How to reply to a rental enquiry (with an example)

A rental enquiry is usually two lines long. "Is this still available? I have a small dog." It arrives through the realestate.com.au listing or straight into the rentals inbox, often in the evening, and the person who sent it has probably sent the same two lines to five other listings.

Speed matters, and we have covered how fast to reply separately. But the reply that moves someone forward is rarely the fastest template. It answers their question, gives them the facts they need to decide, and tells them exactly what to do next. This guide covers what goes in that reply, what stays out, and the Queensland rules that shape how you invite someone to apply.

What should the reply say first?

Answer the question they asked, in the first sentence. If they asked about a dog, the first thing they read should be about the dog, not "Thank you for your enquiry regarding the above property."

Most enquiries carry one real question under the polite opener. Find it and answer it, then add the rest. Someone comparing six replies on a phone keeps the one that answered them and archives the ones that made them hunt.

If the honest answer is that you don't know yet, say so and say when you will: "I'll ask the owner about your dog and come back to you by Thursday."

What should every reply include?

Every reply should state the core facts the listing holds, so the enquirer can rule the property in or out without writing again. When the listing has them, include:

• Rent, per week, exactly as advertised.
• Available from, as a date rather than "soon".
• Lease term, such as 6 or 12 months, if the owner has set one.
• Pets, in the listing's own words.
• Parking: how many cars, and whether it is a carport, a lock-up garage or the street.
• The next open home, with its day and time, or how to arrange an inspection.

On rent, Queensland leaves no room for ranges. Rent bidding has been banned since 6 June 2024 (RTA, Rental law changes). A rental must be advertised at a fixed price, and a property manager must not advertise a rent range or encourage applicants to offer more than the advertised rent (RTA, Rent bidding). If someone asks whether the owner would take offers, the reply states the advertised rent and nothing more.

If the listing is silent on one of these, leave it out rather than guess. Five accurate facts beat six with one wrong.

What if the property is under application or leased?

Say so in the first line, then offer something useful. Silence is the worst reply: the enquirer keeps waiting for an inspection that will never happen, and remembers the agency that ignored them.

If applications are with the landlord, say that, don't predict the outcome, and say whether you are still accepting applications. If the property has been leased, say so and offer one or two current listings that match what they asked about: the same suburb, a similar rent, the same number of bedrooms, or a yard for the dog.

One question back can help: "Would a two-bedroom unit nearby work for you?" It turns a closed enquiry into an open one.

What should a reply never promise?

Nothing the listing and the owner haven't confirmed. The common slips are small and costly:

• "Pets should be fine," when the listing says nothing about pets.
• "I'm sure the owner would look at a lower rent."
• "You'd be perfect for it, I think it's yours."
• An earlier move-in date, air-conditioning in every bedroom, or an internet connection type the listing doesn't mention.

Pets need particular care. The RTA notes that a pet request made while applying belongs in the rental application, and the Act sets no separate approval process at that stage. The 14-day rule applies once a tenancy is running: a tenant asks using Form 21, the lessor must respond in writing within 14 days, and "no pets allowed" on its own is not a valid refusal (RTA, Renting with pets). None of that lets you promise approval before the owner has seen the application.

How do you invite them to inspect and apply?

Give the next inspection time, then explain how to apply in a way that fits Queensland's application rules. The aim is one clear next step.

Since 1 May 2025, Queensland property managers and owners must use a standardised tenancy application form, and the RTA's Rental application (Form 22) is the standard one for general tenancies. You can only ask for the information on the standardised form, plus up to two documents in each of three categories: identity, financial ability to pay the rent, and suitability for the property. You cannot ask for details of legal actions or tribunal matters, breach notices, rental bond history, or credit and bank account statements (RTA, Application process).

You must also offer at least two ways to submit an application, and at least one must not be restrictive. A method that costs the applicant money, such as an application fee, is restrictive. Submitting directly to the agency by email is not. In practice, the reply names both routes: your online application link, and the option of emailing the completed Form 22 to you.

This is general information, not legal advice. The Residential Tenancies Authority is the place to check how the rules apply to a particular property.

How long should it be, and what does a good one look like?

Roughly 100 to 150 words: short enough to read on a phone. Use their first name, write plain sentences, and sign off as a person with a direct number. Leave out the pasted listing description, because they have already read it.

Here is an example for an invented listing. Sam's enquiry read: "Hi, is this still available? I have a small dog."

Hi Sam,

Yes, 7/22 Example Street is still available. On your dog: the listing says pets are considered on application, so add your dog's details in the pets section of the application and we'll put it to the owner. I can't promise an answer before then.

The rent is $640 a week. It's available from Monday 12 October on a 12-month lease, and it has a single lock-up garage.

The next open home is this Saturday, 26 September, from 10am to 10.15am. If that doesn't suit, reply with two times that do and I'll see what I can arrange.

To apply, use the link in the listing, or email the completed RTA Rental application (Form 22) to me at this address.

Kind regards, Jordan

Writing replies this carefully takes time, which is why busy inboxes fall back on templates. AgentFront's Rental Enquiry Email Assistant works in a connected Gmail inbox and drafts replies to new enquiries that follow the listing's current status and state only what the realestate.com.au listing says. Drafts wait for a person to approve them unless the agency turns on auto-reply, and anything unusual is marked Needs review.