Our Domestic and family violence – information for tenants and Domestic and family violence – information for residents outline:

• process and timeframes for ending your interest in the tenancy/residency using a Notice ending tenancy/residency interest (domestic and family violence) (Form 20) or Notice ending residency agreement (domestic and family violence) (Form R20) with relevant evidence and vacating the premises
• costs involved
• confidentiality of your information
• when and what information is required to be given to any remaining tenants/residents in a Continuing interest notice
• ways to help you safely remain in the rental property, including changing locks and being recognised as the tenant if you are an occupant.

Rental bond refunds

You can apply to request your rental bond contribution refunded to you by completing the Bond refund for persons experiencing domestic and family violence (Form 4a).

Important: Please ensure the email address provided in this form is unique, secure and cannot be accessed by another party or person. When using this form, the RTA will only correspond with you and the property manager/owner or manager/provider in this bond refund process and NOT any remaining tenants/residents or co-contributors to the bond.

Other parties to the bond will be notified in all other tenancy processes where their agreement is required, such as in a Change of bond contributor request. 

Bond loan

If you are a sole tenant and have an outstanding amount on a bond loan with the Department of Housing and Public Works, the RTA will pay the balance of your loan using your bond refund.

If you are one of multiple tenants with an outstanding bond loan, please contact DHPW directly to discuss being removed from the loan using the contact details below: 

• Call 1800 501 702, email HousingEnquiry@smartservice.qld.gov.au or visit housing.qld.gov.au.  

For more information on bond loans, please visit our bond loan webpage.  

Responding to a Notice ending tenancy/residency interest (domestic and family violence)

Once you have received a Notice ending tenancy/residency interest (domestic and family violence) (Form 20, R20) and have inspected or received the relevant evidence (such as a protection order, temporary protection order or a Domestic and family violence report), you must, within seven days of receiving the notice, inform the vacating tenant:

1. whether you accept the notice and evidence or intend to make an urgent application to Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) for an order to have the notice set aside because it does not comply with the requirements under the Act
2. when you will be informing other tenants/residents for the same residential tenancy/rooming accommodation agreement that the tenant/resident has vacated and ended their interest in the tenancy/residency, and that the tenancy agreement will continue for any remaining tenants or residents.

Notifying remaining tenants/residents 

If there are other tenants/residents remaining on the same residential tenancy/rooming accommodation agreement, you must wait until a minimum of seven days (but no later than 14 days) after the vacating tenant/resident’s interest in the tenancy/residency has ended, to provide the remaining tenants/residents with a Continuing interest notice.

Confidentiality

You, the property manager/owner or manager/provider MUST NOT: 

• disclose any relevant information supporting the tenant/resident’s notice ending tenancy/residency interest to anyone unless in specific permitted circumstances (outlined in the Act section 308I or 381I). Penalties apply to property managers/owners or managers/providers who do not follow these requirements.
• require the vacating tenant/resident to provide you with their forwarding address  
• provide any information about the vacating tenant/resident ending their interest in the tenancy/residency, to any remaining tenants/residents until a minimum of seven days after the date the vacating tenant/resident’s interest in the tenancy/residency ends. After this time period, information given should be limited to that in the Continuing interest notice. 

Note: The vacating tenant/resident’s interest in the tenancy/residency ends when:

• their seven day notice period expires – meaning 7 days after the date the Notice ending tenancy/residency interest (domestic and family violence) (Form 20, R20) was provided (item 4 on the form), and
• the tenant/resident has vacated the premises.

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Costs

You cannot ask the vacating tenant/resident who has experienced domestic and family violence to: 

• repair, or compensate you for, any damage to the premises or inclusions that have resulted from an act of domestic and family violence experienced by the tenant/resident.
• pay costs relating to ending a tenancy/rooming accommodation agreement or interest, goods left behind in the premises or reletting of the premises. 

Bond refunds 

Either you or the vacating tenant/resident can complete a Bond refund for persons experiencing domestic and family violence (Form 4a). This is a paper form only and is not available via RTA Web Services.

The vacating tenant /resident must provide you with a Notice ending tenancy/residency interest (domestic and family violence) (Form 20, R20) before requesting their bond contribution to be refunded. The RTA can only process a rental bond refund after the tenant/resident has vacated the premises and their interest in the residential tenancy/rooming accommodation agreement has ended. 

You may agree or disagree with the tenant/resident’s request for their bond contribution (i.e. you might decide to claim for damage or rent arrears that are not the result of domestic and family violence). Find out more about the Bond refund for persons experiencing domestic and family violence (Form 4a) and the options available if you do not agree on the amount to be refunded.

Important: The RTA will only correspond with you and the vacating tenant/resident during this process and NOT any remaining tenants/residents or co-contributors to the bond. 
 

Bond top ups 

If the remaining tenants/residents are required to top up the rental bond, you must advise them in the Continuing interest notice that: 

• they are required to top up the rental bond;
• the amount they must pay to top up the rental bond; and
• the day by which the top up must be made (which must be one month after the Continuing interest notice is given to all remaining tenants/residents). 

Changed locks and access codes

The Act gives a tenant the right to change the locks at the property if they believe it is necessary to protect themselves or other occupants from domestic and family violence. 

The tenant does not need to ask you for consent to do this, but they must: 

• engage a qualified locksmith or tradesperson
• provide a copy of the key or access code to the property manager/owner (unless you agree it is not necessary, or the Tribunal orders that the key not be given to the property manager/owner)
• comply with body corporate laws or by-laws applying to the property.

If a tenant changes a lock or access code due to domestic and family violence and gives you a copy of the changed key or code, you must not give the new key or access code to any person without the tenant/resident’s agreement or a reasonable excuse.

Different rules to changing locks apply to residents. Please refer to the Domestic and family violence – information for residents fact sheet.

Penalties apply if you do not comply with this section of the Act.

Within 7–14 days after a tenant/resident has ended their interest in the tenancy/residency on grounds of experiencing domestic and family violence, the property manager/owner or manager/provider must issue you with a Continuing interest notice. This notice informs you:

• the vacating tenant/resident’s interest in the agreement has ended
• the residential tenancy/rooming accommodation agreement continues on the same terms for you and any other remaining tenants/residents
• if the remaining tenants/residents are required to top up the rental bond, that:
  • you are required to top up the rental bond
  • the amount you must pay to top up the rental bond
  • the day by which the top up must be made (which must be one month after the Continuing interest notice is issued to all remaining tenants/residents).