Renter rights, in plain language

Bonds

A bond is a security deposit. If the property manager or owner takes one, they must give you a receipt and lodge it with the RTA within 10 days (opens in a new tab). It is an offence not to. The RTA holds the money. You should receive an acknowledgement once the payment clears, by email if you agreed to that, otherwise by post. Keep the bond number.

For a general tenancy or rooming accommodation, the maximum is 4 weeks’ rent. The cap applies no matter what the payment is called, including a “pet bond”. Moveable dwellings are capped at 2 weeks’ rent, or 3 weeks if electricity is provided. Taking more than the maximum is an offence.

When the bond is lodged, the RTA asks for the date of the last rent increase, unless the property is being rented for the first time or the owner is exempt.

You can agree in writing to pay a general-tenancy bond in instalments. Each instalment still has to be lodged within 10 days of the manager receiving it.

During the tenancy the bond can go up only if it has been at least 11 months since the last bond increase or the start of the tenancy, you get written notice, and the new total stays under the cap. The date to pay must be at least one month after you receive the notice. The extra money is lodged within 10 days.

At the end, the refund goes through the RTA bond refund process (opens in a new tab), not by the agent deciding quietly what you get back. Queensland also has bond loans and rental grants. Eligibility is on the RTA site.

Entry notice

You are entitled to quiet enjoyment. The owner or agent can still come in for reasons set out in the Act, and they have to follow the process. The usual written notice is an Entry notice (Form 9). The RTA rules-of-entry factsheet (opens in a new tab) is the page to keep.

You do not have to be home unless that was a condition of a time you agreed. The RTA recommends they pick a time when you can be there.

• Entry on a Sunday or public holiday, or before 8am or after 6pm, needs your agreement.
• If the owner or manager is the person entering, the notice has to name a two-hour window when entry will start. They can stay past that window to finish the job. Tradespeople attending alone are not under that two-hour rule.
• They can show a prospective tenant only after a Notice to leave (Form 12) or a Notice of intention to leave (Form 13). Showing a buyer requires a Notice of lessor’s intention to sell (Form 10) as well as the entry notice.
• An open house or on-site auction needs your written agreement. Photos in an ad that show your possessions also need your written agreement.
• After a Form 12 or Form 13, entry is limited to twice in a 7-day period, with exceptions (including emergencies, and smoke alarm or safety switch checks).

If entry is becoming harassment, say so to the manager first if it is safe to. You can give a Notice to remedy breach (Form 11). The next step is the RTA’s dispute service, then QCAT if it is not resolved.

Rent increases

Rent cannot go up unless it has been at least 12 months since the current rent for that home became payable. The 12 months attaches to the property. It still counts if the last increase was under a different agreement, a different tenant, or a previous owner or agent. The RTA rent increase page (opens in a new tab) is the source for this section.

The date of the last increase has to be in the tenancy agreement. You can ask for written proof during the tenancy, and they must provide it within 14 days. Failing to do that is an offence. Two exceptions: some owners are exempt (the Act lists them), and a property rented for the first time uses the start of that agreement as the date.

Fixed term

Rent can increase during a fixed term only if all of these are true:

• The agreement says the rent will increase.
• It states the new amount, or how the new amount will be worked out.
• You get at least two months’ notice in writing.
• It has been at least 12 months since the last increase.
• They give you a separate written notice. It does not happen automatically just because a clause is in the lease. The notice should state the new amount, the day it starts, and the date rent was last increased.

Periodic

On a periodic agreement, rent can increase if the 12-month gap has passed and you get at least two months’ written notice.

Increasing the rent sooner than the Act allows is an offence. If you think an increase breaks the 12-month rule, contact the RTA on 1300 366 311. If you think a lawful increase is excessive, QCAT can look at it. There are time limits. Use the RTA page rather than guessing the deadline.

A rent increase can also lead to a bond increase, under the 11-month rule in the bonds section. The new bond still cannot exceed 4 weeks of the new rent.

Repairs

The owner has to keep the place fit to live in, in good repair, and compliant with health and safety laws. The Act splits repairs into emergency and routine. Anything not listed as emergency is routine. The RTA emergency repairs page (opens in a new tab) has the list. In short, emergency repairs include:

• A burst water service or a serious water leak
• A blocked or broken toilet
• A serious roof leak
• A gas leak or a dangerous electrical fault
• Flooding, or serious storm, fire, or impact damage
• A failed gas, electricity, or water supply
• A failed hot-water, cooking, or heating appliance
• A fault that makes the place unsafe or insecure, including smoke alarms
• A serious fault in a stair, lift, or common area that blocks access
• Repairs required to meet minimum housing standards

The agreement is supposed to name a nominated repairer and say whether you call the manager or the repairer first. Contact that person as soon as you know. A phone call is enough. Follow it with a text or email so there is a record.

If you cannot reach the emergency contact within a reasonable time, you or the manager can arrange the repair, up to a maximum of 4 weeks’ rent. Keep the invoice. Natural disasters have extra rules; start from the RTA’s emergency repairs page.

For routine repairs, tell the manager in writing and describe the problem. If nothing happens, a Notice to remedy breach (Form 11) (opens in a new tab) is the usual next step, then RTA dispute resolution, then QCAT.

Ending a tenancy

A general tenancy is a contract. It ends in ways the Act allows, on the right form, with the right notice. Don’t count the day the notice is given. If the last day falls on a weekend or public holiday, it moves to the next business day. Notices sent by post need extra time for the mail. The full tables are on Form 13 (opens in a new tab) and Form 12 (opens in a new tab). The ending a tenancy section (opens in a new tab) is the hub.

If you want to leave

You give a Notice of intention to leave (Form 13). Without grounds, that is 14 days on a periodic agreement. On a fixed term, it is the later of 14 days and the day the agreement ends. You and the owner can agree in writing to an earlier date.

Leaving a fixed term early without a ground is a break lease. You can be asked to cover rent until the place is re-let, plus reasonable re-letting costs. The owner has to take reasonable steps to limit that loss. Get advice before you hand the keys back. A Form 13 for an unremedied breach (7 days, and only after the remedy period on a Form 11 has expired) does not by itself guarantee you are released.

If a fixed term ends and you stay on without a new fixed term, the agreement continues as a periodic tenancy. Ending it later needs a reason, not a late “end of fixed term” notice.

If they ask you to leave

The manager uses a Notice to leave (Form 12), and only for a reason printed on that form. On the form published by the RTA (version 27, 1 May 2025, still the version on the site in October 2026), there is no without-grounds option for the owner.

• End of a fixed term: 2 months. Notice can be given as late as the day before the term ends, but you still get the full two months, so the move-out date can fall after the agreement’s end date.
• Unremedied breach for rent arrears: 7 days. Other unremedied breaches: 14 days. “Unremedied” means a Notice to remedy breach has already been given and the remedy period has passed.
• Sale contract, owner occupation, significant repairs or renovations, demolition or redevelopment, and change of use: 2 months. These reasons cannot be used to end a fixed term early. The tenancy finishes on the later of the agreement end date and the notice end date.
• Some endings need a QCAT order instead of Form 12, including repeated breaches, excessive hardship, and damage. Abandonment uses a different form (Form 15).

The RTA also publishes information on retaliatory action, for a notice that lands because you asserted a right. That is a QCAT question, not something this page can decide.

If you disagree

Start by telling the other side what you want, in writing, if it is safe to talk to them. For a non-urgent dispute, the RTA dispute resolution service (opens in a new tab) is free conciliation. Conciliators do not take sides and cannot impose an outcome. If it stays unresolved, the person who lodged the request can apply to QCAT (opens in a new tab). Some matters are urgent applications straight to QCAT. The Act lists them.

RTA phone: 1300 366 311, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm, not on public holidays. The same number can arrange a free interpreter. This page is not a substitute for Tenants Queensland (opens in a new tab) or Legal Aid Queensland (opens in a new tab) if you need advice on your own agreement.

When you move in, the entry condition report matters as much as the bond. You must return it within 7 days after the later of moving in and receiving it. Photos help. The RTA explains the report (opens in a new tab), and the move-in checklist is the practical version.