Australia's rental reforms: what has changed for landlords and what's coming

Australia's rental reforms have moved from a promise to the law of most of the country in about three years. On 16 August 2023 National Cabinet agreed to A Better Deal for Renters, a shared plan to require genuine reasons for eviction, move towards one rent increase a year and phase in minimum standards. As at September 2026, most states and territories have legislated some or all of it, and more changes have firm dates in 2026 and 2027.

This is a national overview of where the reforms are heading and what they mean for landlords. It is deliberately not a state-by-state rulebook. The detail, the dates and the approved forms differ between jurisdictions, so treat your state regulator as the final word on your property.

30.6%

Why rental reforms happened

There are a lot of renters, and rents rose fast. At the 2021 Census, 30.6% of occupied private dwellings were rented, about 2.84 million homes. National Cabinet framed its 2023 package as a benefit for the "almost one-third" of households who rent.

Then came the post-pandemic rent surge. The ABS measure of rents in the Consumer Price Index rose 1.6% in the year to June 2022, then 6.7% in the year to June 2023 and 7.3% in the year to June 2024. Growth has since eased: 4.5% in the year to June 2025, and 3.6% in the 12 months to July 2026 according to the latest ABS CPI release.

View data · Source: ABS Consumer Price Index

Year to June	Rents
2022	1.6
2023	6.7
2024	7.3
2025	4.5
2026	3.6

The 2026 figure comes from the ABS's new complete monthly CPI, while earlier years are from the quarterly series, so read the last bar as indicative rather than a perfect like-for-like comparison.

Affordability data tells a similar story. The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council's State of the Housing System 2026 report found that a record 33.1% of median household income was needed to rent a new lease in 2025, and that 29% of renter households experienced rental stress in 2024, up from 24% in 2021. Vacancy rates have loosened a little, with the REIA national rate at 2% in the December quarter 2025, but that is still below its 15-year average of 2.4%.

Put tight supply, fast rent growth and a large renting population together and political pressure was always going to land on tenancy law. In 2023 the Senate also ran an inquiry into the worsening rental crisis. In its May 2024 response, the federal government pointed to A Better Deal for Renters, but was clear that "states and territories are responsible for implementing tenancy reforms". It also rejected calls for a national rent freeze or cap, citing evidence that rent freezes reduce the quantity and quality of housing and that rent caps lead to reduced rental supply and higher rents.

That split is the key to understanding the reforms. Canberra sets direction and funds supply and rent assistance. The states and territories write the rules you actually have to follow.

What National Cabinet agreed in August 2023

The 16 August 2023 National Cabinet statement committed all governments to harmonise and strengthen renters' rights. The main items were:

• a nationally consistent policy requiring genuine reasonable grounds for eviction
• moving towards a national standard of no more than one rent increase a year
• phasing in minimum quality standards, with examples such as a working stovetop and hot and cold running water
• a ban on soliciting rent bidding
• limiting break lease fees to a prescribed amount that declines as more of the lease expires
• protections for tenants experiencing domestic or family violence, including ending a lease without penalty and changing the locks
• a standard rental application form, limits on the documents applicants must provide, and destruction of renters' personal information three years after a tenancy ends (three months after the tenancy begins for unsuccessful applicants)
• considering better regulation of short-stay accommodation.

The same meeting set a target of 1.2 million new well-located homes over five years from 1 July 2024. Supply is the other half of the renters' deal, and it is the part landlords care about most, because it shapes rents and vacancy over the long run.

National milestones at a glance

These are the national, not state, milestones that frame the reforms.

Sources: National Cabinet statement, Treasury's government response and renter support page, ABS CPI releases for September quarter 2023 and June quarter 2025 (Rent Assistance dates), NHSAC State of the Housing System 2026, and the May 2026 ministers' communique.

The common themes in rental reform

Every state has gone about this differently, but the reforms fall into a handful of themes. Below is what each means in practice, with one state example for each.

Ending no-grounds evictions

This is the biggest change. Instead of simply giving notice at the end of a lease or during a periodic tenancy, you need a valid reason from a list set by law. Selling with vacant possession, moving in yourself or a family member, major renovation, demolition and tenant breaches are commonly on that list.

NSW, for example, ended no-grounds evictions from 19 May 2025. Other states have made or announced similar changes on their own timetables, so check your state regulator for the current position.

You can still get your property back. The reason, the notice period and sometimes the evidence just all have to be right. A year in, the NSW Government reported that before the ban an estimated 45% of leases ended without a reason given, that 84% of tenancies are now ending by renters' choice, and that only around 30 termination matters investigated by its Rental Taskforce were found to breach the new laws.

Rent increases once a year

The second pillar is frequency. Most states now limit rent increases to once every 12 months, and several have gone further by attaching the limit to the property rather than the tenancy. In Queensland, for example, the 12 month rule applies to the property, so a change of tenant or owner does not reset the clock, and the notice must state when the rent was last increased.

These rules mainly limit how often you can raise rent rather than by how much, and National Cabinet did not agree to cap the size of increases. Notice periods for increases have also lengthened in some places.

Minimum standards, including energy efficiency

Minimum standards started with the basics in the National Cabinet agreement, which gave a stovetop in good working order and hot and cold running water as examples. The trend now is towards energy efficiency and thermal comfort, and this is where compliance costs are real.

Victoria is the clearest example. Its new minimum energy efficiency standards phase in from 1 March 2027, covering heating and hot water when existing systems fail, efficient shower heads and ceiling insulation at the start of new agreements, draughtproofing from 1 July 2027, and cooling at the start of new agreements from 1 March 2027 and for all rental properties by 1 July 2030. Other states and territories have their own standards and deadlines.

At a national level, the federal government's 2024 response noted that Victoria is leading work on a national framework for minimum energy efficiency standards in rented homes, and that energy ministers were developing a Home Energy Ratings Disclosure Framework for sales and leases. Expect more states to follow.

Pets and minor modifications

The direction here is from "no unless I agree" to "yes unless there is a good reason". Tenants apply, and landlords can refuse only on specified grounds. In NSW, a pet application is approved automatically if the owner does not respond within 21 days. Rules on pet bonds and permitted reasons to refuse vary by state.

Minor modifications, such as picture hooks, furniture anchors or safety fittings, are following the same path in several states. Your lease can still set sensible conditions, such as professional cleaning or restoring the premises, but a blanket ban is increasingly unenforceable.

Bond portability and bond claims

Portable bonds let a tenant move their bond to the next rental instead of finding two bonds at once. NSW launched its Smart Rental Bonds scheme on 10 August 2026 in three local government areas, with all NSW renters expected to have access by the end of 2026. The NSW Government says the government backs agreed bond claims from the original tenancy up to the transferred amount, and the claim process for landlords is unchanged. Check with your state regulator whether a similar scheme applies to your property.

Bond claims themselves are getting more formal. Queensland, for example, now requires managers to provide supporting evidence for a bond claim within 14 days, according to the RTA. Good ingoing and outgoing condition reports, with dated photos, are no longer optional extras.

Rental bidding bans

Soliciting offers above the advertised rent is now widely banned, and some states go further by banning acceptance of unsolicited higher offers or requiring a single fixed price in the advertisement. Victoria, for example, extended its ban to all forms of rental bidding on 25 November 2025.

For a landlord, the practical takeaway is simple. Advertise the rent you want and choose the best applicant at that price.

Fees for paying rent and applying

The rise of rent payment platforms produced a new target: extra fees charged to tenants simply to pay rent or apply. NSW, for example, has required landlords to offer a fee-free way to pay rent, such as direct bank transfer, since 19 May 2025, and banned background check fees for applicants from 31 October 2024, according to NSW Fair Trading. Other states have their own rules on payment methods. If your property manager uses a platform that charges tenants, ask whether a free option is offered.

Privacy of tenant data

National Cabinet agreed to limit what applicants must hand over and to require personal information to be destroyed three years after a tenancy ends. States are implementing this through standard application forms and limits on what can be collected. Queensland introduced an approved rental application form and restrictions on the personal information collected from applicants on 1 May 2025.

If you self-manage, you are the one holding copies of payslips, licences and bank statements. Keep only what the approved form asks for, store it securely and have a plan to delete it.

Notice periods and entry

Alongside the headline changes, many small procedural rules have moved. Notice periods for rent increases and for some notices to vacate are longer in some states. Queensland, for example, lifted the minimum entry notice from 24 hours to 48 hours in May 2025. None of these is dramatic on its own, but an old template with the wrong number of days can invalidate a notice.

What landlords reasonably worry about

The reforms add cost and reduce flexibility, and landlords are entitled to weigh that. The three concerns we hear most often are supply, investor sentiment and compliance costs.

Supply. If enough investors sell or stop buying, fewer rentals are available, and that works against renters. The federal government made this argument itself when it rejected a national rent freeze or cap in 2024. The national data so far is mixed rather than conclusive. The NHSAC report found investor lending rose 11.7% over 2025, after 22.2% in 2024, but also said Victoria's slower price growth partly reflects land tax changes and rental reforms that have curtailed investor demand.

Investor sentiment. The most recent ABS lending indicators show 52,599 new investor loan commitments worth $37.1 billion in the June quarter 2026. The number fell 8.6% in the quarter, though it was still 2.8% higher than a year earlier. Interest rates, APRA's debt-to-income limits and prices all feed into those numbers, so it is hard to isolate the effect of tenancy law. For more on how rates and Victoria's reforms are playing out in the market, see our September 2026 rental market and interest rates update.

Compliance costs. Energy upgrades, safety checks, new forms and longer notice periods all cost money or time. Some of this can be offset. Victoria, for example, points landlords to the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. Many upgrades, such as insulation and efficient heating, can also make a property easier to lease. Check the current tax treatment of any spending with the ATO or your accountant before you commit.

There is also an upside that gets less attention. WA's own consumer protection agency argues that jurisdictions without no-grounds terminations tend to see longer tenancies, lower turnover and reduced reletting and advertising costs. For a landlord with a good tenant, stability is worth money.

What's coming next

As at September 2026, these are the national and notable scheduled changes worth having in your diary:

• Portable bonds. NSW's Smart Rental Bonds rollout is due to reach all NSW renters by the end of 2026.
• Insulation deadline. The ACT requires rentals with no ceiling insulation, or insulation below R2, to be upgraded to at least R5, with a 30 November 2026 deadline for existing tenancies.
• Energy efficiency. Victoria's standards start on 1 March 2027, with draughtproofing from 1 July 2027 and cooling for all rentals by 1 July 2030.
• Eviction grounds. Western Australia has announced it will replace without-grounds terminations with reasonable grounds and has said a bill will follow consultation.
• Bond claims and safety checks. Victoria has further changes starting on 13 October 2026, including advance notice and evidence for bond claims, gas and electrical safety checks every two years and a ban on charging application fees, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria.

National policy attention has shifted towards supply. The May 2026 ministers' meeting focused on building more homes faster, and the NHSAC's latest outlook was that the 1.2 million homes target would land around the September quarter 2030, slightly after the Accord ends, before accounting for the Middle East conflict's effect on construction costs.

What to do now

The reforms reward landlords who are organised and punish those who rely on old habits. The checklist below covers the steps that apply almost everywhere.

If you use a property manager, now is a good time to ask how they are tracking each change. Our guide on how to keep your property manager accountable sets out the questions to ask. If you manage your own rental, the self-managing rental property guide covers the systems that make compliance easier, and newer investors should start with our new landlord guide.

The direction of travel is settled. Nearly every state is moving towards secure tenancies, predictable rent reviews and better-quality homes. The landlords who do best will be the ones who treat that as the operating environment rather than a temporary inconvenience, and who price the cost of compliance into every purchase and every lease.