What laws protect people who rent in Queensland?
The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (the Act) sets out the rights and responsibilities for people renting a home.

The Act applies to:

• tenants renting a house, unit or caravan from a lessor (landlord), and
• residents renting a room from a provider.

The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) manages this law and can give information to help you understand what the Act means for you.

Are the laws in Queensland different from other states or countries?
Your rights and responsibilities under Queensland laws will be different from laws in other Australian states and in other countries. It’s important that you know your rights and responsibilities when renting in Queensland.

RTA Services
The RTA is an impartial government authority that looks after rental laws and provides the following services:

• RTA website – all RTA forms, fact sheets, publications and information can be accessed free of charge. Visit rta.qld.gov.au.
• Client Contact Centre – for the cost of a local call, RTA staff give information and answer questions about your rights and responsibilities. Telephone 1300 366 311.
• Rental Bond Services – lessors/providers/agents must send all bond money collected from tenants and residents to the RTA where it is safely held until it can be refunded at the end of the tenancy.
• Dispute Resolution Service – when tenants/residents and lessors/providers/agents have a tenancy dispute, the RTA can provide an impartial third person to help you reach an agreement.
• Investigations Unit – RTA staff investigate complaints about offences under Queensland renting laws.

Are signed contracts needed when renting?
The law requires tenants/residents to have a signed contract (or agreement) with their lessor, provider or agent. Tenants/residents must be given one of the following legal contracts depending on the type of home or accommodation being rented:

• General tenancy agreement (Form 18a) – for houses, units, flats and houseboats
• Moveable dwelling tenancy agreement (Form 18b) – for caravans and other moveable dwellings
• Rooming accommodation agreement (Form R18) – for rooming accommodation, such as boarding houses.

RTA publications:

Tenants/residents	Lessors/agents/managers
For tenants living in houses, units, flats, and houseboats: Renting a house or unit in Queensland (Form 17a) Includes information about: rental agreements bond lodging and refunding rights and responsibilities of a tenant what to do if things go wrong.	For lessors renting houses, units, flats and houseboats: Managing general tenancies in Queensland Includes information about: preparing for a tenancy important information for starting, during and ending a tenancy rules surrounding bond and rent what to do if things go wrong.
For tenants living in caravans and other moveable dwellings: Renting a caravan or moveable dwelling in Queensland (Form 17b) Includes information about:  rental agreements bond lodging and refunding rights and responsibilities of a tenant what to do if things go wrong.	For owners and manangers of caravan and relocatable home parks: Managing a caravan or moveable dwelling in Queensland Includes information about:  preparing for a tenancy starting, during and ending a tenancy changes to park rules during a tenancy what to do if things go wrong.
For residents of boarding houses, hostels and other rooming style accommodation: Renting rooming accommodation in Queensland Includes information about:  rooming accommodation agreements bond lodging and refunding rights and responsibilities of residents what to do if things go wrong.	For all people in the rental sector who are unable to resolve a dispute themselves, or through the RTA Dispute Resolution process, and urgent applications: Handling Tenancy Disputes in the Tribunal fact sheet Includes information about: options for resolving disputes role of the Tribunal applying to the Tribunal what happens at the hearing what is an urgent application.

Fact sheets
The RTA has a range of fact sheets on many of the topics listed above. They can be accessed by downloading them from the RTA website: rta.qld.gov.au.

Other organisations that may be able to give you further information

For	Organisation	Contact
For tenants and residents	Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service of Queensland (TAAS(Q))	Look under ‘T’ in the White Pages for your nearest branch
For lessors	Property Owner’s Association of Queensland (POAQ)	3343 3929
For real estate agents	Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ)	3249 7347
For caravan park residents	Caravan and Manufactured Home Residents Association (CAMRA)	3893 0733 Toll free: 1800 061 142
For caravan park operators	Caravanning Queensland (Caravan Parks Association of Qld)	3862 1833

Further information
For more information contact the Residential Tenancies Authority on 1300 366 311.
 
Accessing RTA forms
The RTA’s forms can be obtained electronically or in person by:

• rta.qld.gov.au
• 1300 366 311
• Level 23, 179 Turbot St Brisbane

A selection of the most commonly used forms are also available at Australia Post outlets around Queensland.

If you need interpreting assistance to help you understand this information, contact TIS on 13 14 50 (for the cost of a local call) and ask to speak to the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA).

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