Tasmania Tenant Rights: Eviction, Bonds and Rent Rules

Tasmania has no bare no-reason eviction option for a periodic tenancy. Every landlord notice must cite a ground under section 42(1) of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tas), with a narrow exception for fixed terms nearing their end.

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

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers residential tenancies in Tasmania only, under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tas), 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 the Commissioner

Residential tenancies in Tasmania are governed by the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tas). Most tenancy matters, including disputes about bonds, rent, repairs and termination, are handled by the Residential Tenancy Commissioner in the first instance and, where needed, the Magistrates Court, not a specialist tenancy tribunal of the kind used in most other states. Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) Tasmania supports the Commissioner’s office and publishes guidance for landlords and tenants, including how a dispute the Commissioner cannot resolve informally proceeds to the Magistrates Court. A more recent, narrower exception applies since 20 March 2026: the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) now hears pet-consent disputes only, under Part 3C, sections 36Q to 36X of the Act, added by the Residential Tenancy Amendment (Pets) Act 2025. All other tenancy matters, including eviction, stay with the Commissioner and the Magistrates Court, and there is an active but unenacted push to expand TASCAT’s role further.

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

Not in the way that phrase usually means. Tasmania’s Act requires every landlord termination notice to cite a specific paragraph of section 42(1); there is no free-standing power to end a tenancy simply because the landlord wants to. For a periodic tenancy, the available grounds are limited to matters such as sale or transfer of the property, the property being needed for non-residential use, significant renovations, and the landlord or a family member moving in, under section 42(1)(b). There is no bare no-reason option on the periodic side. The position is different, and narrower, for a fixed-term tenancy nearing its end, described below.

The fixed-term nuance: section 42(1)(d)

Where a Tasmanian tenancy is a fixed term, section 42(1)(d) lets a landlord give notice simply because the agreement is due to expire within 60 days. This is still framed as one of the Act’s listed grounds rather than an open-ended no-reason power, and it does not require the landlord to show any substantive justification, such as a need to sell or renovate, beyond the fact the fixed term is ending. In practice this makes Tasmania’s fixed-term position closer to a no-grounds jurisdiction than its periodic-tenancy position, which has no equivalent bare-expiry ground. A tenant on a periodic tenancy in Tasmania has meaningfully stronger protection against a no-reason ending than a tenant on a fixed term approaching its expiry date.

Bonds: amount and the Rental Deposit Authority

A Tasmanian bond, which the Act itself calls a security deposit rather than a bond, is capped at four weeks’ rent, with no exception for higher-rent properties, unlike Victoria, Western Australia or South Australia, each of which lifts or removes the cap above a set weekly rent. It is lodged with the Rental Deposit Authority under section 25 of the Act, a dedicated bond-holding body distinct from the Commissioner’s general tenancy functions. A property agent, social housing provider or council that receives the deposit must lodge it within 10 working days under section 25(3) and (3A), or, where a social housing provider or council takes it in instalments, within 10 working days after the final instalment (section 25(3B)); an owner who manages the property personally must not receive the deposit at all; the tenant pays it straight to the Rental Deposit Authority (section 25(2) and (4)). The exact notice periods that apply when a tenant ends a tenancy under sections 39 and 40 are not stated on this page pending confirmation against the primary legislation; contact the Rental Deposit Authority or CBOS Tasmania directly for those figures rather than relying on ones from another state. At the end of the tenancy, the owner must give the tenant a signed claim form within 3 working days of termination (s28(a)); the owner can only claim alone once the tenant has had 10 days to lodge that form themselves, or if the tenant could not be given the form, and doing so automatically counts as a dispute referred to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner, who decides it directly rather than a tribunal (s29C, s29F). An appeal from the Commissioner’s decision goes to the Magistrates Court within 7 days (s30). No interest is paid to either the tenant or the owner; it belongs to the Authority (s29E(5)). See rental bond refunds and disputes in Australia for how Tasmania’s Commissioner-first model compares with the rest of the country.

Rent increases and rent bidding

Rent can be increased once every 12 months under section 20(3), on more than 60 days’ notice. Rent bidding, meaning soliciting an offer of rent above the advertised price, is banned under section 16B of the Act; the precise date this ban commenced is not confirmed on this page, but the ban itself is in force as part of the current Act.

Minimum standards

Tasmania’s minimum standards sit in Part 3B, sections 36I to 36P, of the Act, covering matters such as the condition, safety and basic amenity a rental property must provide. Separately, and unrelated to minimum standards, Tasmania opened a public consultation in April 2026 on more broadly “modernising” the Act, including matters connected to TASCAT’s role; that consultation remains at the policy stage only, with no Bill introduced, and should not be read as describing a change to current law.

Key figures at a glance

How Tasmania compares to the rest of Australia

Tasmania sits between the six abolition jurisdictions and the two retained no-grounds jurisdictions. Its periodic-tenancy rules are closer to New South Wales or South Australia, with no bare no-reason ground, but its fixed-term rule under section 42(1)(d) functions similarly to Western Australia’s section 70A in allowing a notice tied only to the term’s expiry rather than a substantive reason. TASCAT’s narrow pet-only jurisdiction, added in March 2026, is a smaller-scale version of the specialist tenancy tribunals used in most other states, which handle the full range of tenancy disputes. See the no-grounds eviction ban across Australia for the full comparison, rental bonds in Australia for how Tasmania’s bond rules compare, Western Australia tenant rights for a jurisdiction with a comparable fixed-term-expiry ground, and South Australia tenant rights for a jurisdiction with no equivalent fixed-term gap. For the complete national picture, see the Australia tenant rights hub.

This page is general legal information about residential tenancies in Tasmania, verified on 19 July 2026. It is not legal advice, and it does not cover every situation, and some figures (exact tenant notice periods) are not stated pending confirmation against the primary legislation. For advice about your own tenancy, consult a legal practitioner admitted in the relevant Australian state or territory, or contact the Residential Tenancy Commissioner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my landlord evict me without a reason in Tasmania?

Not on a periodic tenancy: every notice must cite a ground under section 42(1), and there is no bare no-reason option. On a fixed-term tenancy, section 42(1)(d) lets a landlord give notice simply because the term is expiring within 60 days, which functions similarly to a no-reason ending.

How much bond can a landlord charge in Tasmania?

Four weeks' rent, with no exception for higher-rent properties, lodged with the Rental Deposit Authority.

What grounds can a landlord use for a periodic tenancy in Tasmania?

Sale or transfer of the property, non-residential use, significant renovations, or the landlord or a family member moving in, under section 42(1)(b). There is no bare no-reason ground.

Does TASCAT handle evictions in Tasmania?

No. TASCAT has heard pet-consent disputes only since 20 March 2026. Eviction and most other tenancy matters go to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner and, where needed, the Magistrates Court.

How often can rent go up in Tasmania?

Once every 12 months under section 20(3), on more than 60 days’ notice.

Is rent bidding legal in Tasmania?

No. Section 16B of the Act bans soliciting an offer of rent above the advertised price.

Is Tasmania about to change its tenancy laws?

A public consultation on “modernising” the Act opened in April 2026, but it remains at the policy stage with no Bill introduced. It is not current law.