Changes to the property
Fixtures and structural changes in a rental
Use Form 23 and get written approval before attaching a fixture or making a structural change; the owner or manager must respond in writing within 28 days.
Key facts
- Use a separate Form 23 for each request
- Written approval is required before work starts
- A written response is due within 28 days
- Body corporate approval can be a separate step
Make one complete request
Describe exactly what you want to install or alter, where it will go, who will do the work and whether it can be removed. Attach dimensions, product details and photographs where these make the proposal clearer.
A separate Form 23 is required for each request. Keep a full copy and proof of the date it was delivered because the response period runs from receipt.
Wait for written approval
The property manager or owner must consider the request and respond in writing within 28 days. An approval should describe the work and any conditions. Silence or a refusal does not give permission to proceed.
For a unit or townhouse, body corporate requirements may also apply. Ask which approval is outstanding and keep the tenancy and body corporate processes clearly separated.
If permission is refused
Ask for the written reason and compare it with the current RTA guidance. Try to resolve practical concerns, such as the installer, restoration method, insurance or placement.
If agreement is not reached, RTA dispute resolution may be required before a QCAT application. Do not begin work while the dispute is unresolved unless you have specific legal advice that another rule applies.
Define the proposed work before asking for consent
A fixture is something attached to the property; a structural change can affect walls, ceilings, floors, services or the layout. Begin with the exact product, location, dimensions, fixing method and whether it will stay when the tenancy ends. ‘Put up a shelf’ leaves important questions unanswered about load, drilling, wiring and restoration.
Use the current Form 23 where it applies and make a separate request for a separate project. Mark the location on a photograph or simple plan. Identify whether the work touches common property, a body-corporate area, a smoke alarm, a lock, plumbing or an electrical circuit so the right approval and qualified person can be considered.
Attach a proposal that can actually be assessed
Include product specifications, dimensions, installer details, expected noise or access, protection for floors and walls, and how the work will be made safe. For a camera or alarm, describe the field of view and data handling. For a garden change, describe drainage, watering and who will maintain or remove it.
Send only relevant material and redact unrelated personal information. Keep the submitted Form 23, attachments and proof of delivery. If the agent later says a different product was approved, your original proposal shows which item, installer and location the consent actually covered.
Wait for written approval and read every condition
Do not start work because an agent says the owner is ‘fine with it’ in a phone call. Wait for written approval that identifies the request and any conditions. A condition may address an installer, timing, inspection, insurance, body-corporate permission, restoration or who pays for future maintenance.
Ask questions before accepting a vague or unusually expensive condition. Consent for one fixture does not automatically cover a second item, a different wall or a later alteration. Keep the signed or emailed approval in the same folder as the Form 23 and do not delete an earlier version when the wording changes.
Complete the approved work safely
Use the approved product and installer, protect the property during the work and tell the managing party if a material change is necessary. Keep receipts, compliance certificates and photographs of concealed work before it is covered. A change involving waterproofing, electricity, gas, locks or common property can require specialist evidence beyond a tenancy form.
Record the finished condition and any handover instructions, codes or keys. If the work causes damage, report it promptly and separate the repair question from the approval question. Do not assume the tenant becomes responsible for every later defect merely because the tenant requested the improvement.
Plan the end of the tenancy at the beginning
Read the approval for its restoration requirement before buying materials. Some fixtures can remain by agreement; others must be removed and the surface restored. Photograph the original wall, the completed work and the final repair, and keep invoices that show what was done.
If the request is refused or ignored, ask for the reason and whether more detail would help. Do not treat silence as approval unless the current process expressly says a response is deemed. A disability, safety or domestic-and-family-violence need may require a different conversation and should be raised with an appropriate adviser without oversharing sensitive information.
Primary source checked
RTA — Fixtures and structural changes