For Queensland renters · Increases and renewals
Your rent is going up. Work out your answer first.
In Queensland, rent can rise only once every 12 months, and that clock belongs to the property, not to you. Put the increase, the cost of moving and your dates on one page before you reply.
Free. No account. Your entries stay in this browser.
01 / Start with your question
Four things renters actually ask
The rules below are from the Queensland tenancy Act, read in full on 20 October 2026. Your agreement and dates decide which ones apply.
How often can my rent go up?
No sooner than 12 months after the last increase for the property, even if the tenant or the owner has changed since then.
s 93 of the Act · checked 20 October 2026
How much notice do I have to get?
For an increase during your agreement, at least two months in writing. The notice must state the new rent, the day it starts and the day rent last went up.
s 91 of the Act · checked 20 October 2026
Can I challenge an increase I think is excessive?
If it came as a notice, you can apply to QCAT within 30 days after you receive it; if you signed a new lease at a higher rent, within 30 days after signing. RTA dispute resolution (Form 16) has to come first, so lodge it well inside the 30 days, keep the confirmation, and call QSTARS about protecting your deadline. Don’t assume the RTA process stops the clock.
ss 92, 71 of the Act · checked 20 October 2026
Do I keep paying the higher rent while I dispute it?
Yes. A valid increase is payable from the day in the notice unless QCAT orders otherwise, and QCAT can make an interim order while it decides.
ss 91, 92 of the Act · checked 20 October 2026
02 / The free check
Your numbers, in four short steps
About three minutes. Nothing you enter leaves your device.
- 1
Check the increase
See it per week, per year and as a percentage. In six inner-Brisbane postcodes we show the matching RTA median for new tenancies, with its quarter and source.
- 2
Weigh staying against moving
Stay and renew, move now, or move when the lease ends. Add removalists, cleaning, overlap rent and break costs, and see all three over the same 52 weeks.
- 3
Reply calmly
Draft a short, reasonable request to your property manager. You edit it and you send it. We never contact anyone for you.
- 4
Know where the help is
The RTA, QSTARS and Tenants Queensland are free. If a deadline is running, call them first.
03 / A better question
The cheaper place can cost more
A lower advertised rent can be swallowed by the move itself. Here is a fictional case with round numbers, worked over one year.
| New place is cheaper by | −$50 a week | −$2,600 |
|---|---|---|
| Longer commute and parking | +$20 a week | +$1,040 |
| Removalist, cleaning, connections, overlap | once | +$1,800 |
| Over 52 weeks, moving costs | +$240 |
05 / Where we fit
Free help comes first
The best help for Queensland renters is free, and we send you to it. Here is what each option is good at, and the gap we fill.
| Where | What it does well | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| RTAFree | The official rules, forms, quarterly median rents and dispute resolution. | Your arithmetic, letters or a way to decide. It is written for tenants and owners alike. |
| QSTARS and Tenants QueenslandFree | Expert advice on your actual case, factsheets and letter tools. | The line is busy, so you may wait. They will not run your stay-or-move comparison. |
| QCATCheck current fees | Decides whether an increase is excessive. | It is a last step, after RTA dispute resolution, and it has a 30-day limit you have to watch. |
| Portal rent estimatesFree | A quick address-level estimate. | An estimate is not an agreed rent, and it says nothing about your rights. |
| Listing report appsPaid | Cheap listing analysis. | Queensland rules, letters or a decision method. |
| RenterRescueFree check · A$29 kit | Your numbers, Queensland rules with sources, the letters and the free-help map, in one place. | Advice on your case. For that, call QSTARS on 1300 744 263. |
06 / Evidence, without spin
A postcode median is context. It is not a verdict.
Our benchmark is the RTA’s median rent for new bonds lodged in a quarter, matched by postcode, property type and bedrooms. Today it covers 18 apartment combinations in six inner-Brisbane postcodes: 4000, 4005, 4006, 4064, 4101 and 4102. Everywhere else in Queensland the check still runs the full cost comparison, without a median.
A median does not know your building, your floor or your leaking tap. QCAT weighs the range of rents for comparable homes, the condition of yours and the time since the last increase, among other things. So we show the median beside your rent and leave the verdict where it belongs.
A renewal feels big. The first step is small.
Run my numbersFree. No account. Nothing is sent on your behalf.