In the continually changing landscape of property legislation, numerous noteworthy modifications to rental laws have taken place across Australia since mid-2024. Below is an overview of some of the major amendments to tenancy regulations that have already been enacted, as well as those anticipated to come into force in early 2025.
These modifications encompass everything from the elimination of ‘no grounds’ evictions in multiple states, increased adaptability for pet owners, limitations on fees, extension of notice periods and more.
Changes in Rental Regulations by State
Read below for some of the changes for each state, implemented since 1 July 2024:
- Ensuring renters have fee-free payment options
Upcoming changes effective from 1 May 2025
- Granting tenants additional time to get ready for property inspections or maintenance visits by increasing the notice period from 24 to 48 hours.
- Limiting access to a property to once or twice a week to balance the landlord’s need to show the property with the tenant’s right to privacy, when issuing a notice to vacate or an intention to leave.
- Standardising rental application forms and improving identity verification to protect tenant privacy and ensure fair application process.
- Ensuring the disclosure of any financial benefits acquired from payments made by third parties for rent.
- Allowing tenants to make small changes to rental properties, provided they obtain the necessary permissions.
- Ensuring fairness and compliance through regulation of break lease and reletting fees
- Ensuring the management of personal data aligns with privacy protection standards.
- Closing existing loopholes by limiting rent increases to once every 12 months.
- Prohibiting additional charges at the beginning of a rental period, such as fees for conducting background checks and drafting a lease agreement.
Upcoming changes expected in early 2025
- Ending ‘no grounds’ terminations for renters, requiring property providers to give valid reasons to end a lease.
- Making it easier for pet owners in rental properties.
- Ensuring renters have fee-free payment options.
- Giving renters greater notice periods for lease termination.
- Implementation of mandatory dual flush toilet systems in rental properties to enhance water efficiency.
- Setting minimum rental requirements to improve security conditions for renters.
- A new levy on short-term accommodations to help alleviate housing shortages by motivating property owners to lease their homes for longer durations.
- Mandating energy and water efficiencies for properties.
- Ending ‘no grounds’ terminations for renters, requiring rental providers to give valid reasons to end a lease.
- Preventing unreasonable fees charged to tenants for breaking lease agreements early.
- Eliminating unreliable bond claims with new evidence requirements.
- Limiting rent increases to once every 12 months.
- Providing greater flexibility for pet owners.
- Giving renters the ability to make minor modifications to properties with property provider approval.
- Putting an end to ‘no grounds’ terminations for renters, requiring property providers to give valid reasons to end a lease.
- Providing renters extended notice periods to prepare when a fixed term tenancy is terminated.
- Making it easier for pet owners in rental properties.
- Giving renters the ability to make minor modifications to properties with property provider approval.
- Implementing minimum rental standards to ensure better security and conditions for renters.
- Capping routine inspections to four per year, protecting renters’ right to privacy.
- Better protection of renter’s right to privacy by banning photos and videoing of personal possessions inside properties.
- Greater protection of renter’s personal information and data.
Tasmania rental reforms
- Facilitating on-site living arrangements directly tied to employment contracts by reducing red-tape and providing greater flexibility for workers and employers seeking accommodation in the agricultural sector.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list of all rental reforms in every state
