As floodwaters recede in North Queensland and people start returning home, tenants and property managers/owners will be dealing with multiple issues concerning their rental property.

To ensure support is readily available, the RTA 1300 366 311 hotline will be open on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 February from 8am to 6pm in addition to the normal Monday to Friday operating hours.

For anyone in flood-impacted areas who is dealing with rental bond refunds and dispute resolution requests, we have adjusted our processing timeframes to accommodate your needs and ensure everyone is treated fairly.

Our natural disasters fact sheet will help you understand your rental rights and responsibilities. It answers common questions and provides information around the liveability of a rental property, how to end tenancies and rent reductions. The RTA website also has information about dealing with mould and the cleaning up of yards and fallen branches.

We encourage tenants and property managers/owners to talk to each other as soon as possible to discuss the condition of their rental property and any repairs or cleaning that needs to be done. All parties should keep channels of communications open – you may need to rely on emails, phone calls and text messaging if there are disruptions to essential services such as postal services.

If you cannot reach agreement, the RTA provides a free and impartial dispute resolution service which can help people work through their rental issues and concerns.

For further information and enquiries contact the RTA direct on 1300 366 311.