ACT Tenant Rights: Eviction, Bonds and Rent Rules
The Australian Capital Territory was the first jurisdiction in Australia to abolish no-grounds eviction, on 1 April 2023. A landlord needs a ground listed in the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT), with written evidence, and disputes go to ACAT.
Information last verified on 19 July 2026. This page presents general legal information, not legal advice.
Jurisdiction scope: This page covers residential tenancies in the Australian Capital Territory only, under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT), verified 19 July 2026. It does not cover other Australian states or territories, which run different eviction, bond and rent rules; see the linked state pages below. This is general legal information, not advice on your own tenancy.
Governing law and ACAT
Residential tenancies in the Australian Capital Territory are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT). Access Canberra, through the Office of Rental Bonds, administers bond handling and publishes guidance for landlords and tenants, including current template forms for the written-evidence requirement described below. Under section 76 of the Act, the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) has exclusive jurisdiction over residential tenancy disputes, meaning a landlord cannot pursue an eviction through any other court or body, and a tenant likewise cannot be taken to a general civil court over a tenancy dispute. As elsewhere, a termination notice does not by itself end a tenancy; if the tenant does not leave, the landlord must apply to ACAT for a termination order, and ACAT will consider whether the notice, and any supporting evidence, actually satisfies the ground relied on.
Can a landlord evict a tenant without a reason in the ACT?
No. The ACT was the first Australian jurisdiction to abolish no-grounds eviction, doing so on 1 April 2023, well ahead of South Australia (2024), New South Wales (2025) and Victoria (2025). Section 47 of the Act was substituted so that a landlord must rely on a ground listed in Schedule 1, clause 96. A distinctive ACT requirement is that every termination notice relying on one of these grounds must carry written evidence supporting it, such as a contract of sale for the sale ground, rather than a bare assertion that the ground applies.
Landlord grounds and notice periods
The ACT’s grounds in Schedule 1, clause 96 are specific and each carries its own notice period: the landlord or a relative moving into the property requires 8 weeks’ notice, as does a genuine sale of the property; a reconstruction or major works ground requires 12 weeks; and a ground based on converting the property to non-residential use requires 26 weeks, the longest notice period of any ground in the ACT. Each of these notices must be accompanied by written evidence, such as a signed contract of sale or documented building approval, giving the tenant a concrete basis to assess whether the ground is genuine rather than a pretext for an unwanted tenant to be removed. A fixed-term tenancy that reaches its end date without being validly ended on one of these grounds automatically continues as a periodic tenancy under Schedule 1, clause 5, rather than expiring, which means a landlord cannot rely on the simple passage of the fixed term the way a Tasmanian landlord can under that jurisdiction’s section 42(1)(d).
Bonds: amount and lodgement
An ACT bond is capped at four weeks’ rent, with no exception for higher-rent properties. It is lodged with the Office of Rental Bonds, and the lodgement deadline depends on who manages the tenancy: 2 weeks where the landlord deals with the tenant directly, or 4 weeks where an agent is involved.
Rent increases and rent bidding
Rent can be increased once every 12 months under section 64AAA, on 8 weeks’ notice. The ACT goes further than most states by capping the size of the increase itself: the cap is set by regulation against a CPI-based measure of Canberra rents, and a landlord who wants to increase rent beyond that cap needs ACAT’s prior approval, not just notice to the tenant. On rent bidding, the ACT has banned soliciting an above-advertised-price offer since 1 April 2023 under section 11AD, but section 11AD(2) carves out an exception allowing a landlord to accept an unsolicited higher offer volunteered by a prospective tenant, a narrower ban than Victoria’s, which prohibits accepting such an offer as well.
Minimum standards
Section 19A of the Act is the head of power for the ACT’s minimum housing standards. The regulations made under that section currently prescribe a ceiling-insulation standard under regulation 9, meaning rental properties must meet a minimum insulation requirement. This is narrower in scope than the broader, multi-item standards checklists used in states such as New South Wales or Queensland, though it addresses a specific issue relevant to Canberra’s climate.
Key figures at a glance
| Feature | ACT |
|---|---|
| No-grounds eviction | Abolished 1 Apr 2023 (first in Australia) |
| Governing Act | Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) |
| Tribunal | ACAT (exclusive jurisdiction, s 76) |
| Bond maximum | 4 weeks' rent, no high-rent exception |
| Bond lodgement | Office of Rental Bonds, 2 wks (lessor) / 4 wks (agent) |
| Rent increase frequency | Once per 12 months, capped by regulation |
| Rent increase notice | 8 weeks |
| Rent bidding | Soliciting banned; accepting an unsolicited higher offer still allowed (s 11AD(2)) |
How ACT compares to the rest of Australia
The ACT led Australia on no-grounds abolition by more than a year, and its requirement that every termination notice carry written evidence goes further than New South Wales or Victoria’s reforms, which list grounds but do not universally mandate documentary proof. Its regulatory rent cap, needing ACAT’s pre-approval to exceed, is unique among the eight jurisdictions; most states limit only the frequency and notice period of an increase, not its size. Its rent-bidding ban is narrower than Victoria’s, since the ACT still allows a landlord to accept an unsolicited higher offer. See the no-grounds eviction ban across Australia for the full comparison, rental bonds in Australia for how the ACT’s bond rules compare, New South Wales tenant rights for a later-abolition jurisdiction, and Victoria tenant rights for a stricter rent-bidding regime. For the complete national picture, see the Australia tenant rights hub.
Frequently asked questions
This page is general legal information about residential tenancies in the Australian Capital Territory, verified on 19 July 2026. It is not legal advice, and it does not cover every situation. For advice about your own tenancy, consult a legal practitioner admitted in the relevant Australian state or territory, or contact Access Canberra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my landlord evict me without a reason in the ACT?
No. The ACT abolished no-grounds eviction on 1 April 2023, the first jurisdiction in Australia to do so. A landlord must rely on a ground in Schedule 1, clause 96 of the Act, with written evidence supporting it.
How much bond can a landlord charge in the ACT?
Four weeks' rent, with no exception for higher-rent properties, lodged with the Office of Rental Bonds within 2 weeks (landlord) or 4 weeks (agent).
What notice period applies if my landlord is selling the property in the ACT?
8 weeks, and the termination notice must be accompanied by written evidence of the sale, such as a contract of sale.
Can my landlord raise my rent beyond the regulated cap in the ACT?
Only with ACAT’s approval. The ACT caps rent increases by regulation against a CPI-based Canberra rents measure, and exceeding that cap needs the Tribunal’s prior approval, not just notice to the tenant.
Is rent bidding legal in the ACT?
Soliciting an offer above the advertised price has been banned since 1 April 2023 under section 11AD. However, section 11AD(2) still allows a landlord to accept an unsolicited higher offer volunteered by a tenant.
What happens when a fixed-term tenancy ends in the ACT?
If the landlord has not validly ended it on one of the Schedule 1 grounds, the tenancy automatically continues as a periodic tenancy under Schedule 1, clause 5.
Which body decides tenancy disputes in the ACT?
ACAT, the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, has exclusive jurisdiction over residential tenancy disputes under section 76.
Sources and References
- Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT)(legislation.act.gov.au).gov
- Access Canberra: Renting(accesscanberra.act.gov.au).gov
- ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT)(acat.act.gov.au).gov
- Access Canberra: Office of Rental Bonds(accesscanberra.act.gov.au).gov