A landlord’s right to increase rent does not preclude a tenant’s right to challenge it. A tenant or resident can dispute the increase if they feel it is excessive by discussing the issue with the property manager/owner. If the tenant or resident still feels the increase is excessive, they can apply for dispute resolution once the new agreement is signed.

The dispute pathway in Queensland is sequential. Before submitting a non-urgent tenancy dispute application with QCAT, property managers/owners and tenants/residents must first try to self-resolve their issues with the other party directly or complete the RTA dispute resolution process. QCAT will not accept a non-urgent application unless you attach a Notice of Unresolved Dispute (NURD) from the RTA.

If a tenant believes a rent increase is unreasonable, they can apply to QCAT for a review. This application must be made within 30 days of receiving the rent increase notice. Tenants wishing to dispute a rent increase can use the Form 2 Application for Minor Civil Dispute – Residential Tenancy Dispute.

Property managers should understand that a dispute over rent amount does not suspend payment obligations. The tenant must abide by the new terms of the agreement — by paying the new increased amount of rent — while they wait for a hearing. A well-advised tenant continues to pay the increased rent under protest while the dispute is resolved. An uninformed tenant who simply reverts to the old rent may expose themselves to arrears proceedings.

From the landlord’s perspective, a well-documented increase — one with clear market evidence, a proper notice, and transparent communication — significantly reduces the likelihood of a dispute escalating. Many rent disputes arise not because an increase is unlawful, but because it is poorly explained or communicated. Providing clear notice, market evidence, and time for discussion helps maintain professional landlord–tenant relationships.

Bond Adjustment on Rent Increase

A rent increase may also trigger an entitlement to increase the rental bond. If rent is increased, the bond may be increased if it has been at least 11 months since the last bond increase or start of the tenancy. Any extra bond must generally be lodged with the RTA using a Bond Lodgement (Form 2) or the 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. The cap remains: from 30 September 2024, the maximum bond allowed to be taken is equivalent to 4 weeks’ rent for general tenancies.

How Queensland Compares to Other Australian States

Property managers advising interstate investors — particularly those managing portfolios across multiple jurisdictions — regularly field questions about how QLD stacks up.

All Australian states now limit rent increases to once every 12 months. On frequency, Queensland is consistent with the national standard. Where states diverge is on notice periods and what the limit attaches to. Western Australia and New South Wales require 60 days’ written notice. Queensland requires 2 calendar months’ written notice. Victoria requires 90 days’ written notice (increased from 60 days in November 2025).

Victoria now operates the longest notice period of any Australian state. NSW and WA notice periods are expressed in days, whereas Queensland’s is expressed in calendar months — a distinction that occasionally creates confusion when agents calculate dates across jurisdictions.

In Queensland, the 12-month limit applies to the property rather than the tenancy, meaning a new tenant cannot have their rent increased if the previous tenant’s increase was less than 12 months ago. This property-based approach is one of the stronger tenant protections in Queensland’s framework, and it is the element most likely to catch interstate investors who expect to reset the clock on a new lease.

New South Wales and Queensland do not mandate a specific form for rent increase notice, but the notice must be in writing and include the new rent amount and the date it takes effect. Victoria requires use of a prescribed Consumer Affairs Victoria form; a letter or email will not suffice there. Queensland’s more flexible approach places the compliance risk on content accuracy rather than form selection.

On rent caps: as of 2024–2025, every state now requires a minimum 12-month gap between rent increases, written notice well in advance, and gives tenants the right to challenge increases they consider excessive. No Australian state or territory caps the dollar amount or percentage of a rent increase.

What This Means for Queensland Property Managers

The compliance obligations around rent increases in Queensland are more layered than they appear at first glance. Three failure points cause the most problems in practice.

The first is the property-based 12-month rule. Before issuing any rent increase notice, verify the date the current rent amount became payable for that property — not that tenancy, that property. Check your property management software for the last recorded increase. If you are taking over a management from another agency, obtain written confirmation of the last increase date as part of your onboarding process. If the date is uncertain and no transitional exemption applies, treat the last increase as unknown and document your enquiries.

The second is the separate written notice requirement. A rent increase embedded in a new or renewed tenancy agreement is not a valid rent increase notice under the Act. A separate written notice is always required for any increase taking effect under a periodic tenancy or during a fixed-term agreement. That notice must include three specific elements: the new rent amount, the date it takes effect, and the date rent was last increased for the premises. Missing any of these elements weakens the notice and may render it invalid.

The third is the fixed-to-periodic transition. The RTA’s July 2025 clarification confirms you can serve the two-month notice while a fixed term is still on foot, provided the increase takes effect after the tenancy rolls to periodic. Use this carefully: if a fixed-term has less than two months remaining, you cannot serve notice and have it operate during the fixed term — but you can serve it now and have it take effect at the beginning of the periodic phase. Map your lease expiry dates against this process.

When a landlord pushes for an increase above what the local market can reasonably bear, your role is to provide grounded market evidence — comparable leasing data, vacancy rates, median rents for the suburb — alongside a clear explanation of the dispute rights available to the tenant. A well-managed increase, properly notified and supported by evidence, is far less likely to result in a QCAT application than one that arrives without context.

The rules around rent increases in Queensland are unambiguous. The risk is not in the law — it is in the execution. Audit your processes, update your notice templates, and verify last-increase dates before every rent review.