RTA Minimum Housing Standards: Queensland Landlord Compliance Guide

Every Standard, Explained for Landlords

Queensland's minimum housing standards are codified in Schedule 6 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2025. Since 1 September 2024, every residential tenancy in Queensland must comply — not just new leases, but existing and periodic agreements too.

The Residential Tenancies Authority administers the framework. Section 185 of the RTRA Act makes it an offence for a landlord to let premises that fail these standards, carrying a maximum penalty of $3,454 (20 penalty units at the 2026–27 rate of $172.70 each).

Here is what each standard actually requires and how you demonstrate compliance.

The Nine Schedule 6 Standards

1. Weatherproof and structurally sound. Roofing and windows must prevent water entry when it rains. Roof, walls, ceilings, floors, decks, and stairs must be in good repair and not likely to collapse from rot or structural defect. Cosmetic imperfections — hairline plaster cracks, paint flaking — are not breaches. Active roof leaks, sagging joists, termite-damaged bearers, or unstable decks are.

2. Fixtures and fittings in good repair. All supplied fixtures, fittings, and electrical appliances (cooktops, ovens, fans) must work safely during ordinary use. A broken banister, cracked electrical fitting, or fraying stove element triggers this standard.

3. Locks and security latches. Functioning locks or latches on all external doors and windows reachable without a ladder. Queensland law does not mandate deadbolts or security screens on every opening — a functioning latch or key lock that secures against unauthorised entry satisfies the standard.

4. Vermin, damp, and mould prevention. Premises must be free from vermin, damp, and mould. The critical exception: this standard does not apply where mould or vermin is caused by the tenant's action or omission (closed windows, unvented drying, failure to clean). Landlord responsibility covers structural causes — roof leaks, burst plumbing, rising subfloor dampness, broken exhaust fans.

5. Privacy window coverings. Blinds, curtains, tinting, or glass frosting in rooms where privacy is reasonably expected (bedrooms, bathrooms). Exempt if the external view is already blocked by a fence, hedge, or wall.

6. Plumbing, drainage, and potable water. Adequate plumbing and drainage for the occupant capacity. Hot and cold drinking water via mains, rainwater tank, or pump system. If the property relies on tank water, maintaining the pump, filtration, and potability testing is the landlord's duty.

7. Bathroom and toilet privacy and function. Bathrooms and toilets must have a closing door for privacy. Toilets must flush, refill correctly, and connect to sewer, septic, or an approved waste system.

8. Functional kitchen facilities. Where a kitchen is included, it must include a functioning cooktop.

9. Functional laundry facilities. Where a laundry is included, functional fixtures (tub, plumbing connections) must be provided.

What Is Not Required

Queensland's minimum housing standards are narrower than some interstate frameworks. Unlike Victoria and New Zealand, Queensland does not mandate minimum insulation R-ratings, fixed space heating, or air conditioning. If you supply an air conditioner or heater with the property, it becomes a fixture that must be maintained in good repair — but you are not required to install one.

How to Prove Compliance

Every standard rests on the same evidence chain:

Entry Condition Report (Form 1a). Complete this room by room before the tenant takes possession; dated, high-resolution photographs can support the record. The report must be given to the tenant on or before handover day, and the tenant has 7 days to return a marked copy.

Trade compliance certificates. Keep electrical certificates of test, RSHQ gas compliance certificates, QBCC pool safety certificates (Form 23), and smoke alarm maintenance logs. Retain these for at least 7 years.

Contractor invoices. Licensed trade invoices prove that work was done by a qualified person — critical if the matter reaches QCAT.

The baseline is everything. Landlords who lose bond disputes or face rent reduction orders at QCAT almost always fail on documentation, not intent. A thorough Form 1a with quality photographs and a current file of trade certificates is the cheapest insurance against tribunal losses.

Building a Compliance Routine

A practical approach is to audit every Schedule 6 standard before each new tenancy and at every lease renewal. Walk through the property with the checklist, photograph every item, and file the trade certificates.

The Queensland Rental Minimum Standards Compliance Guide provides the full inspection workflow, competent-person boundary charts, and a printable audit checklist structured around each Schedule 6 standard.

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