The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) has welcomed participants to three new stakeholder working groups, which met for the first time in February 2025.

Almost 40 stakeholder organisations and customers expressed interest in participating in the working groups. The groups were established to increase collaboration between the RTA and stakeholders from the Queensland rental sector, provide a greater focus on outcomes, and help the RTA to deliver improved customer services.

The three working groups cover tenants and the rental community, property managers and owners, and communication and education. Key outcomes from the first meetings are summarised below.

Tenants and the rental community

The working group for stakeholders representing tenants and the rental community met on 4 February. It included representatives from:

• Q Shelter
• Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS)
• LawRight
• Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN)
• Council on the Ageing Queensland (COTA)
• Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ)
• Homelessness QLD
• Hub Community Legal
• Anglicare North Queensland
• Independent Regional Advocacy Service Inc (IRASI)
• Community Plus+
• Queensland Public Trustee.

The group talked about the challenges being faced by tenants due to rent increases, low vacancy rates and housing affordability, which made them reluctant to raise concerns about the quality of their housing. They noted that many support services including crisis accommodation are at or over capacity. Participants also discussed that in some areas, more tenants and residents are moving to shared accommodation and boarding houses and there may be inconsistencies with how rental legislation is applied by providers.

Property managers and property owners

The working group for managing parties (property managers and property owners) met on 6 February. The meeting was attended by three property owners and representatives from:

• Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ)
• Q Shelter
• Caravan Parks Association of Queensland
• Asia-Pacific Student Accommodation Association
• Australian Resident Accommodation Managers’ Association (ARAMA)
• Student Accommodation Council – Property Council of Australia
• Property Owners Association of Queensland (POAQ)
• Unit Owners Association of Queensland (UOAQ)
• Real Estate Excellence
• Southern Cross Care (Qld)
• Belle Property Australasia
• Iglu Kelvin Grove.

Participants discussed challenges with the 12-month limit for rent increases, and property owners balancing this with other cost pressures. Student accommodation organisations noted this and the break-lease requirements as a current focus, as well as thousands of bonds needing to be lodged and processed due to the upcoming start of the academic semester.

The high turnover of property managers was raised, with the COVID pandemic, ongoing legislative reforms and low rental vacancies noted as contributing factors. The reduced supply of rental units was mentioned due to increases in owner-occupiers and short-term accommodation.

The group also talked about tenants/residents struggling to adjust to the unique requirements of caravan parks and rooming accommodation.

Communication and education

The third working group has a focus on improved communication and education with tenants/residents and property managers/owners. The meeting on 12 February was attended by representatives from:

• REIQ
• Q Shelter
• POAQ
• ECCQ
• Landlording with Kyejack
• Strata Community Association Qld.

Participants acknowledged current efforts to provide support to people affected by recent high rainfall in north Queensland, and continuing requests from tenants for information on recent legislative changes related to rent increases, ways to pay rent and evidence to support bond claims. There was also discussion on the upcoming transition to the Queensland Digital Identity (QDI) to access RTA Web Services.

Sharing resources and collaboration

Participants in all three working groups shared many resources and collaborative opportunities, including Q Shelter’s Sustaining complex tenancies toolkit and QDN’s community forums in February to help shape an inclusive future for people with disability as part of the Queensland Disability Stakeholder Engagement and Co-Design Strategy.

The ECCQ’s free Working with interpreters online module and the free interpreting service for real estate agents were noted as tools to aid discussions with linguistically diverse tenants. The REIQ’s Disaster toolkit for property managers and RTA resources for properties affected by natural disasters were also noted in relation to the flooding in north Queensland.

More information about the stakeholder working groups

The new working groups were initiated by the RTA following the release of the RTA’s Stakeholder Engagement Framework in September 2024. The framework was developed in consultation with stakeholders to address the diverse needs and perspectives of the Queensland rental sector and improve the way the RTA engages with stakeholders.

Terms of Reference for the working groups are available, which outline the purpose of the working groups, stakeholder participation, roles and responsibilities, and the 2025 meeting schedule. Stakeholders can express interest in the working groups or provide feedback on the RTA’s stakeholder engagement framework by completing this short stakeholder survey.