Queensland Tenant Rights: Eviction, Bonds and Rent Rules

Queensland has abolished no-grounds eviction for landlords under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld). A landlord needs a specific listed ground, and disputes go to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Information last verified on 19 July 2026. This page presents general legal information, not legal advice.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers residential tenancies in Queensland only, under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld), 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 QCAT

Residential tenancies in Queensland are governed by the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld). The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) administers bond lodgement and publishes guidance for landlords, agents and tenants, and also runs a free dispute-resolution service that many disagreements go through before a formal application, covering issues from bond disputes to disagreements about repairs. Where a dispute is not resolved that way, it is decided by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), which hears the full range of tenancy matters including eviction applications, unlike Western Australia’s Magistrates Court model. A termination notice from a landlord does not by itself end a tenancy; if the tenant does not leave, the landlord must apply to QCAT for a termination and possession order, and only QCAT can make that order.

Can a landlord evict a tenant without a reason in Queensland?

No. Queensland has abolished no-grounds eviction for landlords. There is no lessor no-grounds termination ground anywhere in chapter 5, part 1, division 2 of the Act, the part of the legislation that lists a landlord’s available grounds to end a tenancy. A landlord must instead point to one of the specific grounds the Act lists, such as the end of a fixed term, sale of the property, or a tenant breach. Interestingly, the reform did not remove a tenant’s own no-grounds option: a tenant can still end a periodic tenancy without giving a reason under section 308. That right runs only one way, from tenant to landlord.

Landlord grounds and notice periods

The end of a fixed-term agreement is its own specific ground under section 291 of the Act, rather than an automatic power to require the tenant to leave. A landlord relying on this ground must give at least 2 months’ notice, and the ground is subject to anti-retaliation limits, meaning it cannot lawfully be used to punish a tenant for exercising a right, such as requesting a repair. Other grounds in the Act cover matters such as sale of the property, the property being needed for the landlord’s own use, and tenant breaches including rent arrears, each with its own notice period set out in the Act.

Bonds: amount, lodgement and the flat cap

A Queensland bond is capped at four weeks’ rent, with no exception for higher-rent properties. The bond must be lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority within 10 days under section 116 of the Act. Before 30 September 2024, properties renting above roughly $700 a week could attract a higher bond tier; that tier was abolished on that date, so the flat four-week cap now applies regardless of rent level, aligning Queensland with New South Wales rather than the higher-rent exceptions used in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. Refunds follow a two-stage timeline once the RTA issues a notice of claim: the other party has 14 days to lodge a dispute resolution request, and if conciliation on that request fails, the disputing party must then apply to QCAT within 7 days of being told conciliation ended, extendable by up to 3 more days if the RTA grants a written request made within those 7 days for sufficient reason (ss136A to 136C). No one but the State earns interest on a Queensland bond (s121). See rental bond refunds and disputes in Australia for how this two-step process compares with the rest of the country.

Rent increases and rent bidding

Rent in Queensland can be increased once every 12 months, but the limit runs per premises rather than per tenancy under section 93(3). This means a new tenant moving into a property cannot be charged a further increase within 12 months of the last increase on that property, even if the previous tenant has moved out; this rule has applied since 6 June 2024 and explicitly survives a change of tenant or a change of owner. An increase must take effect no earlier than 2 months after the tenant is given written notice. Separately, soliciting an offer of rent above the advertised price has been banned since 6 June 2024 under section 57(3).

Minimum standards

Section 17A of the Act is the head of power for Queensland’s minimum housing standards, with the detailed requirements set out in the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2025, in force from 1 September 2025. The standards themselves, covering matters such as functioning locks, weatherproofing, structural soundness, plumbing, and electrical and gas safety, were applied to all tenancies from 1 September 2024, ahead of the 2025 Regulation formally consolidating them, so a tenant should not assume the standards are new just because the Regulation itself is recent. A transition period for related rooming-house and park-home rules under the 2025 Regulation is due to end 1 September 2026, after which those separate accommodation types must fully comply with the updated rules as well.

Key figures at a glance

How Queensland compares to the rest of Australia

Queensland shares its no-grounds abolition with five other states and territories, though it took a different structural route from most: rather than repealing an end-of-fixed-term power outright, it made fixed-term expiry its own listed ground with a 2-month notice period. Its per-premises rent-increase rule, which follows the property rather than the tenancy, is unique among the eight jurisdictions; every other state that limits rent increases to once every 12 months ties that limit to the tenancy rather than the address. Western Australia and the Northern Territory remain the only two jurisdictions that still allow no-grounds eviction outright. See the no-grounds eviction ban across Australia for the full comparison, rental bonds in Australia for how Queensland’s flat cap compares, New South Wales tenant rights for a comparable flat four-week bond state, and Western Australia tenant rights for a jurisdiction that still permits no-grounds eviction. For the complete national picture, see the Australia tenant rights hub.

This page is general legal information about residential tenancies in Queensland, 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 the Residential Tenancies Authority.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my landlord evict me without a reason in Queensland?

No. Queensland has abolished no-grounds eviction for landlords. There is no lessor no-grounds ground in the Act; a landlord must rely on a specific listed ground, such as the end of a fixed term or sale of the property.

How much bond can a landlord charge in Queensland?

A maximum of four weeks' rent, with no exception for higher-rent properties, lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority within 10 days.

Can a tenant still leave without giving a reason in Queensland?

Yes. Section 308 lets a tenant end a periodic tenancy without stating a reason. This right belongs to the tenant only; it does not give the landlord an equivalent power.

How often can rent go up in Queensland?

Once every 12 months, but the limit applies per premises rather than per tenancy under section 93(3), so a new tenant cannot be charged a further increase within 12 months of the property’s last increase.

Is rent bidding legal in Queensland?

No. Soliciting an offer of rent above the advertised price has been banned since 6 June 2024 under section 57(3) of the Act.

What notice applies when a fixed-term tenancy ends in Queensland?

At least 2 months, under section 291, which treats the end of a fixed term as its own specific ground subject to anti-retaliation limits, not an automatic right to require the tenant to leave.

Which body decides tenancy disputes in Queensland?

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, QCAT, decides tenancy disputes that are not resolved through the Residential Tenancies Authority’s free dispute-resolution service.