Landlord Rights QLD: Guide for Rental Property Owners

This guide is about Queensland landlord rights and obligations for residential rental property owners. It is not a tenant rights guide, tenant advocacy resource, non-Queensland tenancy guide, commercial leasing guide, or general property ownership rights guide outside residential tenancy law.

If you’re a self-managing landlord in Queensland, the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (the RTRA Act) governs everything you can and cannot do. The Act uses the term “lessor” rather than “landlord,” but the rights and obligations are the same regardless of whether you manage the property yourself or use an agent.

This guide covers the core rights you have as a landlord — and the obligations that come with them. QLD tenancy law is not one-sided: for every right you hold, there is a corresponding process you must follow, a notice you must give, or a limit you must respect. Getting the process wrong doesn’t just mean you lose a dispute — in many cases it’s an offence that carries a financial penalty.

For the detailed workflows that sit behind these rights and obligations, start with the QLD lease agreement guide, QLD rental bond guide, and broader QLD rental laws guide guides for this state.

Your Right to Receive Rent

You are entitled to receive rent on time, at the amount and frequency stated in the tenancy agreement. The Act gives you the right to require rent in advance — up to 2 weeks for a periodic agreement, or up to 1 month for a fixed-term agreement (Section 87).

You must offer the tenant at least two methods of paying rent, and at least one of those methods must not exceed reasonable transactional costs (Section 83). Before the tenancy starts, you must provide a written notice outlining any costs associated with the payment methods you offer, and disclose any financial benefits you receive from a specific payment method (Section 84B).

You must keep accurate records of all rent received. Providing false, misleading, or incomplete rent records is an offence under Section 90.

If the tenant falls behind on rent, you have the right to issue a Notice to Remedy Breach (Form 11) and, if the breach is not remedied, a Notice to Leave (Form 12). For a detailed walkthrough of that process, see our eviction notice QLD guide.

Your Right to Increase Rent

You can increase the rent, but only if at least 12 months have passed since the last rent increase for the premises — not just for the current tenant, but for the property itself. This 12-month rule applies even if the previous rent increase was under a different tenancy agreement with a different tenant or by a previous owner (Section 93).

You must give the tenant at least 2 months’ written notice of the increase. The notice must state the new rent amount, the date it takes effect, and the date the rent was last increased (Section 91). There is no prescribed form for a rent increase notice — any written notice that includes the required information is sufficient.

During a fixed-term agreement, rent can only be increased if the agreement itself provides for the increase and states the amount or how the amount will be worked out (Section 91(7)).

A rent increase cannot relate to compliance of the premises or inclusions with minimum housing standards or to the keeping of a pet or working dog at the premises (Section 91(6)(c)).

The tenant can challenge the increase by applying to QCAT within 30 days if they believe the increase is excessive (Section 92). For more detail, see our rent increase QLD guide.

Your Right to Collect and Claim Bond

You can require a rental bond of up to 4 weeks’ rent, regardless of the weekly rent amount (Section 146). You must lodge the bond with the RTA within 10 days of receiving it using the Bond Lodgement (Form 2). Failing to lodge on time is an offence under Section 116.

At the end of the tenancy, you can make a claim against the bond for unpaid rent, damage beyond fair wear and tear, or other amounts owed under the agreement. If you and the tenant agree on how the bond should be split, you can submit a joint Refund of Rental Bond (Form 4). If you disagree, either party can lodge a claim, and if it cannot be resolved through the RTA’s dispute resolution process, the matter goes to QCAT.

For the full bond lifecycle — lodgement, increases, refunds, and disputes — see our rental bond QLD guide.

Your Right to Enter the Property

You have a right to enter the rental property, but only under specific grounds set out in Section 192 and only after giving the tenant proper notice using the Entry Notice (Form 9).

The general grounds for entry include inspecting the property, carrying out or inspecting repairs, showing the property to prospective buyers or tenants, allowing a valuation, checking compliance with fire safety or electrical safety laws, and checking whether a significant breach has been remedied (Section 192(1)).

The notice requirements vary depending on the reason for entry. A general inspection requires at least 7 days’ notice. Most other grounds — including repairs, maintenance inspections, and showings — require at least 48 hours’ notice (Section 193). Entry in an emergency, or where you reasonably believe the property has been abandoned, does not require notice (Section 193(2)).

There are additional restrictions on when and how you can enter. Entry must be at a reasonable time, and unless the tenant agrees otherwise, you cannot enter on a Sunday or public holiday, or before 8am or after 6pm (Section 195). When entering without a tradesperson or other person, you must nominate a 2-hour window in the entry notice during which you will arrive (Section 196). You cannot inspect the property more than once every 3 months unless the tenant agrees (Section 195(3)).

If a Notice to Leave or Notice of Intention to Leave has been given, you must not enter more than twice in any 7-day period, except for emergencies, fire safety or electrical safety compliance, agreed entries, or entry to protect the property from imminent damage (Section 195A).

You must not use photos or images of the property in advertisements that show the tenant’s belongings without their written consent (Section 203). You cannot conduct an open house or on-site auction without the tenant’s written consent (Section 204).

Unlawful entry is an offence carrying a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units (Section 202).

Your Obligation to Provide Quiet Enjoyment

This is arguably the most important obligation you owe your tenant. Under Section 183, you must take reasonable steps to ensure the tenant has quiet enjoyment of the premises, and you must not interfere with their reasonable peace, comfort, or privacy. Breaching Section 183(2) is an offence carrying a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units.

Quiet enjoyment doesn’t mean you can never contact your tenant or inspect the property — it means you must follow the rules. Excessive inspections, unnecessary visits, harassment, or any behaviour that disrupts the tenant’s use of the property can constitute a breach.

You must also ensure the tenant has vacant possession of the property on the day they are entitled to move in (Section 182).

Your Obligation to Maintain the Property

Under Section 185, you must ensure the premises and inclusions are clean, fit for the tenant to live in, and in good repair at the start of the tenancy. While the tenancy continues, you must maintain the premises so they remain fit for habitation, keep them and inclusions in good repair, and ensure compliance with any health or safety laws and the prescribed minimum housing standards.

The minimum housing standards, set out in Schedule 6 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2025, cover safety and security requirements (weatherproofing, structural soundness, locks, vermin and mould), reasonable functionality (plumbing, bathrooms, kitchens, lighting, ventilation), and amenity standards. These standards commenced on 1 September 2023 for new tenancies and applied to all tenancies from 1 September 2024.

Your obligation includes both emergency and routine repairs. Emergency repairs (Section 214) cover things like burst water services, blocked toilets, dangerous electrical faults, gas leaks, flooding, and serious roof leaks. If you fail to respond to emergency repairs within a reasonable time, the tenant can arrange repairs up to a value of 4 weeks’ rent and seek reimbursement from you (Sections 218–219). For routine repairs (Section 215), the tenant must notify you and you must carry out the repairs within a reasonable time.

You must nominate a repairer for emergency repairs in the tenancy agreement and state whether the nominated repairer is the tenant’s first point of contact for emergency repair notifications (Section 216).

If you fail to make necessary repairs, the tenant can apply to QCAT for a repair order under Section 221. Contravening a repair order is an offence under Section 221C.

Your Rights Regarding Pets

Since the 2024 reforms, tenants in Queensland have the right to request to keep a pet at the premises. You must respond to the request within 14 days (Section 184D(2)). If you don’t respond within 14 days, or if your response doesn’t comply with the requirements, you are taken to have approved the pet (Section 184D(4)).

You can refuse a pet request, but only on the specific grounds set out in Section 184E. These include: the pet would exceed a reasonable number of animals, the premises are unsuitable (lack of fencing or open space), the pet is likely to cause damage exceeding the bond amount, the pet poses an unacceptable health or safety risk, keeping the pet would breach a law or body corporate by-law, or the tenant has not agreed to your reasonable conditions. Simply stating “no pets allowed” is explicitly not sufficient grounds for refusal (Section 184D(5)).

If you approve a pet, you can attach reasonable conditions — for example, requiring outdoor pets to stay outside, or requiring professional fumigation or carpet cleaning at the end of the tenancy (Section 184F). However, conditions that would require the tenant to purchase goods or services from a particular supplier (Section 171), take out specific insurance (Section 172), amount to a penalty or fee for a breach (Section 173), increase the rent or bond, or require any form of security from the tenant are void (Section 184F(3)).

The tenant is responsible for all nuisance and damage caused by their pet, and pet damage is explicitly not fair wear and tear (Section 184C). Once approved, the authorisation continues for the life of the pet and survives a change of agreement, a change of landlord, or (for a working dog) the dog’s retirement (Section 184G).

Your Rights Regarding Locks

You must supply and maintain locks necessary to ensure the premises are reasonably secure, and provide the tenant with keys for all entry locks and access points (Section 210).

Either you or the tenant can change a lock, but only if the other party agrees, there is a reasonable excuse, there is an emergency, or a tribunal orders it (Section 211(1)). When a lock is changed, the person who changed it must give the other party a key, unless the other party agrees or QCAT orders otherwise (Section 211(3)).

There is an important exception for domestic violence situations: a tenant can change a lock without your agreement if they believe it is necessary to protect themselves or another occupant from domestic violence, provided they use a qualified tradesperson (Section 211(2)). If the tenant changes a lock for this reason and gives you a key, you must not give that key to anyone else without the tenant’s agreement — doing so carries a maximum penalty of 50 penalty units (Section 211(4)).

Your Rights Regarding Fixtures and Structural Changes

A tenant cannot attach a fixture or make a structural change to the property without your agreement, which must be in writing and describe the nature of the change and any conditions (Section 209). If the premises are part of a body corporate scheme and body corporate approval is required, you must seek that approval within 28 days of receiving the tenant’s request (Section 207).

If a tenant attaches a fixture or makes a structural change without your agreement, you can treat it as a breach — or you can waive the breach and treat the change as an improvement for your benefit (Section 209A).

Separately, tenants have the right to request fixtures or structural changes for safety, security, or accessibility under Section 209B. If you refuse, the tenant can apply to QCAT, which can override your refusal if it considers it appropriate (Section 209C).

Your Right to Recover Outgoings from the Tenant

You are responsible for paying all rates, levies, premiums, and taxes for the property — council rates, sewerage, body corporate levies, land tax, and so on (Section 163).

You can recover certain service charges (electricity, gas) from the tenant, but only if the property is individually metered for the service or the agreement states how the tenant’s share will be calculated (Section 165).

For water charges, you can require the tenant to pay consumption-based water charges if the property is individually metered and water efficient. The tenant does not have to pay the fixed water service charge — only the variable consumption component (Section 166). You must provide the tenant with a copy of the water bill, and the tenant must pay within 1 month of receiving it.

Your Right to End the Tenancy

You can end a tenancy, but only by following the process prescribed by the Act. You must issue a Notice to Leave (Form 12) on one of the specific grounds set out in the Act, with the correct notice period for that ground. You cannot end a tenancy simply because you want the property back or because you’re unhappy with the tenant — every notice must state a lawful ground.

The main grounds and their notice periods include:

Unremedied breach — unpaid rent: you must first issue a Notice to Remedy Breach (Form 11) giving the tenant time to remedy the breach. If they don’t, you can then issue a Notice to Leave with a handover day at least 7 days after the notice is given (Section 281, Schedule 1). Unremedied breach — any failure other than rent: the same process applies, but the Notice to Leave must have a handover day at least 14 days after the notice is given (Section 281, Schedule 1). Sale with a binding contract: 2 months (Section 286). Owner occupation: 2 months (Section 290G). Significant repair or renovation: 2 months (Section 290D). Demolition or redevelopment: 2 months (Section 290C). Change of use: 2 months (Section 290E). End of a fixed-term agreement: 2 months (Section 291).

If the tenant does not leave by the handover day, you must apply to QCAT for a termination order. You cannot take matters into your own hands. Self-help eviction — changing locks, removing belongings, disconnecting services — is illegal regardless of the circumstances.

For the full eviction process, see our eviction notice QLD guide and our broad eviction overview.

Your Obligation to Provide a Written Agreement and Condition Reports

You must ensure the tenancy agreement is in writing and includes all standard and special terms (Section 61). Failing to do so carries a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units. The agreement must be given to the tenant for signing on or before the day they move in (Section 62). Within 14 days of receiving the signed agreement back from the tenant, you must countersign it and return a copy to the tenant — failing to do so carries a maximum penalty of 10 penalty units (Section 62(3)).

You must also prepare an Entry Condition Report (Form 1a) and give a copy to the tenant on or before the day they move in (Section 65). The tenant then has 7 days to note any disagreements and return it. At the end of the tenancy, the tenant prepares an Exit Condition Report (Form 14a), and you must respond within 3 business days (Section 66).

These condition reports are critical for bond disputes. Without a properly completed entry condition report, your ability to claim bond for damage is significantly weakened. For more detail, see our condition report QLD guide.

Your Obligation Regarding Subletting and Transfer

A tenant cannot transfer their interest in the tenancy or sublet the premises without your written agreement (Section 238). However, you must act reasonably in deciding whether to agree. The Act explicitly states that you are taken to act unreasonably if you refuse in a capricious or retaliatory way (Section 238). If you unreasonably withhold consent, the tenant can apply to QCAT for an order allowing the transfer or subletting (Section 239).

You can recover reasonable expenses associated with the transfer or subletting from the tenant (Section 240).

Protection Against Retaliatory Action

The Act protects tenants from retaliatory action by landlords. Under Section 246A, you must not take retaliatory action against a tenant because the tenant has exercised a right under the Act — for example, because they complained about repairs, applied to QCAT, or contacted the RTA.

If a tenant alleges that a Notice to Leave was issued in retaliation, QCAT can refuse to make a termination order. This is why it’s important to document genuine grounds for any notice you issue and to maintain records that demonstrate the notice was not retaliatory.

What You Cannot Do

It is worth stating clearly what the Act prohibits, because the penalties are significant:

You cannot enter the property except in compliance with the rules of entry (Sections 192–200). Unlawful entry carries a penalty of 20 penalty units (Section 202). You cannot lock the tenant out, remove their belongings, or disconnect services — under any circumstances. You cannot require or accept more than 4 weeks’ rent as bond (Section 146). You cannot increase rent more than once every 12 months, and you cannot increase rent to penalise a tenant for keeping an approved pet (Section 91(6)(c)). You cannot require the tenant to take out specific insurance or purchase goods or services from a particular supplier as a condition of the tenancy (Section 171). You cannot charge the tenant a penalty or fee for a breach — any such term in the agreement is void (Section 173). You cannot conduct an open house or on-site auction without the tenant’s written consent (Section 204).

Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises with your tenant, the first step is the RTA’s free dispute resolution service. Either party can request dispute resolution by submitting a Dispute Resolution Request (Form 16) to the RTA. The RTA provides a conciliation process where a trained conciliator helps both parties reach an agreement.

If conciliation fails, either party can apply to QCAT. QCAT can make binding orders on a wide range of matters — rent disputes, bond claims, repairs, breaches, termination orders, and compensation.

For the day-to-day workflow behind this overview, our QLD condition report guide, QLD rent increase guide, and QLD eviction notice guide guides are the next pages most landlords reach for. If a tenancy ends early, our QLD break lease guide guide covers that side of the process as well.

Frequently Asked Questions About Landlord Rights in QLD

What legislation covers landlord rights in Queensland? The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (the RTRA Act) is the primary legislation. It is supported by the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2025, which prescribes standard terms, minimum housing standards, and approved forms. The Act is administered by the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA), and disputes are resolved by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).

Can I enter my rental property whenever I want? No. You can only enter under the specific grounds listed in Section 192, and you must give the tenant proper notice using an Entry Notice (Form 9). General inspections require 7 days’ notice and can only happen once every 3 months. Most other grounds require 48 hours’ notice. Entry must be at a reasonable time — not on Sundays or public holidays, and not before 8am or after 6pm, unless the tenant agrees.

How often can I increase the rent? Rent can only be increased once every 12 months, measured from the date of the last increase for the premises — not just for the current tenant. You must give at least 2 months’ written notice. During a fixed-term agreement, rent can only be increased if the agreement provides for it.

Can I refuse a tenant’s request to keep a pet? You can refuse, but only on the specific grounds listed in Section 184E — such as the pet exceeding a reasonable number of animals, the premises being unsuitable, or the pet posing a health and safety risk. You must respond to the request in writing within 14 days, stating your grounds and reasons. If you don’t respond in time or don’t state valid grounds, you are taken to have approved the pet.

Can I evict a tenant without a reason? No. Every Notice to Leave must state a lawful ground. The grounds are set out in the RTRA Act and include unremedied breach, sale, owner occupation, significant repair, demolition, change of use, and end of a fixed-term agreement. If the tenant doesn’t leave by the handover day, you must apply to QCAT for a termination order.

What am I responsible for maintaining? You must ensure the premises are fit for habitation, in good repair, and compliant with health and safety laws and the prescribed minimum housing standards at all times. This includes responding to emergency repairs promptly and carrying out routine repairs within a reasonable time. Failure to comply with a QCAT repair order is an offence.

Can I charge the tenant for water? Only the consumption-based (variable) component, and only if the property is individually metered for water and is water efficient as defined under the Act. You cannot charge the tenant for the fixed water service charge. You must provide a copy of the water bill, and the tenant has 1 month to pay after receiving it.

What happens if I break the rules? Many obligations under the RTRA Act carry maximum penalties of 20 penalty units. Some carry higher penalties — for example, giving a key for a changed lock to someone other than the tenant in a domestic violence situation carries a maximum penalty of 50 penalty units. Beyond financial penalties, non-compliance can result in your notices being invalidated, your bond claims being rejected, and QCAT making orders against you including compensation to the tenant.

Summary

As a self-managing landlord in Queensland, the RTRA Act gives you clear rights — to collect rent, increase rent annually, enter the property with notice, claim bond, and end tenancies on lawful grounds. But each of these rights comes with corresponding obligations and processes that you must follow precisely.

The most common mistakes landlords make are entering without proper notice, failing to respond to pet requests within 14 days, increasing rent too frequently or without the correct notice, neglecting repairs, and attempting to end tenancies without following the prescribed process. Every one of these mistakes can cost you — in penalties, in tribunal orders, or in a failed eviction that sets you back months.

Related guides for QLD landlords

If you are building out the full landlord workflow for this state, these guides connect this page to the rest of the tenancy process.

Same-state guides

• QLD lease agreement guide
• QLD rental bond guide
• QLD condition report guide
• QLD eviction notice guide
• QLD rent increase guide

Compare landlord rights guides in other states

• WA landlord rights guide
• NSW landlord rights guide
• VIC landlord rights guide
• SA landlord rights guide