South Australia Tenancy Notice Forms — Which CBS Form Do You Need?

Every termination notice in South Australia must use the exact prescribed form published by Consumer and Business Services (CBS). Using an older version of a form, a generic letter, or the wrong form for the ground you are relying on will invalidate the notice — SACAT will treat it as though it was never served.

The forms were updated following the 2024 and 2025 reforms. Any form downloaded or saved before July 2024 is almost certainly obsolete and missing the required statutory disclosures.

The Six Main Landlord Termination Forms

Form 5 — Breach Notice (Section 80). For rent arrears or non-rent lease breaches. Applies to both periodic and fixed-term tenancies. Gives 7 clear days to remedy rent arrears, or 7 + 7 clear days for non-rent breaches. Must specify the exact breach, the required remedy, and attach evidence (arrears ledger, photographs, invoices).

Form 6 — Drug Contamination (Section 80A). Terminates the tenancy immediately. Applies to both periodic and fixed-term tenancies. Must attach a certified laboratory report under Section 67B confirming the contamination.

Form 7 — Periodic Tenancy Possession (Section 81). For the four possession grounds on a periodic tenancy: sale, owner or family occupation, demolition, major repairs. Requires 60 clear days' notice and documentary evidence matching the specific ground (contract of sale, statutory declaration, planning consent, or builder's contract).

Form 8 — Periodic Tenancy Conduct (Section 83). For conduct and status grounds on a periodic tenancy: safety risk, threats, unauthorised pet, false information. Requires 90 clear days' notice and evidence of the conduct (incident logs, police reports, witness statements).

Form 9 — Fixed-Term Tenancy Expiry (Section 83A). Ends a fixed-term lease at expiry when the landlord has a Regulation 25 prescribed ground. Requires 60 clear days' notice before the fixed-term end date, with evidence matching the specific ground.

Form 10 — Frustration (Section 83B). For premises destroyed, rendered uninhabitable, or compulsorily acquired. Immediate termination for destruction; 60 days for compulsory acquisition. Must attach the insurer's report, emergency services report, or government acquisition notice.

Where to Download

CBS publishes the current forms on its website under the residential tenancies section. Search for "CBS South Australia tenancy forms" or navigate to the Consumer and Business Services residential tenancies page. The forms are free to download as fillable PDFs.

Do not use forms sourced from third-party template sites, property management software exports, or real estate agency letterheads. These may omit the statutory disclosure text added in the 2024 and 2025 reforms, and SACAT scrutinises the form text itself, not just the information filled in.

Common Form-Selection Errors

Form 8 for a fixed-term tenancy. Form 8 applies only to periodic tenancies. There is no 90-day conduct-grounds notice for fixed-term leases. If the tenant's behaviour mid-term constitutes a lease breach, use Form 5; serious damage, personal injury risk, or undue hardship may support a direct SACAT application under Sections 87–89. Form 10 also applies if the agreement is frustrated under Section 83B.

Form 7 for a fixed-term tenancy. Form 7 is for periodic tenancies only. The fixed-term equivalent for possession grounds is Form 9.

Form 9 for a periodic tenancy. Form 9 applies only at the expiry of a fixed term. Once the tenancy has become periodic (including by automatic conversion at the end of a fixed term), Form 7 or 8 is required.

Old form versions. The 2024 reforms introduced new statutory disclosures that must appear on the form. A pre-July 2024 Form 7, for example, does not reference the prescribed-grounds requirement and will be treated as defective.

A defective notice cannot be corrected after service. The landlord must formally withdraw it and serve a fresh notice on the correct, current form.

The Ending a Tenancy in South Australia guide includes a form-selection flowchart that matches every situation to the correct CBS form, plus the evidence checklist for each ground so the mandatory attachments are assembled before the notice is drafted.

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