Queensland Rental Law Changes 2025: What Landlords Need to Know About Ending a Tenancy

Queensland landlords who haven't ended a tenancy in a few years are walking into a different legal landscape. The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 was reshaped by two major reform packages — the Housing Legislation Amendment Act 2021 (Stage 1) and the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Stage 2) — and the practical effect on ending a tenancy is significant.

Without-Grounds Termination Is Gone

The single biggest change: since 1 October 2022, landlords cannot end a tenancy without a statutory reason. The old path — serving a notice to leave with no grounds at all — was abolished under Stage 1 reforms.

Every Notice to Leave (Form 12) must now cite a specific ground under Chapter 5 of the RTRA Act. The approved grounds include end of fixed term (s 291), unremedied breach (s 281), sale contract requiring vacant possession (s 286), owner or family occupation (s 290G), significant repair or renovation (s 290D), demolition or redevelopment (s 290C), change of use (s 290E), and non-liveability (s 284).

Issuing a Form 12 without selecting one of these grounds — or selecting a ground the facts don't support — makes the notice invalid. QCAT will dismiss any termination application built on it.

Post-Notice Entry Caps (1 May 2025)

Stage 2 reforms introduced strict limits on how often a landlord can enter the property after serving or receiving a notice. From 1 May 2025, while a Form 12 (Notice to Leave) or Form 13 (Notice of Intention to Leave) is in effect, the landlord is capped at a maximum of 2 entries per 7-day period. If a Form 12 is given well in advance, the cap applies once the notice period starts. Entry by mutual agreement, for smoke-alarm or approved safety-switch requirements, or to protect the premises from imminent or further damage is exempt.

This matters most for landlords ending a tenancy because of a sale. If you've served a Form 12 under the sale-contract ground, you can no longer schedule unlimited open homes or inspections during the notice period. Two entries per 7-day period is the limit, subject to the exceptions above, and breaching it is an offence carrying a penalty of up to 20 penalty units ($3,454 based on the $172.70 penalty unit value from 1 July 2026).

Updated Prescribed Forms

Every statutory notice must use the current RTA-prescribed form version. As of May 2025, Form 12 (Notice to Leave) is at Version 27 and Form R12 (rooming accommodation) is at Version 19. Using an earlier version — even by one revision — invalidates the notice.

This trips up landlords who saved a Form 12 template on their computer from a previous tenancy, or who download a template from a third-party website that hasn't been updated. Always download forms directly from the RTA website.

Longer Entry Notice Periods

Entry notice periods depend on the purpose. A general inspection requires 7 days' notice and is limited to once every 3 months; repairs and sale viewings generally require 48 hours. Use Form 9 and specify the purpose and the date and approximate time of entry.

Property-Linked Rent Increase Cap

Since 6 June 2024, rent can only be increased once every 12 months, and this cap is attached to the property rather than the tenancy. If a tenancy ends and a new tenant moves in, the clock doesn't reset — the property itself can't have a rent increase until 12 months after the last one.

What This Means for Ending a Tenancy

The cumulative effect of these reforms is that ending a tenancy lawfully now requires more documentation and more precision than it did before 2022. A self-managing landlord needs to know which ground applies, use the current form version, calculate notice periods correctly under clear-day rules, stay within entry caps during the notice period, and file at QCAT within 14 days if the tenant doesn't leave.

For a step-by-step guide covering every ground, notice period, and filing deadline updated for late 2026, the Ending a Tenancy in Queensland guide walks through the full sequence from selecting the right ground to obtaining a Warrant of Possession.

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