General tenancy agreement (Form 18a)
v21 Sep24
The General tenancy agreement (Form 18a) is used when renting a house, unit, apartment, townhouse or houseboat in Queensland.
The General tenancy agreement (Form 18a) is used when renting a house, unit, apartment, townhouse or houseboat in Queensland.
Changes to Queensland rental laws came into effect from 6 June 2024. Further changes to maximum bond amount, bond claims, compliance provisions and rent, bond and other payments commenced from 30 September 2024, as part of ongoing rental reforms. Learn more about the changes and what they mean for you.
Minimum housing standards came into effect for new tenancies (including renewed tenancy agreements) from 1 September 2023 and for all remaining tenancies from 1 September 2024.
A written agreement must always be used when renting, even if the person renting is family or a friend. It is a legally binding written contract that outlines the legal rights and responsibilities of a tenant and property manager/owner. It applies to everyone renting the property (e.g. those in share homes or co-tenancies).
It is the property manager/owner’s responsibility to organise the agreement and give a copy to the tenant before they pay any money or commit to the tenancy.
A tenancy agreement must include:
- the name and address of the tenant and property manager/owner
- the start and end date of the agreement (or state that it is periodic)
- how the tenant should pay rent and how much is to be paid
- contact details for nominated repairers
- date of the last rent increase for the premesis
- standard terms (what the tenant and the property manager/owner can and cannot do)
- any special terms (these should be agreed in advance, e.g. who is responsible for pool maintenance).
It is an offence under the Act to increase the rent in less than 12 months. The 12-month period applies even if the last rent increase was related to a different tenancy agreement with another tenant or by a previous manager or owner of the property.
The date of the last rent increase must be included in the tenancy agreement. Tenants have the right to request written proof of the last rent increase during the tenancy, and the property manager or owner must provide this information within 14 days. However, these requirements do not apply in the following cases:
- Exempt Lessors: the Act outlines who qualifies as an exempt lessor.
- For properties purchased between 6 June 2023 and 6 June 2025: the requirement to include the date of the last rent increase in the tenancy agreement and to provide evidence of a rent increase upon the tenant’s request does not apply if the new owner or property manager does not have information about the previous rent increase.
- For properties being rented for the first time: the date of the last rent increase is the date the property is first rented.
Note: A property manager/owner is considered to have evidence of the last rent increase if they or their agent (such as a real estate agent, property manager, or lawyer) has this information.
For more information, please visit our Rent increases webpage.
Special terms
Special terms can be added if the property manager/owner and tenant agree.
Examples: water charging, pool maintenance
Signing the agreement
The property manager/owner must provide the agreement to the tenant on or before the day the tenant occupies the property under the agreement. The tenant must then sign the agreement and return it to the property manager/owner within 5 days.
The tenant should be sent a copy within 14 days of the property manager/owner receiving the original.
The tenant must also be given a copy of the Pocket guide for tenants – houses and units (Form 17a).
During the tenancy
The property manager/owner must give permission for any new tenants or sub-tenants before they can move in.
Property manager/owner records
The property manager/owner must keep a copy of the agreement for 1 year after the agreement ends.