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  • Starting a Tenancy
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Information for tenants, lessors (landlords), agents and managers

Beginning a tenancy

Once your application for the place you will be renting has been approved these are some of the things you might have to do to get started.

Note: You can download the following information as a checklist that you can print out and use at the start of your tenancy. Download checklist (PDF - 82k)


Sign a Residential Tenancy Agreement (also known as a lease). View a sample completed tenancy agreement (PDF 644kb)

Get a signed copy of your tenancy agreement.  The lessor (also known as a landlord) or agent must return a copy to you within 14 days.

Get a copy of the booklet Renting a home - A tenant's guide to the rules for renting in Queensland (PDF 1.2mb)  This is a basic step-by-step guide for tenants.  Keep this booklet somewhere safe so you can refer to it later if something goes wrong.

Make sure you get an Entry Condition Report (Form 1a) prepared by the lessor/agent. This will tell you how they see the condition of the property before you start living there.

Complete your part of the Entry Condition Report. You should examine the property thoroughly listing any pre-existing wear and tear or damage (you might also want to take photos or a video).

Sign and return a copy of the Entry Condition Report. You have three days to do this. The lessor/agent will then need to sign and give you a copy of this report. Keep this somewhere safe. This is the key piece of evidence for comparing the property at the start of the tenancy (before you started living there) and at the end of the tenancy (after you have lived there). This is an important document for getting your bond money returned.

Get a receipt if you have paid a bond and complete and sign a Bond Lodgement (Form 2).  Your bond must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days of you paying it. Look out for your official receipt from the RTA this will tell you your bond has been lodged.

Get receipts for any rent you have paid to the lessor/agent. If you are not given one immediately make sure you ask for one.

Connect services to the property (e.g. telephone, electricity etc).

Get one full set of keys for one tenant whose name appears on the tenancy agreement and get entry door keys for each of the other tenants whose names appear on the  tenancy agreement.

Move in, work out where to put everything, enjoy your new space!