Upcoming RTA 2nd & 3rd Stage rental reforms

Back in May 2024, RTA Amendment Act 2024 was passed by the Queensland Parliament. The first tranche of the changes commenced on the day the Act received royal assent, 6 June 2024. The Queensland Government has now given proclamation to confirm that the remaining changes will commence in a further two parts in late September this year and early May next year.

• at least one fee-free rent payment method must be offered to the tenant and the property manager/lessor must provide the tenant with notice of any costs associated with using a rent payment method;
• lessors will need to provide to the tenant evidence to support a bond claim or dispute resolution request within 14 days of making the claim or request;
• the maximum bond limit thresholds will be removed and a maximum bond of four weeks rent will be applicable for every rental property regardless of the weekly rent amount;
• in some cases, when a tenancy is renewed, a tenant will be permitted to seek a bond refund if too much bond is held;
• bills for service charges and water consumption charges will need to be provided to the tenant within four weeks of receipt from the relevant supply authority or otherwise, the tenant is not required to pay for the service charge or water consumption charge;
• if water consumption charges relate to a partial billing period, the tenant is not required to pay for the charges unless the property manager calculates the water consumption in accordance with the RTRA Act; and
• if a tenant breaks lease, reletting costs will need to be calculated in accordance with a statutory formula.

1. property managers will be required to use a prescribed form for tenancy applications;
2. property managers will only be permitted to request prescribed types of information from a prospective tenant and will be prohibited from requesting certain types of information;
3. new requirements will apply for when a property manager verifies the identity of the tenant;
4. property managers will be required to disclose to the tenant any financial benefit received from a third party rent payment method;
5. entry notice periods will be extended from 24 hours to 48 hours;
6. entry will be limited to two times per seven-day period once a Form 12 Notice to Leave or Form 13 Notice of Intention to Leave is issued;
7. a new process will be introduced for how a tenant can request the attachment of fixtures or structural changes in residential properties; and
8. a new process will be introduced for collecting, storing and destroying personal information.

These reforms and changes will officially take effect at the end of September this year and in May next year, and they are expected to have a certain impact on Queensland’s rental market. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time.