Rent increases in Queensland

Start with the property’s last increase

The 12-month minimum follows the rental premises, even where the agreement, tenant, agent or owner has changed. Ask the property manager or owner in writing for evidence if the date is unclear.

A fixed-term agreement can only increase rent during the term when the agreement provides for the increase, explains the new amount or how it is worked out, and the separate notice requirements are met.

If the amount seems excessive

First raise the concern in writing and keep comparable listings, the notice and information about the property’s condition. Different time limits apply depending on whether the increase relates to an existing or newly signed agreement, so check the current RTA guidance promptly.

The three dates to put side by side

A useful first check needs three dates: when the current rent became payable for the premises, when written notice of the proposed increase was given, and the day the higher rent is meant to start. Do not substitute the start date of your own agreement for the first date unless the property was first rented then. Since 6 June 2024, the minimum interval follows the premises even when the tenant, owner or agent changes.

The agreement should record the date of the last rent increase. If the date is missing or looks wrong, ask the property manager or owner for written evidence. The RTA says that evidence generally must be provided within 14 days of a written request, subject to limited exceptions such as an exempt lessor or premises being rented for the first time. Save both the request and the reply.

Worked example of the 12-month rule

Suppose the current rent became payable on 18 October 2025. The earliest date that satisfies the ordinary 12-month interval is 18 October 2026—not 1 October and not the anniversary of your own move-in date. For a periodic general tenancy, written notice would ordinarily need to be given at least two months before the proposed start date as a separate requirement. Both tests must pass.

Calendar months are not a fixed number of days, so a quick calculation using 60 or 365 days can be wrong around months of different lengths and leap years. Use the exact anniversary dates, then check the notice wording and service method. The checker on this site is deliberately only a first screen; it cannot decide whether an exception or an exempt lessor applies.

Fixed-term, periodic and new agreements

During a fixed term, an increase can only take effect if the agreement says rent will increase and states the new amount or a method for working it out. Separate written notice is still required, and the 12-month minimum still applies. A clause that merely says rent may be reviewed is not the same thing as a complete increase mechanism; read the actual agreement before assuming the clause works.

For a periodic general tenancy, the ordinary rule is at least two months' written notice. At the end of a fixed term, the parties may sign a new agreement at a different rent without a separate increase notice, but the premises-based 12-month minimum still applies. Rooming accommodation generally uses a four-week notice period, so do not apply the general-tenancy calculator to a rooming agreement.

If you think the increase is excessive

An increase can meet the timing rules and still be disputed as excessive. Start by asking how the amount was set and gather comparable advertised rents, photographs showing the condition of the property, unresolved repair records and the old and proposed rent. Keep the discussion factual: the percentage increase alone does not decide the issue, and nearby listings are most useful when they are genuinely comparable.

Time limits are short. For an existing agreement, the RTA says a QCAT application generally must be made within 30 days after receiving the increase notice and, for a fixed term, before the agreement ends. For a new agreement, the renter generally must have signed it and apply within 30 days after entering it. Confirm the route and deadline for your exact situation before lodging anything.

A practical response checklist

Keep the notice, envelope or email, agreement and rent ledger together. Write down the three relevant dates, request evidence of the last increase if needed, and reply in writing if a date or amount is disputed. Continue paying the amount lawfully due while the issue is being resolved; withholding rent can create a separate breach and usually makes the original problem harder to untangle.

An increase may also lead to a proposed bond increase. That is a separate process: the total bond must stay within the applicable cap, at least 11 months must generally have passed since the last bond increase or start of the tenancy, and the payment date on the written notice must be at least one month after receipt. Check the current RTA page before paying an additional bond amount.