South Australia Tenant Rights: Eviction, Bonds and Rent Rules

South Australia abolished no-grounds eviction on 1 July 2024, with the available grounds expanded on 1 September 2025. A landlord must rely on a ground prescribed under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), with disputes decided by SACAT.

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

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers residential tenancies in South Australia only, under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), 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 SACAT

Residential tenancies in South Australia are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA). Consumer and Business Services (CBS) South Australia administers bond handling into the Residential Tenancies Fund and publishes guidance for landlords and tenants, including current template notices and the prescribed-grounds list in effect at any given time. Tenancy disputes, including a landlord’s application to end a tenancy, are decided by the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT), which hears the full range of residential tenancy matters, from bond disputes to eviction applications. As elsewhere, a termination notice does not by itself end a tenancy; if the tenant does not leave, the landlord must apply to SACAT for a possession order, and only SACAT can make that order and clear the way for enforcement.

Can a landlord evict a tenant without a reason in South Australia?

No. South Australia abolished no-grounds eviction on 1 July 2024. Section 83 of the Act, formerly a general power to end a tenancy, was rewritten as “termination by landlord on ground prescribed”, meaning a landlord can only end a tenancy on one of the specific grounds set out in the regulations made under the Act, rather than a broad discretion set out in the Act itself. The list of prescribed grounds was itself expanded on 1 September 2025, so the available grounds today are broader than they were immediately after the July 2024 reform, though a bare no-reason ending remains unavailable on either a periodic or fixed-term tenancy. This puts South Australia in the same abolition group as the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, rather than the smaller group that has retained a no-reason power.

Landlord grounds and notice periods

Because South Australia’s grounds sit in regulations rather than being spelled out in the Act itself, the specific list can be updated, as it was on 1 September 2025, without a full legislative amendment, which is a structurally different approach from the Australian Capital Territory’s Schedule 1 grounds written directly into the Act. The grounds generally track those used elsewhere in Australia, such as sale of the property, the landlord or a family member moving in, and tenant breaches including rent arrears, each carrying its own notice period set by the regulations. A tenant who receives a termination notice should confirm the current prescribed ground and its associated notice period with CBS South Australia or SACAT, given the regulations can change more readily than the Act itself, and a period that applied a year ago may no longer be current.

Bonds: amount, threshold and lodgement deadlines

The standard bond in South Australia is four weeks’ rent, rising to six weeks for properties renting above a threshold fixed at exactly $800 a week under regulation 13. Bonds are held by the Commissioner in the Residential Tenancies Fund rather than by the landlord, and the lodgement deadline depends on who is managing the tenancy: 4 weeks where a property manager or agent is involved, and 2 weeks where the landlord deals with the tenant directly. A refund claim goes to the Commissioner, who pays out automatically if it is undisputed (s63(3), (13)); a disputed claim, once the respondent lodges a written notice of dispute within 14 days (the period set by regulation 15 of the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2025), is referred automatically to SACAT rather than requiring the disputing party to file a separate tribunal application (s63(6)). A landlord applying to be paid from the bond must do so within 14 days after the tenancy ends (s63(16); Residential Tenancies Regulations 2025 reg 15(5)), and a landlord-alone claim made more than 12 months after the tenancy ends must be referred to the Tribunal rather than paid out unopposed (s63(5a)). No interest is currently payable to either party under the Act. See rental bond refunds and disputes in Australia for the comparison across all eight jurisdictions.

Rent increases and rent bidding

Rent can be increased once every 12 months under section 55(2)(c), a limit that specifically also covers increases agreed by mutual agreement between landlord and tenant, not only unilateral increases. At least 60 days’ notice is required. A tenant who believes an increase is excessive can apply to SACAT to have it reviewed under section 56, within 90 days of receiving the notice. Separately, rent bidding, meaning soliciting an offer of rent above the advertised price, has been banned since 1 September 2023 under section 52A.

Minimum standards

South Australia’s minimum standards operate through a combination of the Housing Improvement Act 2016 and section 67A of the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), rather than a single standalone standards regulation of the kind Queensland introduced in 2025. Where a property does not meet the applicable standard, a tenant has a specific remedy: under section 85B, a tenant can terminate the tenancy on 7 days’ notice, a notably short period compared with the general termination notice periods elsewhere in the Act, reflecting the seriousness of a substandard property and giving the tenant a fast way out rather than requiring them to first pursue a repair order.

Key figures at a glance

How South Australia compares to the rest of Australia

South Australia abolished no-grounds eviction ahead of New South Wales and Victoria, though after the Australian Capital Territory. Its six-week bond tier for higher-rent properties, triggered at an $800-a-week threshold, sits between Victoria’s $900-a-week trigger and Western Australia’s $1,200-a-week trigger, illustrating how differently each state defines a “high-rent” property. Its announced portable bond scheme, unlike the schemes already live in Victoria and New South Wales, has no fixed date. Western Australia and the Northern Territory remain the only two jurisdictions that still allow no-grounds eviction. See the no-grounds eviction ban across Australia for the full comparison, rental bonds in Australia for how SA’s threshold compares, Victoria tenant rights for a jurisdiction with a live portable bond scheme, and Australian Capital Territory tenant rights for the first jurisdiction to abolish no-grounds eviction. For the complete national picture, see the Australia tenant rights hub.

This page is general legal information about residential tenancies in South Australia, 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 Consumer and Business Services SA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my landlord evict me without a reason in South Australia?

No. Since 1 July 2024, section 83 of the Act requires a landlord to rely on a ground prescribed in the regulations. The list of available grounds was expanded again on 1 September 2025.

How much bond can a landlord charge in South Australia?

Generally four weeks’ rent, rising to six weeks for properties renting above $800 a week under regulation 13, lodged into the Residential Tenancies Fund.

How long does a landlord have to lodge my bond in South Australia?

Four weeks if a property manager or agent is involved, or two weeks if the landlord deals with you directly.

How often can rent go up in South Australia?

Once every 12 months under section 55(2)(c), which also covers increases agreed by mutual agreement, on at least 60 days’ notice.

Can I challenge a rent increase in South Australia?

Yes. You can apply to SACAT within 90 days of receiving the notice to have an increase you consider excessive reviewed under section 56.

Is rent bidding legal in South Australia?

No. Soliciting an offer of rent above the advertised price has been banned since 1 September 2023 under section 52A.

What can I do if my rental does not meet minimum standards in South Australia?

Under section 85B, you can terminate the tenancy on 7 days’ notice where the property does not meet the applicable standard under section 67A of the Act and the Housing Improvement Act 2016.