New rules around minimum housing standards will come into effect for new tenancies on 1 September 2023 and for all tenancies 1 September 2024.

Minimum housing standards aim to ensure rental properties are safe, secure and functional and provide tenants, residents, property managers and owners with greater clarity around their maintenance obligations for rental properties.

Minimum housing standards will apply to all types of tenancy arrangements, including general tenancies, rooming accommodation and moveable dwellings.

Learn more about minimum housing standards, including frequently asked questions, on the RTA’s updated rental law changes webpage. More information and resources will be made available on this page in the near future.

Over the coming months the RTA will be delivering a series of information sessions across Queensland to inform the renting community about minimum housing standards. The first of these sessions will be held in Townsville and Maryborough in May and more locations will be released soon.

Visit the RTA’s events webpage to register for an upcoming information session.

What are minimum housing standards?

Minimum housing standards aim to provide greater clarity to tenants, residents, property managers and owners about the requirements and maintenance obligations that must be met for a residential property to be rented in Queensland.

Minimum housing standards specify that rental properties must:

• be weatherproof and structurally sound
• have all included fixtures and fittings (including electrical appliances) be in good repair and not be likely to cause injury through normal use
• have functioning locks or latches on all external doors and windows which can be reached without a ladder
• be free from vermin, damp and mould (this does not include cases where the vermin, damp or mould has been caused by the tenant/resident)
• include curtains or other window coverings which provide privacy in rooms where the tenant/resident might reasonably expect it, such as in bedrooms
• have adequate plumbing and drainage for the number of people living in the property and be connected to hot and cold water which is suitable for drinking
• provide privacy in bathroom areas and have functioning and flushable toilets connected to a sewer, septic tank or other waste disposal system
• have a functioning cook-top, if a kitchen is provided
• include the necessary fixtures for a functional laundry, other than white goods, if laundry facilities are provided.

The introduction of Minimum Housing Standards are the final phase of a series of rental reforms which have been coming into effect since October 2021 under the Housing Legislation Amendment Act 2021 (HLA Act).