What Queensland Renters Need to Know: 1 May 2025 Tenancy Law Changes

This article is general information only and is current as at 16 June 2026. It is not legal advice. Residential tenancy issues can be fact-specific, and the rules may apply differently depending on the type of agreement and the timing of the tenancy.

A renter applies for a Brisbane apartment. The agent asks them to upload multiple identity documents through a third-party platform, provide bank statements showing transaction history, and pay a fee to submit the application. Another renter is preparing to leave a property and suddenly receives repeated requests for inspections and viewings.

These are the types of practical situations affected by Queensland’s tenancy law changes that commenced on 1 May 2025. The changes are not only relevant to tenants. Property owners, landlords, property managers and agents also need to understand the new compliance requirements.

Broadly, the changes affect five key areas:

• rental application forms and supporting documents;
• collection, storage and destruction of personal information;
• entry notices and entry frequency;
• requests to attach fixtures or make structural changes; and
• disclosure of financial benefits from rent payment methods.

1. Rental Applications Must Now Follow a More Standardised Process

From 1 May 2025, property managers, owners and providers must use a standardised or compliant rental application process for residential tenancies and rooming accommodation.

For general residential tenancies and moveable dwelling agreements, the relevant form is the Rental Application Form 22. For rooming accommodation, the relevant form is Form R22.

The purpose of this change is to reduce excessive information collection and make the application process more consistent. Property managers and owners should ensure their application process matches the permitted information categories and does not request prohibited information.

What information can be requested?

A rental application can generally ask for information such as:

• the applicant’s name and contact details;
• date of birth;
• previous residential tenancy or rooming accommodation details;
• current employment and income details;
• financial ability to pay rent;
• referees;
• the intended term of the tenancy;
• the number of people who will live at the property, including people under 18;
• pets intended to be kept at the property; and
• vehicles intended to be kept at the property.

For supporting documents, property managers and owners can request up to two documents from each of the following categories:

• identity;
• financial ability to pay rent; and
• suitability for the tenancy.

What information should not be requested?

The new rules restrict requests for information that goes beyond the standard application process. For example, an applicant should not be asked to provide:

• details of legal action they have taken, including tenancy disputes or tribunal matters;
• Notices to Remedy Breach issued to or by the applicant;
• rental bond claim history; or
• bank account or credit account statements showing transaction history.

This is important for both sides. Renters should understand that they do not necessarily need to provide every document requested by an agent or platform. Property managers and owners should review their application forms, checklists and third-party application systems to ensure they are not requesting information that is no longer permitted.

2. Applicants Must Be Given a Non-Restrictive Way to Apply

Online rental application platforms are common, but the 1 May 2025 changes make clear that applicants must be given at least two ways to submit an application. At least one method must not be restrictive.

A method may be restrictive if the applicant is required to use a third-party online platform that collects their personal information on behalf of the property manager or owner, or if the applicant must pay money to submit the application, such as an application fee or background-check cost.

This does not mean third-party platforms are banned. It does mean they should not be the only option if they are restrictive. For example, an applicant may need to be given another practical option, such as submitting the application directly to the property manager or owner by email or another direct method.

3. Identity Documents and Personal Information Are Now More Protected

Rental applications often involve sensitive documents, including passports, driver licences, payslips and financial information. The 1 May 2025 changes strengthen how that information must be collected, used and destroyed.

An applicant can prove identity by showing original documents or providing a copy. If the original document is only shown for sighting, the property manager or owner should not keep a copy unless the applicant consents.

Personal information should only be collected if it is relevant to assessing the rental application or managing the tenancy. This includes photographs taken during inspections, which may reveal information about a tenant’s personal possessions or standard of living.

Personal information must also be stored securely and destroyed within the required timeframes. In general terms:

• personal information for unsuccessful applicants should be destroyed after 3 months; and
• personal information relating to a tenancy should be destroyed within 7 years after the tenancy ends.

For property managers and owners, this means application handling is now also a record-management issue. It is not enough to simply update the application form. Internal procedures should also deal with storage, access, deletion, staff access and third-party platforms.

4. Entry Notice Rules: 48 Hours for Many Entries, But Not All

The entry rules are one area where renters and property managers can easily misunderstand the change.

From 1 May 2025, many entry reasons require at least 48 hours’ notice. Examples include entry for repairs or maintenance, installing or maintaining smoke alarms, showing the property to a prospective purchaser or tenant, allowing a valuation, and some follow-up inspections.

However, routine or general inspections are different. General inspections still require 7 days’ notice and are generally limited to once every 3 months.

Entry must also be for a valid reason and must generally be notified using the correct entry notice. Entry is usually limited to between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, unless the tenant agrees to another time.

Entry after a notice to leave or notice of intention to leave

Once a notice to leave or notice of intention to leave has been issued, there are limits on how often the property can be entered. In general, the property owner or manager cannot enter the property more than two times within a 7-day period.

There are exceptions, including where the tenant agrees, where entry is needed for smoke alarm or safety switch compliance, or where entry is reasonably necessary to protect the property or its contents from imminent or further damage.

For renters, this can be particularly relevant near the end of a tenancy when open homes, valuations, maintenance and new-tenant inspections can overlap. For property managers and owners, the practical risk is over-scheduling access without considering the frequency limits.

5. Requests for Fixtures and Structural Changes Now Have a Clearer Process

Tenants and residents may want to attach fixtures or make structural changes to a rental property. Examples may include installing hooks, locks, clotheslines, window awnings, air conditioners, electric vehicle chargers, shower grab rails, access ramps or other changes.

From 1 May 2025, tenants and residents can use Form 23 to request approval to attach a fixture or make a structural change. A separate form should generally be completed for each request.

The property manager or owner must consider the request reasonably and respond in writing within 28 days. The written response should state whether the request is approved, describe the fixture or structural change, and set out any conditions of approval.

Conditions may deal with matters such as professional installation, maintenance, whether the fixture must be removed at the end of the tenancy, and who is responsible for repairing any damage caused by removal.

If the property is part of a body corporate scheme, body corporate approval may also be required. In that situation, approval by the property owner does not automatically mean the work can proceed immediately. Body corporate by-laws, house rules, park rules and other laws may still be relevant.

A tenant should not attach a fixture or make a structural change without written approval. If the request is refused, or if the property manager or owner does not respond within 28 days, the tenant does not automatically have permission to proceed. The tenant may need to use RTA dispute resolution and, if necessary, apply to QCAT for a decision.

6. Rent Payment Methods and Financial Benefits Must Be Transparent

Queensland tenancy law also deals with how rent is paid. Property managers and owners must offer tenants at least two ways to pay rent. One option must not exceed reasonable transaction costs and must be reasonably accessible to the tenant or resident.

From 1 May 2025, property managers and owners must also disclose any financial benefits they may receive if a tenant uses a particular rent payment method. This may be relevant where a third-party rent platform pays an incentive, rebate or fee share to the property manager or owner.

The practical point is transparency. Tenants should understand the cost of each payment method and whether the person requiring or encouraging a particular method receives a benefit from that method.

What Renters Should Check

If you are applying for or living in a rental property in Queensland, you may wish to check:

• whether the application form is Form 22, Form R22, or otherwise compliant;
• whether you have been given a practical non-restrictive way to apply;
• whether you are being asked for prohibited information;
• whether you are being asked to provide more than two documents in a permitted category;
• whether identity documents are being copied only with consent;
• whether entry notices give the correct notice period for the stated reason;
• whether repeated entry requests near the end of the tenancy exceed the frequency limits;
• whether a fixture or structural-change request has been made using the correct process; and
• whether rent payment fees and financial benefits have been properly disclosed.

What Property Owners and Managers Should Review

For property owners and managers, the changes are a compliance issue. Practical steps may include:

• updating application forms and application instructions;
• checking third-party application platforms and privacy settings;
• offering at least one non-restrictive application method;
• removing requests for prohibited information;
• training staff on identity-document handling;
• creating a secure process for storing and destroying personal information;
• reviewing entry-notice templates and inspection scheduling procedures;
• recording and diarising Form 23 requests for fixtures and structural changes; and
• reviewing rent payment methods and disclosing any financial benefits.

When Legal Advice May Be Needed

Many tenancy issues can be resolved through direct communication or RTA processes. However, legal advice may be useful where the issue involves a dispute about rights, compliance risk, repeated entry concerns, personal information misuse, a fixture or structural change dispute, or a more complex property arrangement.

For property owners, agents and businesses involved in property transactions or property management, tenancy compliance should also be considered as part of broader property risk management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Queensland rental applications have to use Form 22?

For general residential tenancies and moveable dwelling agreements, property managers and owners must use the standardised Form 22 or an application process that complies with the relevant tenancy law requirements.

Can an agent force me to apply through a third-party platform?

Applicants must be given at least two ways to submit an application, and at least one method must not be restrictive. A third-party platform may be restrictive if it requires the applicant to give personal information to a separate platform or pay a fee to apply.

Can a property manager ask for my full bank transaction history?

Property managers and owners should not request bank or credit account statements showing transaction history. They may request documents showing financial ability to pay rent, but transaction details are treated differently.

How much notice is required before a property manager can enter?

Many entry reasons require 48 hours’ notice, but routine general inspections still require 7 days’ notice. The correct notice period depends on the reason for entry.

Can a tenant install fixtures or make changes without approval?

No. Tenants should obtain written approval before attaching fixtures or making structural changes. Form 23 can be used to make the request, and the property manager or owner must respond in writing within 28 days.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. You should obtain legal advice specific to your circumstances before acting or relying on this information.