The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) provides best practice guidelines to help tenants and property managers/owners/providers confidently navigate the application process.

Application Form

From 1 May 2025, a property manager/owner must use a standardised tenancy application form as outlined under Queensland tenancy laws.

The standardised application form will be developed by the RTA and made available for use when this provision commences on 1 May 2025.

A property manager/owner may use their own application form if it complies with the relevant provisions of the Act and regulations.

It is the responsibility of property managers/owners to ensure their application form is compliant, non-compliance is an offence with a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units.

Exemptions: Application form requirements for residential tenancies do not apply to relevant lessors for general tenancy agreements only. The Act outlines who qualifies as a relevant lessor.

Application submission

A property manager/owner must provide at least 2 different ways for a prospective tenant to submit their applications. One of the ways must not be restrictive. The maximum penalty for non-compliance is 20 penalty units.

Restrictive ways refer to:

• where a prospective tenant is required to provide their personal information through an online platform to someone who is not the property manager/owner, but who is collecting the information on behalf of the property manager/owner, and
• a method that incurs a cost to the prospective tenant, such as an application fee or the cost to conduct a background check. 

If the application form is available online or via email, and a prospective tenant provides their personal information directly to a property manager/owner (not a third-party acting on behalf of a property manager/owner), it is not considered a restrictive way under the Act.

The Act does not prohibit the use of online third-party platforms for applications. However, a property manager/owner must offer at least one other way that is not restricted for prospective tenants to submit their applications.

Property managers/owners should document communication, submission methods, and steps taken to offer options for submitting the application. This may include emails and written confirmations from prospective tenants. They should maintain a record of the available submission methods for each property, either digitally or physically, to ensure that at least two methods are offered in compliance with relevant requirements.

What information can be requested during the application process?

A property manager/owner can only request the information required to decide if a prospective tenant is suitable to rent the property.

There are restrictions to what information and supporting documentation can be requested by a property manager/owner during the rental application process. The questions on the standardised tenancy application form are the only questions a property manager/owner is allowed to ask prospective tenants during the application stage.

The information able to be requested from a prospective tenant in an application is limited to:

• the name and contact details of the prospective tenant
• details of any previous residential tenancy agreements or rooming accommodation agreements the prospective tenant has been part of
• the prospective tenant’s current employment
• details about the prospective tenant’s income
• referees for the prospective tenant
• the intended term of the tenancy, and
• any other information prescribed by regulation which includes:
  • the prospective tenant’s/resident’s date of birth
  • the number of tenants/residents intended to reside in the premises
  • the number of tenants/residents intended to reside in the premises who are under 18 years
  • the number and type of vehicle/s (boats, caravans, heavy vehicles, trailers and other motor vehicles) intended to reside in the premises
  • financial ability to pay rent
  • the number and type of pet/s intended to be kept at the premises if approved by the property manager/owner.

Property managers/owners cannot request certain information, specifically:

• evidence of legal actions taken by the prospective tenant, including disputes or matters considered by a tribunal
• any Notice to remedy breach (Form 11) or Notice to remedy breach (Form R11) either issued to or by the prospective tenant
• the prospective tenant's history regarding rental bonds, including any claims made
• any statements that detail a potential tenant's credit or bank account transaction history.

It is an offence and breach of the Act to request additional personal information from prospective tenants. The maximum penalty for non-compliance is 20 penalty units.

What supporting documentation can be requested during the application process?

A property manager/owner can request no more than 2 documents from each of the following categories to support the tenancy application:

i. documents proving the prospective tenant's identity;
ii. documents showing the prospective tenant's financial ability to pay rent;
iii. documents assessing the prospective tenant's suitability for the rental.

Note: If a prospective tenant is asked to provide a bank statement, the document should only show their name, address, and the account balance. However, if the tenant voluntarily provides the full document without details removed, the property manager/owner is allowed to accept the documentation.

Documents proving identity

The Act does not provide a definition of what constitutes identity documents, nor does it provide examples. However, the purpose of identity documents is to verify a prospective tenants' identity. These are generally documents issued by a government body such as passports, driver’s licenses, birth certificates, and other personal identity items.

When proving identity, a prospective tenant can either:

• provide a copy of the original identity document, or
• allow the property manager/owner to access or sight the original identity document.

The Act allows a property manager/owner to sight or check a prospective tenant's identity documents but prohibits them from keeping a copy of the original document without the tenant’s consent. If a prospective tenant/resident provides an original identity document in person, property managers/owners can only view the documents to verify the tenant's/resident’s identity and cannot keep or record any details from the documents unless the prospective tenant/resident agrees. 

Documents showing financial ability to pay rent

The standardised tenancy application form will address a prospective tenants ability to pay rent, including applicants who are not currently employed or earning a regular income. This approach is designed to promote a more inclusive application process and provide property managers/owners the necessary information to assess all applicants fairly.

Documents that can be used to verify a prospective tenants ability to pay rent may include pay slips, bank statements, other financial documents.

If a prospective tenant is not receiving regular income (e.g. self-employed, casual, freelance), they may include previous details of employment or other documents supporting their financial ability to pay rent, such as:

• pay slips from previous employment
• bank statements (without transaction details) to demonstrate proof of savings or assets
• Centrelink payment statements/letters
• proof of savings or assets.

Documents assessing suitability for the rental

The Act does not prevent a prospective tenant from providing additional information or documentation outside the prescribed list under the Act or regulation. Nor does the Act prohibit a property manager/owner from accepting any additional personal information or documentation that the prospective tenant voluntarily shares.

There are no restrictions to who can or cannot be a referee for a prospective tenant. References should focus on the applicant’s ability to care for the property or their capacity to meet tenancy obligations. 

No additional information can be requested during this phase of the application process.

Storage of personal information

Personal information collected during the application process, including documents assessing the suitability of a prospective tenant, must be destroyed within 3 months if the applicant does not proceed to a tenancy/is unsuccessful.

Property managers/owners should ensure that all records are securely stored and destroyed in compliance with legislative requirements:

• securely destroyed after 3 months for unsuccessful applicants
• securely destroyed 7 years after a tenancy ends for tenants.

The maximum penalty for non-compliance is 20 penalty units.

For more information, please read our Personal information webpage.

Disputes during the application process

The Act governs the relationship between a tenant and property manager/owner during the tenancy agreement, not during the application process.

The RTA is unable to conciliate disputes regarding the rental application process however, the RTA can investigate any breaches of the Act that occur during the application process where an offence may have been committed. If you believe an offence has occurred during the application process, please complete an Investigation request form.

Frequently asked questions