How often can a landlord increase rent in Queensland?

Once every 12 months. Rent cannot be increased unless at least 12 months have passed since the current rent became payable. Since 6 June 2024 the 12 months is attached to the property, so it carries over to a new tenant, a new agreement or a new owner.

How much notice does a Queensland landlord have to give for a rent increase?

At least 2 months written notice for a general tenancy (house, unit or townhouse). The notice must state the new rent amount and the day it starts. For rooming accommodation it is 4 weeks.

What happens if a Queensland landlord increases rent within 12 months?

It is an offence under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act with a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units. The tenant can also ask the RTA to investigate, and can ask you in writing for evidence of the date of the last increase, which you must provide within 14 days.

How often can you increase rent in QLD? The rules in plain English

Q: Can rent be increased during a fixed-term lease in Queensland?

Only if the agreement itself says rent will increase and states the new amount or how it will be worked out, at least 12 months have passed since the current rent became payable, and the lessor gives separate written notice of at least 2 months. The clause in the lease on its own does not raise the rent.

Written for Queensland owners who manage their own rental. Checked against the Residential Tenancies Authority's rent increase pages on 20 October 2026. Links to the official source are under each section.

The short version. You can increase the rent once every 12 months, counted from the day the current rent became payable. That clock belongs to the property, not the tenant, so a new tenant or a new lease does not reset it. You must give at least 2 months notice in writing, the notice must say the new amount and the day it starts, and the date of the last increase must be written in every tenancy agreement you sign.

The 12-month rule

Rent cannot be increased unless it has been at least 12 months since the current amount of rent became payable. The 12 months is counted from the day the current rent started, not from the day you gave notice or signed the lease.

The rule has 2 dates behind it that still trip people up:

From 1 July 2023, increases were limited to once every 12 months for each tenancy.
From 6 June 2024, the limit became attached to the property. The 12 months now applies even if the last increase was under a different agreement, a different tenant, a different agent or a different owner. If you bought a rental in March and the previous owner raised the rent in January, you wait until next January.

Increases that happened before the rule started still count toward the 12 months. The only common exceptions are a property being rented out for the first time (the clock starts on the day the tenancy starts) and exempt lessors as defined in the Act, which does not cover ordinary private landlords.

Source: RTA, Rent increases and RTA, Rent increase frequency changes

Work out your dates

Enter the day the current rent started being payable (the start of the tenancy, or the day the last increase took effect) and this works out the earliest day a new rent can start and the last day you can hand over the notice.

Day the current rent became payable

Assumes a general tenancy (2 months notice). Rooming accommodation needs 4 weeks. This is a date helper, not legal advice. If the date you enter is before 6 June 2024 and the property changed hands or tenants since then, check the earlier increase still counts.

Notice: how much, and what it has to say

For a house, unit or townhouse under a general tenancy agreement you must give the tenant at least 2 months notice in writing. For rooming accommodation it is 4 weeks. There is no prescribed RTA form for the notice itself. A dated letter or email is fine as long as it includes:

The new rent amount and how often it is paid (for example $620 per week)
The day the new rent starts, which must be at least 2 months after the tenant receives the notice and at least 12 months after the current rent became payable
The date rent was last increased (required when the increase is under a fixed-term agreement, and good practice every time)

Count the 2 months from the day the tenant actually receives the notice, not the day you send it. If you post it, allow for delivery. Keep a copy and a note of how and when it was delivered.

Source: RTA, Rent increases

Periodic agreement vs fixed term vs new lease

The same 12-month rule applies in every case. What changes is the paperwork.

Periodic (rolling) agreement. Give 2 months written notice, the increase takes effect on the date in the notice. If a fixed term has just ended and rolled into a periodic agreement, you can give the 2 months notice before or on the day the periodic agreement starts.
During a fixed term. You can only increase rent mid-term if the agreement itself says rent will increase and states the new amount or exactly how it will be calculated. Even then you still have to give separate written notice of at least 2 months. A clause in the lease on its own does nothing.
New agreement at the end of a fixed term. If you and the tenant sign a new agreement, it can include a higher rent and no separate notice is needed, provided 12 months have passed since the current rent became payable. If you do not sign a new agreement, the tenancy becomes periodic and the periodic rules apply.

One edge case: if you let a property cheaply to family or friends and then need to lift the rent to market inside 12 months, you cannot just do it. You would need to apply to QCAT on the ground of undue hardship.

Source: RTA, Rent increases

The date of the last increase goes in the lease

Since the 2024 changes, the date rent was last increased must be written in the tenancy agreement. The current General tenancy agreement (Form 18a) has a field for it. If the property is being rented for the first time, the date is the start of the tenancy.

A tenant can also ask you in writing, at any point during the tenancy, for evidence of when rent was last increased. You must respond within 14 days, and not doing so is an offence. You are taken to have the evidence if you or your agent (a property manager, a solicitor) hold it. For a self-managing landlord that means a copy of the last notice, the previous agreement, or a rent ledger showing the change. Keep them.

Source: RTA, Rent increase frequency changes and RTA, General tenancy agreement (Form 18a)

What happens if you get it wrong

Increasing rent within 12 months is an offence under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act with a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units, which is over $3,000 at current Queensland rates.
Not providing evidence of the last increase within 14 days of a written request is also an offence.
A tenant who thinks an increase is excessive can apply for RTA dispute resolution, and then to QCAT, within 30 days of receiving the notice (for a new agreement, within 30 days of signing). QCAT looks at market rent for similar places, the size of the jump, the condition of the property and the time since the last increase.
A notice that is short on time or missing the start date is not a valid notice. The tenant keeps paying the old rent and you start the 2 months again.

Source: RTA, Rent increases

Bond, while you are at it

A rent increase does not automatically let you ask for more bond. You can ask for a bond top-up only if at least 11 months have passed since the bond was last increased or the tenancy started, the tenant must get at least 1 month to pay, and since 30 September 2024 the maximum bond for a general tenancy is 4 weeks rent regardless of how much the rent is. Extra bond is lodged with the RTA like the original.

Source: RTA, Rent increases

A simple plan for a self-managing landlord

Write down, for each property, the day the current rent became payable. If you are not sure, find the last notice or the lease. That date is the whole game.
Put 2 dates in your calendar: 12 months from that day (earliest the new rent can start) and 10 months from that day (last sensible day to give notice so the 2 months lands on time).
When you give notice, do it in writing, include the new amount and the start date, date it, keep a copy, and note how it was delivered.
Every time you sign or renew an agreement, fill in the date of the last increase on the Form 18a.
Keep the last notice and the previous agreement in a folder. If a tenant asks for evidence you have 14 days and the answer is already there.

Rent increases are 1 of about 30 dates you are meant to track

Smoke alarm tests, bond lodgement, entry notice periods, minimum housing standards, pool certificates, safety switches, pet requests. The free Landlord Minder checklist puts every Queensland date and obligation on 1 page with a link to the official source for each.

Read the free checklist Get reminded before each date

Frequently asked

My tenant moved out and a new one is moving in. Can I set a higher rent?
Only if 12 months have passed since the current rent became payable. The limit is attached to the property since 6 June 2024, so a change of tenant does not reset it. You must also write the date of the last increase in the new agreement.

I just bought a rental. Does the previous owner's increase count?
Yes. The 12 months runs from the last increase whoever the owner was. Ask the seller or their agent for the date and the evidence at settlement.

Is there a limit on how much I can increase rent in Queensland?
No fixed cap. The limit is on frequency, not amount. But a tenant can dispute an increase they think is excessive within 30 days, so be able to show comparable rents for similar properties.

Can I advertise the property at one price and take a higher offer?
No. Since 6 June 2024 Queensland rental ads must state a fixed rent and you cannot invite or accept offers above it. Set the number you want and advertise that.

Do I need an RTA form to increase the rent?
No. A written notice is enough, as long as it includes the new amount and the start date and gives at least 2 months. The RTA forms you will use are the General tenancy agreement (Form 18a) when renewing, and the Bond lodgement (Form 2) if bond goes up.

This page is general information, not legal advice. It summarises public information from the Residential Tenancies Authority. Check the linked official source or get professional advice before you act. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Sign up and reply to the welcome email, and it will be fixed.