What Queensland’s Recent Tenancy Law Changes Mean for Property Owners

Whether you are a current property owner or considering investing in residential property, understanding these changes can help ensure compliance and provide greater clarity around your rights and responsibilities.

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Changes to Tenancy Applications

Effective 1 May 2025, property managers must use the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) prescribed tenancy application form when assessing prospective tenants.

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The changes are designed to standardise the application process and limit the information that can be requested from applicants.

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Under the new requirements, owners and property managers can no longer request information relating to:

• Previous legal actions or tenancy disputes
• Bond history
• Bank transaction records

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In addition, agents are limited to requesting a maximum of two documents from each assessment category, including:

• Identification
• Financial capacity
• Suitability as a tenant

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While applicants may choose to provide additional supporting documentation, property managers and owners are unable to request it.

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New Requirements for Identity Verification

The legislation also introduces changes to how tenant identification can be verified and retained.

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Prospective tenants may choose whether they wish to show their identification documents in person or provide copies as part of their application.

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Importantly, written consent must now be obtained before a property manager, or owner can retain copies of an applicant’s identification documents.

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Without written consent, identification can only be sighted and not stored. This may affect the ability to conduct certain online tenancy database checks where document retention is required.

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Extended Notice Periods for Property Access

Changes effective from 1 May 2025 have increased the minimum notice period required before entering a rental property.

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For entries relating to:

• Maintenance and repairs
• Open homes
• Property valuations
• Other general management activities

Owners and property managers must now provide at least 48 hours’ notice, an increase from the previous 24-hour requirement.

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The existing requirement of seven days’ notice for routine inspections remains unchanged.

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Limits on Entry Frequency

Where a Notice to Leave (Form 12) or Notice of Intention to Leave (Form 13) has been issued, owners and agents are now limited to entering the property a maximum of two times within any seven-day period.

Exceptions continue to apply in circumstances involving:

• Emergencies
• Safety concerns
• Tenant consent

These changes are intended to provide tenants with greater privacy while still allowing owners to effectively manage and market their property.

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Understanding the New Break Lease Provisions

The legislation has also introduced a revised approach to break lease costs for residential tenancy agreements signed on or after 30 September 2024.

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Previously, tenants breaking a lease could be responsible for:

• A letting fee equivalent to one week’s rent plus GST
• Advertising costs
• Ongoing rent until a new tenant was secured or the lease expired

Under the new provisions, tenants are required to pay the lesser of two calculation methods.

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Option One: Fixed Reletting Cost

The reletting cost is determined based on the percentage of the lease term already completed:

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Option Two: Actual Vacancy Period

Alternatively, tenants may be required to pay an amount equivalent to the rent lost between their handover date and the date the property is successfully re-let.

The tenant is only required to pay whichever amount is lower.

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Supporting Owners Through Legislative Change

At Azure , we continuously monitor legislative updates to ensure our owners remain informed and compliant while protecting the long-term performance of their investment.