Rent
The amount of rent, and how it should be paid, must be stated in the tenancy agreement.
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.
There are also rules for rent increases and in some circumstances the rent may be decreased. There are also rules about the non-payment of rent.
Non-payment of rent
If a tenant doesn't pay all the rent on the day it is due; the following day they are one day in arrears.
The property manager/owner cannot issue a breach notice until the tenant has been in arrears for a certain number of days. This number varies depending on the type of tenancy agreement.
Rent increases
It is an offence under the Act to increase the rent in less than 12 months. The 12-month period applies even if the last rent increase was related to a different tenancy agreement with another tenant or by a previous agent or owner of the property.
If the residential premises are a movable dwelling for a long tenancy, the 12-month period applies whether the last rent increase was for the dwelling, its site, or both.
As required by the Act, the property manager/owner must include the date of the last rent increase for the premises in the tenancy agreement (Form 18a/Form 18b/Form R18).
Rent increase requirements do not apply to exempt property managers/owners or exempt providers. The Act provides definitions for an exempt property manager/owner and an exempt provider.
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 more information, please visit our Rent increases webpage.
Rent decreases
Rent can be decreased under certain circumstances.
When the property manager/owner and tenant agree to reduce the rent, the agreement should be put in writing and may include:
- how much the rent reduction will be
- when the reduction will begin and end
- any other relevant issues agreed upon.
The agreement is signed by everyone and then forms part of the tenancy agreement.
If the tenant and the property manager/owner agreed to decrease the rent, or if the tenant applied to QCAT and QCAT made an order to decrease the rent, and the rent later reverts to the amount payable before the decrease, this is not considered a rent increase within the meaning of the limit within the 12-month period.
If the rent in a rooming accommodation agreement covers both accommodation and a service, the 12-month period only applies to rent increases.
Other bills
- The tenant may have to pay for electricity and/or gas (and arrange connection).
- A tenant may be charged for water if the property is individually metered (or water is delivered by vehicle) and the rental property is water efficient.
- There are a number of payment options for properties with solar power.
- The property manager/owner pays for rates, property insurance and land tax.
- The tenant pays for contents insurance (if required for their possessions).
For general service charges in tenancy agreements, moveable dwellings, and rooming accommodations where tenants/residents pay for utilities or other services, a property manager/owner must provide a tenant/resident with a copy of the document from the relevant service provider that shows the charges. This must be done within 4 weeks of the property manager/owner receiving the document or a tenant/resident is not required to pay for the service charges.
This requirement applies to individually metered utilities for moveable dwellings including utilities services for rooming accommodations. It does not include service charges or utilities services that are included in the rent.
Partial billing
Partial billing refers to a billing for a period that includes only part, not all, of the time covered by the water usage charges document. For example, if a tenancy agreement starts on 1 February, but the water usage charges are specified from 1 January to 31 March, the partial billing period would be from 1 February to 31 March.
The Act does not specify who is responsible for recording the meter reading in these reports. To prevent disputes, the RTA strongly advises both parties ensure the meter reading is recorded in both entry and exit conditions reports at the beginning and end of the tenancy.
A tenant/resident may not be required to pay for water consumption charges for a partial billing period if the meter reading is not recorded in an entry or exit condition report if:
- the start of the agreement aligns with the beginning of the billing period, or
- the billing period ends when the tenant/resident hands over the premises.