Residents may have a nominated support person such as a friend, family member, guardian, NDIS support coordinator or support worker. This may be an informal arrangement or a formal arrangement, such as power of attorney. The support person could be someone from an organisation outside of the residential service.

Residents can nominate a support person in their Rooming accommodation agreement (Form R18) to receive any forms or notices related to the accommodation.  

The staff working in residential services accommodation may also help residents to understand any forms or notices they receive. 

If you are supporting a resident with their tenancy, it can help to:

• read information together
• break information into short sections
• ask the resident to tell you in their own words what each part means
• talk to the RTA or the provider on their behalf
• help the resident write short messages or fill in forms
• keep copies of letters, emails and forms. 

Examples of services include:

• support or supervision
• cleaning, meals or laundry  
• security or reception
• management services. 

There are three levels of residential services:

• Level 1 – provide accommodation only
• Level 2 – provide accommodation and a food service
• Level 3 – provide accommodation, a food service and personal care (for example: bathing, toileting, dressing, mobility, eating meals, or more).

You can learn more on the Queensland Government residential services page.

This page is primarily for residents in Level 2 and Level 3 residential services accommodation, but residents in Level 1 accommodation may also find it useful. 

If you have National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding for personal care, your rent should not go toward services that are paid for using this money. Check your agreement doesn’t include anything you pay for with NDIS funding.

For more information about what you can use your NDIS funding for, see supports funded by the NDIS. 

If you don’t understand the agreement, you should get a support person to help you. You can also contact a support service to help you understand the agreement, such as the ones listed in our Who to contact for help section below. 

In your agreement, you can choose someone to get any letters or forms about your accommodation. This could be a family member or other support person. You will still get any letters or forms, but your provider must also give them to your named support person.

If you need help understanding letters or forms about your accommodation, talk to your provider or a friend, family member or support person.  

You can ask to pay less rent if a service:

• is no longer available – for example, if a laundry service stops
• is no longer wanted – for example, if you do not need help to bathe anymore, if the meals are not right for you, or if your NDIS plan changes and now pays for some services that were included in your rent
• is reduced – for example, if you get fewer meals each day
• is not needed because you are away – for example, when you are on holiday.  

If you’re going away and you pay for a food service that you won’t be using, you can only ask to pay less rent if you are away for more than 2 weeks.  

If you get a new service, then your rent may be increased to pay for it.  

Any changes to your services should be agreed between you and your provider. A provider should consider your request fairly.

You can update your rooming accommodation agreement with the changes or put them in writing. You and the provider should agree to the changes.  

If you and your provider agree to reduce your rent following a service change, this needs to be in writing. For more information, see rent decreases.

If a service has stopped and you didn’t agree to this or receive a transition plan, talk to your provider. If the service is still available, you can ask for it to start again. You may be able to get some money back if the service stopped while you were still paying for it.

See our Who to contact for help section below for more organisations that may be able to help you if your services change.  

If you go into hospital, you can ask to pay less rent for any personal care services you don’t need because you are away from the accommodation. If you are away for more than 2 weeks, you can also ask to pay less rent for any food services you don’t use while you are away.

You will still need to pay rent to cover your room and accommodation while you are in hospital, but you can ask your provider for a rent decrease.  

Any agreement to decrease the rent should be in writing and agreed to by you and your provider. For more information, see rent decreases.

You may want to end or extend your agreement due to a hospital stay or you may be in hospital around the tenancy end date. In either case, you and your provider must follow the correct processes for extending or ending the tenancy.  

If your rent is based on how much money you have, it might go up or down with any changes to your income. Only providers who receive government funding through specific programs are allowed to adjust your rent based on your income.

If your rent is not based on your income, your provider will only be able to increase your rent every 12 months. Some providers do not have to follow this rule. For more information, see rent increases.  

You have the right to be treated fairly and for your human rights to be protected. For more information about human rights, see the Queensland Government’s human rights webpage. 

If you have disability, there are laws to protect you from discrimination including the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991.

To help you choose housing that meets your needs, the Queensland Disability Network has created the My Housing Options toolkit. 

You have the right to:

• get all services included in your Rooming accommodation agreement (Form R18)  
• not pay for services you aren’t given
• ask what you are paying for
• ask for changes to your agreement if your needs change. 

If you are experiencing domestic and family violence which impacts your accommodation, see the RTA’s domestic violence in a rental property page or contact the RTA for options. 

Your provider/manager needs to respect your privacy and follow the rules for entry. If your provider/manager wants to inspect your room, they need to give advance notice in writing using an Entry notice (Form R9).

You and your provider/manager may have other agreements about entering your room – for example, to provide services such as personal care or cleaning. 

If you want to add fixtures or make changes to your room or unit (for example, accessibility upgrades), you must get permission from the provider first. 

If you have a cognitive impairment or find it hard to make decisions, you may be able to ask a community visitor to check on you and your accommodation. For more information, see the Office of the Public Guardian’s community visitor webpage. 

Talk to your provider or write to them about what is wrong and what you want to happen. You can also get a support person, such as a friend or family member, to talk to them for you. Keep copies of any letters or messages. For more tips, see self-resolving tenancy issues. 

If a problem with your room or accommodation is not fixed, you can use a Notice to remedy breach – rooming accommodation (Form R11). In the notice you can ask the provider to fix the problem within 7 days.  

Your provider can also issue you with a notice to fix a problem.

For more information, see breach of the agreement. 

If you and the provider cannot agree about a problem with your room or accommodation, you can request the RTA’s free dispute resolution service. The RTA is neutral and can help you and your provider talk about your problem and come to an agreement.

The RTA cannot help with NDIS funding disputes. 

If the problem with your room or accommodation is not fixed within 7 days after you have issued a breach notice, you can give your provider a Notice of intention to leave – rooming accommodation (Form R13).

There are rules about how often someone can enter the room after a Form R13 is given. For more information, see entry to the property. 

If your provider has given you a breach notice and you don’t fix the problem within the required timeframe, they may ask you to leave with a Notice to leave – rooming accommodation (Form R12).

If you feel your provider has given you a notice to leave to punish you for asserting your rights, you can dispute the notice. For more information, see retaliatory action.

There are rules about how often someone can enter the room after a Form R12 is given. For more information, see entry to the property. 

You can apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) for a decision about a problem with your room or accommodation. QCAT can order:

• lower rent
• money back
• changes to services
• the agreement to end if needed.

For some problems, you and your provider need to use the RTA’s dispute resolution service before QCAT can help. 

The RTA investigates alleged offences under Queensland rental laws. Learn what the RTA can investigate and how to request an investigation. 

You have the right to live in safe, clean and well-managed accommodation. If you think your accommodation and services don’t meet the right standards, you can complain to your provider.

If the problem isn’t resolved, you can complain to the Queensland Government’s Regulatory Services team.  

All residential services accommodation should be registered with the Queensland Government. You can check if a provider is registered by searching for them in the public register of residential services.

If you suspect an unregistered residential service is operating, you can report it to the Queensland Government’s Regulatory Services team. 

If you have a problem with the quality or safety of a service funded by the NDIS, you can follow the steps to complain on the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission complaints webpage.  

If you have an issue with another resident in your accommodation, you can talk to your provider and the resident to see if you can solve the problem together. If the problem can’t be solved, other options are available. For more information, see our quiet enjoyment page. 

The RTA can help:

• explain your rental rights and responsibilities  
• answer questions about rent, services and your agreement  
• resolve rental and bond disputes.  

The RTA cannot help with NDIS funding disputes or questions.

You can call the RTA on 1300 366 311 or contact us in a way that works for you.

You can also ask a support person (for example, a friend, family member or support worker) to speak to the RTA on your behalf. If you want to set up a more formal arrangement with the RTA, you can follow the steps for a Letter of Authority and Power of Attorney. 

• QSTARS (Tenants Queensland) – free tenant advice and advocacy services: 1300 744 263.
• Regulatory Services (Department of Housing and Public Works) – registration and complaints about residential services: (07) 3013 2666 
• Emergency and temporary housing (Department of Housing and Public Works) – for support in a crisis or if you’re at risk of being homeless. For phone support, call the Homeless Hotline: 1800 474 753
• Supported Accommodation Providers Association Qld (SAPA) – industry information and good practice.
• Office of the Public Guardian – assistance for adults who have difficulty making their own decisions, including a community visitors program: 1300 653 187
• Public Trustee of Queensland – financial administration for adults with impaired decision-making abilities: 1300 360 044
• QCAT – decisions about tenancy disputes and guardianship for adults with impaired decision-making abilities: 1300 753 228
• NDIS – information about NDIS funding including how to apply, eligibility and what it can be used to pay for: 1800 800 110
• Disability Advocacy Pathways – connects Queenslanders with disability, their family, friends and carers with advocacy services to suit their needs and location: 1800 130 582