What the RTA's 2026-27 compliance plan means for property managers

On 10 August 2026, Queensland's Residential Tenancies Authority published its Compliance and enforcement action plan 2026-27. Most of it describes how the RTA regulates. The part a property management team should act on is the proactive compliance program: one offence each quarter that the RTA will look for itself, rather than waiting for a complaint (RTA, 10 August 2026).

None of the four offences is new. Each rule has applied in its current form since 2024 or 2025. What has changed is where the regulator's attention will be, and when. Below is each focus, the rule behind it, and a check your team can run this week, followed by where the rest of Queensland's rental reforms stand.

What did the RTA publish on 10 August?

A two-page plan listing the RTA's priority offences for the year, a quarterly proactive compliance program, and the enforcement outcomes it uses: education, an official warning, a penalty infringement notice or prosecution, depending on the history and seriousness of the breach (RTA, Compliance and enforcement action plan 2026-27).

The quarterly program runs in this order:

A Queensland penalty unit is worth $172.70 from 1 July 2026 (Queensland legislation), so 20 penalty units is $3,454 and 50 is $8,635. The plan's wider priority list also names non-lodgement of bonds, unlawful entry, and failing to provide or keep receipts, documents or records.

July to September: is bond claim evidence reaching tenants within 14 days?

When a property manager or owner claims on a bond or disputes a refund, they must give the tenant supporting evidence within 14 days (RTA, Bond refunds). The evidence goes to the tenant, not the RTA. The rule started on 30 September 2024, with a 12-month transition for bonds lodged before then (RTA, 16 August 2024), so it now covers every bond.

The RTA will only investigate whether evidence was provided in time. Whether it was good enough is a matter for dispute resolution or the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Self-check: list every claim or dispute your office has lodged since 1 July. For each, find the dated email or letter that sent the tenant the evidence the claim relies on, such as the exit condition report and invoices. Anything over 14 days, or with no record, needs a process fix: a diary reminder set on the day the claim is lodged.

October to December: does your application process follow the rules?

Since 1 May 2025, applications must use the standardised form (Form 22, or a version that complies with the Act), with at least two ways to submit, one of them not restrictive (RTA, Application process). A way that charges the applicant, or makes them hand their details to a third-party platform collecting for the owner, can be restrictive. Emailing the application directly to the agency is not.

You can only ask for what is on the form, plus up to two documents each for identity, financial ability to pay and suitability. You cannot ask about tribunal matters, breach notices, bond history, or credit and bank transaction statements, and you can only keep a copy of an identity document with the applicant's consent.

Self-check: apply for one of your own listings the way a stranger would. Count the ways to submit, compare every question on your form with Form 22, and read the email templates that ask for documents. If first replies to enquiries are drafted for you, by templates or by software such as AgentFront's Rental Enquiry Email Assistant, check the application instructions they give. Our guide on how fast to reply to a rental enquiry covers what that first reply should contain.

January to March 2027: is every rental advertised at a fixed price?

Since 6 June 2024, every advertisement other than a sign at the property must show a fixed rent. A property manager must not advertise a range, hold a rent auction, or encourage applicants to offer more than the advertised rent, and must not accept an offer above it (RTA, Rent bidding). Rent in advance at the start of a tenancy is capped at two weeks for a periodic agreement and one month for a fixed term. The maximum penalty is 50 penalty units, the highest of the four.

Self-check: pull every live rental advertisement, on portals, your website and social media, and confirm each shows one weekly figure. Then ask the team what they say when an applicant offers $20 a week more. The answer should be the advertised rent.

April to June 2027: when was the rent last increased?

Rent can rise only once every 12 months, and since 6 June 2024 that limit attaches to the property, not the tenancy (RTA, Rent increases). An increase under a previous tenant, owner or agent still counts. The date of the last increase must be in the tenancy agreement, and a tenant who asks for written proof must receive it within 14 days.

Self-check: for every renewal and increase planned before June 2027, record the date the current rent became payable for that property. Check it against the property's full history, including under the previous agency if you took the management over, and confirm the date appears in the agreement.

Where do the rest of Queensland's rental reforms stand?

Most are in force, and two have not started (RTA, Rental law changes).

• In force: minimum housing standards for all tenancies since 1 September 2024; a four-week bond cap and two ways to pay rent since 30 September 2024; 48 hours' entry notice since 1 May 2025.
• New regulation: the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2025 replaced the 2009 regulation on 1 September 2025. The RTA says it introduced no new obligations or major changes (RTA, 15 August 2025).
• CPD: since 6 June 2025, licensed agents must complete two approved CPD sessions each CPD year (Queensland Government). The RTA launched three approved sessions on tenancy law in February (RTA, 3 February 2026).
• Code of conduct: asked in Question on Notice 523 (13 May 2026) whether the Government would prescribe a rental sector code and when it would start, Housing Minister Sam O'Connor answered "Not applicable" on timing and encouraged stakeholders to collaborate on a sector-led code (Queensland Parliament).
• Portable bonds: Tenants Queensland said on 26 June 2026 that a portable bonds scheme has not been implemented (Tenants Queensland). Victoria's scheme started on 1 July 2026 (Consumer Affairs Victoria).

This is general information, not legal advice. The RTA's website sets out each rule in full, and the RTA can answer questions about a specific tenancy.