ACT Rental Listing Requirements: What Landlords Must Disclose on Allhomes and Realestate.com.au

Four Mandatory Disclosures in Every ACT Rental Ad

Listing a rental property in the ACT isn't as simple as writing a description and uploading photos. Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, every rental advertisement — whether on Allhomes, realestate.com.au, Domain, Facebook Marketplace, or a printed sign — must include four specific disclosures. Omitting any of them is a strict liability offence carrying a fine of up to 5 penalty units ($800 for individuals, $4,050 for corporate entities).

Here's what the law requires:

1. A fixed weekly rent figure The advertisement must state the rent as a single specific amount. You cannot invite rent bidding or solicit higher offers. This is a separate offence under Section 11AD, attracting up to 20 penalty units ($3,200 for individuals).

2. Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) If an EER statement exists for the property, the rating must appear in the ad. If no EER statement exists, the ad must explicitly state "No EER rating." You don't need to commission a new assessment just to list the property — but you can't stay silent about it.

3. Ceiling insulation compliance status The ad must state whether the property complies with the ACT minimum ceiling insulation standard or holds a valid statutory exemption. If it's exempt, the reason must be stated (structural infeasibility, strata refusal, heritage, cost cap, or mid-floor unit).

4. Adaptable housing status The ad must state whether the dwelling is an adaptable housing property designed for accessibility.

How This Works on Allhomes and Realestate.com.au

Both platforms provide structured fields for property features, but neither automatically enforces ACT statutory disclosure requirements. The compliance burden sits with the person publishing the ad — you, or your property manager.

Allhomes (Canberra's dominant rental search portal) typically includes fields for EER in the property details section. Landlords listing directly need to ensure the insulation compliance statement and adaptable housing status appear somewhere in the listing — usually the property description text, since dedicated fields for these don't always exist.

Realestate.com.au operates nationally, so its listing template caters to all states. ACT-specific disclosure requirements won't have dedicated input fields. The insulation statement, EER, and adaptable housing disclosure need to go into the description body or the additional features section.

The same applies to Domain, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, or any other channel. The law doesn't distinguish between platforms — every rental advertisement, regardless of medium, must carry all four disclosures.

Common Mistakes That Trigger Fines

Forgetting the insulation statement on renewal listings. Landlords who've advertised the same property before sometimes reuse old ad copy that predates the 1 April 2023 insulation standard. Every new listing needs the current insulation compliance status.

Stating "energy efficient" without the actual EER number. Marketing language about energy efficiency doesn't satisfy the statutory disclosure. The ad needs the specific EER rating figure, or "No EER rating."

Omitting the exemption reason. If your property holds a ceiling insulation exemption, the ad must state why — "exempt due to structural infeasibility" or "exempt under strata owners corporation refusal." A bare "exempt" without the reason may not satisfy the disclosure requirement.

Rent range instead of a fixed figure. Phrases like "$550–$600 per week" or "offers above $550" violate the rent bidding prohibition. One number, stated clearly.

Publishing False or Misleading Statements

Beyond omissions, publishing a false or misleading statement about minimum housing standards in a rental advertisement is also a strict liability offence under Section 11AB(3) — same 5 penalty unit maximum. Claiming the property meets the insulation standard when it doesn't, or stating an EER of 5 stars when the actual rating is 2, exposes you to fines and potential ACAT compensation claims from tenants who relied on the statement.

Practical Checklist for Your Next Listing

Before hitting publish on any platform:

• [ ] Weekly rent stated as a single fixed amount
• [ ] EER rating included (or "No EER rating" stated)
• [ ] Ceiling insulation compliance or exemption status stated with reason
• [ ] Adaptable housing status stated
• [ ] No rent bidding language ("offers above," "negotiable rent")
• [ ] All statements are factually accurate and current

The ACT Rental Minimum Standards Compliance Guide includes a Pre-Listing Compliance Audit Worksheet that covers these disclosure requirements alongside the full property standards check — so you can verify everything before the ad goes live rather than scrambling after a tenant complaint.

See more Australian Capital Territory guides →