A tenancy agreement – also known as a lease – is a legally binding contract between a property manager/owner and a tenant/resident.

It outlines each party’s legal rights and responsibilities throughout the duration of the tenancy, including the standard terms set out in the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 and any additional special terms agreed to by both parties.

A tenancy agreement must be:

• documented in writing
• provided by the property manager/owner to the tenant/resident either on, or before, the day the tenant/resident occupies the premises and before any monies are paid
• accompanied by a copy of either the Pocket guide for tenants – houses and units (Form 17a) or Pocket guide for tenants – caravan parks (Form 17b).

It is an offence not to provide the tenant with a written agreement.

Property managers/owners are responsible for covering the cost of preparing the agreement, which must be written in a clear and precise way.

If a tenant/resident is occupying a premises without a written tenancy agreement, they still have legal protections under Queensland’s tenancy laws and can contact the RTA for support.

The Act includes provisions for:

• General tenancy agreements
  Used when renting a house, unit, apartment, townhouse, houseboat, or secondary dwelling.
• Moveable dwelling agreements
  Used when renting a caravan, moveable dwelling or site.
• Rooming accommodation agreements
  Used for boarding houses, supported accommodation services, off-campus student accommodation and other rooming style accommodation.

The Act does not apply to:

• contracts of sale or mortgages if the sale of contract is for 28 days or less
• holiday lettings (e.g. short-stay listings on Airbnb)
• rental purchase plan agreements
• temporary refuge accommodation (e.g. a women’s shelter)
• commercial property (e.g. shop leases)
• renting outside of Queensland.

All tenancy agreements must include:

• the name and address of the property manager/owner and tenant/resident
• the start and end date of the agreement (or state that it is periodic)
• how the tenant should pay rent and how much is to be paid
• the date of the last rent increase
• contact details for nominated repairers
• standard terms outlined under the Act
• any special terms (these should be agreed in advance, e.g. who is responsible for pool maintenance).

The date of the last rent increase must be included in the tenancy agreement. Tenants have the right to request written proof of the last rent increase during the tenancy, and the property manager or owner must provide this information within 14 days. However, these requirements do not apply in the following cases:

• Exempt Lessors: the Act outlines who qualifies as an exempt lessor.  
• For properties purchased between 6 June 2023 and 6 June 2025: the requirement to include the date of the last rent increase in the tenancy agreement and to provide evidence of a rent increase upon the tenant’s request does not apply if the new owner or property manager does not have information about the previous rent increase.
• For properties being rented for the first time: the date of the last rent increase is the date the property is first rented.

Note: A property manager/owner is considered to have evidence of the last rent increase if they or their agent (such as a real estate agent, property manager, or lawyer) has this information.  

For more information, please visit our Rent increases webpage.

Rent payment methods 

Property managers/owners must offer tenants/residents at least two options to pay rent. One of these options must not exceed reasonable transactional costs (costs in addition to standard bank transaction fees), and it must be reasonably accessible to the tenant/resident.

Before signing a tenancy agreement, property managers/owners must provide a written notice outlining any associated costs incurred by using the payment methods offered. This is because property managers/owners should be aware of costs associated with the offered payment methods, especially if these costs are not reasonably known by the tenant/resident.

Additionally, property managers/owners must disclose any financial benefits they may receive if the tenant/resident uses a specific rent payment method. For example, if a property manager/owner receives an incentive payment from a third-party platform or a share of the fees charged by the platform, it must be disclosed to the tenant/resident upfront.