The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2009 will expire (sunset) on 31 August 2025.

Under Queensland law, regulations automatically expire (or ‘sunset’) after 10 years unless they are reviewed and remade.

Following targeted consultation with peak bodies and representative groups, the Queensland Government has replaced the 2009 Regulation with the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2025 (the Regulation), which will commence from 1 September 2025.

The new Regulation does not introduce any new obligations or major changes. Instead, it:

• clarifies existing requirements
• makes minor administrative updates
• simplifies forms and wording to make them easier to use.

RTA form updates from 1 September 2025

The RTA will be updating the following tenancy agreement forms, which apply from 1 September 2025:

• General tenancy agreement (Form 18a)
• Moveable dwelling tenancy agreement (Form 18b)
• Rooming accommodation agreement (Form R18).

As using incorrect forms may result in a breach of tenancy laws, property managers/owners are reminded to use the latest versions – either by downloading from the RTA website or via your third-party digital form provider – when they are made available from 1 September 2025.

Key improvements to the forms include:

• reordered item and clause numbers to improve usability
• simplified wording to improve readability
• improved clarity of standard tenancy terms to better reflect existing regulatory requirements
• allowing notices to be served via electronic means (including text messages), if agreed to.

Regulation changes from 1 September 2025

The Regulation supports the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (the Act) by prescribing key processes and requirements for applying the Act in practice.

Provisions to support the sector’s move to the new Regulation include:

• Existing tenancy agreements entered into before 1 September 2025 remain valid. It will not be necessary to complete a new tenancy agreement if the existing tenancy is continuing.
• New or renewed tenancy agreements from 1 September 2025 must meet the requirements of the new Regulation.

Remember: it is important that you understand when the tenancy agreement was entered into (i.e. the date all parties have signed) to ensure that you use the standard terms relevant to that agreement when managing the tenancy.
 

The new Regulation provides clarity about existing obligations and includes some minor update such as:

• Outlining how to calculate caravan sale fees – those agreed to before 1 September 2025 will use the old fee calculation; for those from 1 September 2025, the maximum fee is 4%.
• Renumbering of some sections.
• Clarifying existing prescribed house rule obligations about quiet enjoyment, with those listed in Schedule 5 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2009 continuing to apply until 31 August 2026. From 1 September 2026, all prescribed house rules will need to meet the new requirements under the 2025 Regulation.
• Aligning water consumption timeframes for issuing and paying bills to four weeks.
• Lost property from rooming accommodation agreements that ended before 1 September still follow the 2009 Regulation’s value limits. Starting 1 September 2025, property that can be sold, donated or disposed of will have a prescribed value of $250, and property that must be stored safely will have a value of $900. Under the 2009 Regulation, these amounts were previously $150 and $600 respectively.
• Updated thresholds for goods left behind (excluding personal documents or money) to reflect current values, replacing those set in 2009. Agreements that ended before 1 September 2025 will continue to be managed under the 2009 Regulation, so the previous value thresholds and storage periods still apply. However, there are changes to the prescribed value for goods left behind and storage periods on or after 1 September 2025:
  • goods related to a moveable dwelling agreement for a site only in a moveable dwelling park will have a prescribed value of $5,000
  • all other goods will have a prescribed value of $2,500
  • caravans, their contents, and other goods used in occupying the caravan must be stored for 2 months (previously 3 months).