Important Rental Law Changes in Queensland starting September 30th 2024.
The state government in Queensland has announced a start date for more of the rental laws changes passed in Parliament earlier in the year.
Some changes won’t start until May 2025 but let’s focus on the changes starting 30th September 2024.
Rent Payment Methods:
One of the key changes is regarding rent payment methods. Tenants must now be given two ways to pay their rent, without incurring additional bank charges. These payment methods must also be reasonably available to the tenant.
Re-letting Costs:
There will be a fixed formula to determine the re-letting costs that a tenant pays when breaking their lease during the tenancy. The amount paid will be based on how much longer remains on the tenancy agreement.
Utility Bills:
Changes have been made to the timeframe in which tenants must be invoiced for utility bills, such as water. Landlords have only four weeks from the time the council issues the water rates notice to invoice the tenants. Failure to do so without a valid reason may result in the tenant not being required to pay for the utility.
Rental Bonds:
Moving forward, rental bonds will be capped at a maximum of four weeks' rent. Landlords must provide evidence to the tenant within 14 days of making a claim on the bond, such as providing quotes, invoices, or rent ledgers showing unpaid rent.
Regulation and Enforcement:
The Residential Tenancies Authority will now be able to share information with other government agencies for compliance purposes. Providing false or misleading information to the Authority will be considered an offense starting September 30th.
These are just some of the highlights of the rental law changes coming into effect in Queensland. For more detailed information on each issue, further articles will be published and you can follow video's on our website or our socials.
If you have any questions or concerns about how these changes will impact you and your rental property, feel free to reach out to Bronwyn for a chat over the phone, teams meeting or you can buy me a cup of coffee at Jilly's Café near our office in Margaret Street. It is essential to stay informed about these changes to ensure smooth and compliant property management practices.
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