What to do today
If your Queensland lessor or agent served a rent increase:
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Check the 12-month premises rule. The RTA says rent cannot increase unless at least 12 months have passed since the current rent became payable for the premises. That limit applies across changes of tenant, owner, or agent. Increasing sooner is an offence (maximum 20 penalty units). Start with the RTA rent page and the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld).
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Check the written notice. For a general tenancy, the lessor must give at least 2 months' written notice (rooming is 4 weeks). A fixed-term increase during the term is only valid if the agreement says rent will increase and states the amount or a calculation method, and you still get separate written notice (the agreement alone does not auto-apply the rise), and the 12-month premises rule is met. The notice should include the increased amount, the day it takes effect, and the date rent last increased for the premises. For a periodic agreement: at least 12 months since the last premises increase plus at least 2 months' written notice.
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Confirm the last-increase date. That date must be in the agreement. You can request written proof. The lessor must provide deidentified evidence within 14 days. If the notice or evidence is incomplete, write back identifying the defect and keep records.
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New agreement at the end of a fixed term. A new agreement can include higher rent without a separate increase notice, but the 12-month premises rule still applies. If you signed a new agreement and want to challenge the rent as excessive, Tenants Queensland and RTA materials say you generally have 30 days from entering the new agreement.
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If you say the increase is excessive, use RTA then QCAT. Discuss with the lessor or agent in writing first. Rent increase disputes are non-urgent, so lodge a Dispute resolution request (Form 16) with the free RTA Dispute Resolution Service. If RTA cannot resolve it, it issues a Notice of unresolved dispute and you can apply to QCAT. Time limit: apply to QCAT within 30 days after receiving the notice, and if you are still in a fixed term, before that agreement ends. Tenants Queensland says if you are disputing, pay the higher rent until the tribunal decides. Check the current residential tenancy fee on the QCAT fees page. As at 1 July 2026, residential tenancy fees ranged from about $96.30 to $405.60 depending on the amount claimed ($119 if no amount is claimed). Confirm the live amount before you lodge.
Worked example
Priya receives a written rent-increase notice on 1 September 2026 for a general tenancy in Brisbane. It states a new weekly rent and a start date 65 days later. The last rent increase for the premises was only 10 months ago.
Priya treats the spacing as the first problem: an increase inside 12 months for the premises is not valid, so Priya keeps paying the old rent, writes to the agent citing the 12-month premises rule, and asks for written proof of the last increase date (due within 14 days). If instead the last premises increase was 14 months ago and the notice looks complete, Priya gathers comparable listings, photos of the property's condition, and diaries the 30-day QCAT clock from the day the notice arrived. Priya lodges Form 16 with the RTA first, pays the higher rent once the start date arrives while the dispute runs, and only goes to QCAT with the Notice of unresolved dispute if talks fail.
What QCAT looks at
QCAT can consider market rents for similar premises, the difference between the proposed and current rent, the state of repair, the term of the tenancy, how long since the last increase, and anything else relevant. There is no single dollar cap on how much a private Queensland rental can rise when the notice and 12-month rules are met. The path is validity first, then negotiation, then RTA, then QCAT.
Rent cannot be increased for allowing a pet, or because the lessor had to meet minimum housing standards.
Bond increases (side note)
Bond can increase only if at least 11 months have passed since the last bond increase or the start of the tenancy. From 30 September 2024, the maximum bond for most general tenancies is 4 weeks' rent. A bond bump is separate from the rent-increase notice path above. See the related Queensland bond guide if the fight is about bond.
Public and community housing
Income-based rent in public or community housing often sits outside the ordinary private-rental 12-month and evidence rules. Check your housing provider's policy and get advice from Tenants Queensland or a local tenants service before treating those changes as a private rent-increase challenge.
Where to get help
RTA: 1300 366 311 (Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5:00pm, excluding public holidays)
Rent
Dispute resolution
Form 16
QCAT: 1300 753 228 · qcat.qld.gov.au · Fees
Tenants Queensland: Factsheets