Preparing for rental law changes from 1 May 2025
/Further changes to Queensland rental laws will commence on 1 May 2025.
These changes build on laws that came into effect on 6 June and 30 September 2024 under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024, which amends the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (the Act).
Property owners, managers and tenants should prepare for these changes and ensure they understand their new rights and responsibilities.
Rental application process – a standardised rental application form must be used when a tenant is applying for a rental property from 1 May 2025. Managing parties will need to provide prospective tenants at least 2 different ways to submit their applications. One of these ways must not be restrictive. There are also new guidelines on what information managing parties may request from prospective tenants during the rental application process. Tenants may be offered to use an online application form, if the form contains only the information contained on the standardised application and prescribed by the Act and regulations.
The Rental application (Form 22) is the standardised application form for a general tenancy or moveable dwelling tenancy and the Rental application – Rooming accommodation (Form R22) is the standardised application form for rooming accommodation.
Personal information – new limits apply to the personal information that can be requested and collected by managing parties. New requirements for managing parties to ensure personal information is destroyed within certain time frames.
Disclosing benefits – any financial benefits received by managing parties regarding rent payments must be disclosed.
Entry notice period – the minimum entry notice period will increase from 24 hours to 48 hours.
Entry frequency – new limits apply to the frequency of entry after a notice to end the tenancy has been issued.
Request for fixtures and structural changes – tenants must use Request for approval to attach fixtures or make structural changes (Form 23) to request to make fixtures and structural changes and managing parties must respond within 28 days after receiving the request.