With over 150 offences listed under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (the Act), it can be hard to know what to look for if you suspect there’s been an alleged breach of Queensland’s rental laws by a property manager or owner.

In this article, we explain some of the priority offences we investigate as part of our compliance and enforcement activities and give examples to help you know what to look for.

Non-lodgement of bond

If a bond is taken for a rental property, it is an offence not to lodge it with the RTA. A bond must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days. Tenants/residents will receive an Acknowledgement of rental bond email from the RTA when their bond is lodged. If tenants/residents don’t receive this email within 10 days of paying their rental bond to a property manager/owner, they should contact the RTA.

Unlawful entry of premises

If a property manager/owner needs to enter a rental property, they need to provide notice using a general tenancy Entry notice (Form 9) or rooming accommodation Entry notice (Form R9). Exceptions apply, such as if the tenant has provided consent for the entry to occur.

Example: A property owner arrives at a rental property in Brisbane on a Saturday morning to prune trees and complete other garden maintenance. They didn’t notify the tenant as they weren’t planning to enter the building. This is an offence. The property owner should have provided 48 hours notice to the tenant using an Entry notice (Form 9).

False or misleading documents

This includes knowingly providing false or misleading information to the RTA, such as the details provided in RTA forms.

Example: A property manager/owner completes a bond refund request to make a claim on the bond. The claim is for cracked tiles; however, the entry condition report and photos taken at the time – which the property manager/owner recently reviewed – show that these were already cracked when the tenant moved in. The property manager/owner is knowingly making a false claim on the bond for damage the tenant didn’t cause. This is an offence.

No evidence of claim on rental bond

For bonds lodged on or after 30 September 2024, property managers/owners need to provide evidence to the tenant/resident for any claims on the bond. After 30 September 2025, this applies to all bonds.

Example: A tenancy started on 1 October 2024. When inspecting the property at the end of the tenancy, the property manager/owner noticed that the paint on several doors has been badly scratched by the tenant’s dog. The property manager/owner estimates that the damage will cost about $300 to fix and lodges a claim on the bond with the RTA. The property manager/owner must provide evidence to the tenant to support the claim, such as a quote from a painter detailing the repair costs. This should be provided within 14 days of making the bond claim. If the property manager/owner does not contact the tenant at all, this is an offence.

Rent increases within 12 months

Rent cannot be increased unless it has been at least 12 months since the current amount of rent became payable for the rental property. Tenants/residents can find the date of the last rent increase in their tenancy agreement.

Breach of agreement terms

The standard terms for an agreement under the Act are included in the RTA’s tenancy agreements, such as the General tenancy agreement (Form 18a). Any special terms added by a property manager/owner must be compliant with the Act. Adding terms that do not comply is an offence.

Example: A property manager/owner has added a special term to a tenancy agreement stating that if rent is not paid on a specific day each week, the tenant will incur a fee of $100 per day until the rent is paid and any resulting rent arrears are caught up on. This is an offence. A special term imposing a penalty amount for breaching the agreement is not compliant with the Act.

Ending a tenancy

The Act sets out processes and timeframes for ending a tenancy lawfully. It is an offence not to comply with these.

Example: A tenant’s relationship with their property owner has deteriorated. The property manager wanted to end the tenancy; however, the tenancy agreement doesn’t end for another 6 months. The property owner lived next door to the tenant. One day when the tenant went out, the property manager arranged to have the locks at the rental property changed. When the tenant returned home, the property owner advised them that they were not allowed back in the property. This is an offence. The property owner has taken possession of the property unlawfully.

How to report an offence

The RTA investigates alleged breaches of the Act. If you suspect someone has committed an offence, you can request an investigation. If the RTA investigates an alleged breach and finds that an offence has been committed, there are several possible outcomes and enforcement actions.

Dispute resolution service

For issues that aren’t suitable for investigation, tenants/residents and property managers/owners should try to resolve disagreements in the first instance by proactively communicating with each other. If disputes arise and can’t be self-resolved, the RTA’s free dispute resolution service may be an option to help the parties reach a mutually agreed outcome. An active dispute resolution process must be completed before an investigation request can be submitted.