Property Managers and Lessors in Queensland are reminded about section 93 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (QLD) in regards to minimum periods before rent can be increased for Residential Tenancies.
Rents cannot be increased less than six months since the existing rent became payable; refer to section 93 below from the Act for more information.
93 Minimum period before rent can be increased
(1) This section applies to rent (the existing rent) payable to a
lessor or lessor’s agent by the tenant of premises under a
residential tenancy agreement.
(2) The lessor or lessor’s agent must not increase the existing rent
less than 6 months since the date the existing rent became
payable by the tenant.
Maximum penalty—20 penalty units.
(3) Nothing prevents a lessor or lessor’s agent from giving notice
of an increase in rent within 6 months since the last increase
provided the increase does not take effect until 6 months or
more since the last increase.
[s 94]
(4) This section applies whether the increase in the existing rent is
to take effect during an existing agreement or from one
agreement to the next.
(5) This section also applies—
(a) if at least 1 of the tenants responsible for the existing
rent will be subject to the increase in rent; and
(b) whether or not the lessor who increases the rent is the
same person as the lessor who last increased the rent.
(6) This section does not apply if—
(a) the lessor is the chief executive of the department in
which the Housing Act 2003 is administered, acting on
behalf of the State; or
(b) the lessor is the State and the tenant is an officer or
employee of the State.
