State Laws
Residential tenancy rules, compliance deadlines, and safety obligations, state by state.
QLD land tax notices for 2026-27 are in the post. Revenue tipped at $3.26 billion after Ipswich site values jumped 51%
The Queensland Revenue Office is issuing FY26-27 land tax assessment notices from this month, and state land tax revenue is forecast at $3.26 billion for the year, up from $2.81 billion in 2025-26. The 2026 statutory valuations that drive the bill were issued on 11 March: 560,000 properties across 15 LGAs, with Ipswich site values up 51%, Sunshine Coast up 24% and Noosa up 37%. In 2024-25 there were 204,586 properties captured and 60,828 individuals liable, up 30% year on year. Here is what a landlord holding QLD investor stock should do with the envelope before the 90-day clock starts running.
17 banks now feed the ATO's landlord data-match. 1.7 million rental loans in the 2025-26 file
The ATO's Residential Investment Property Loan data-matching program is in its fifth and final year, the 2025-26 income year, with 17 authorised deposit-taking institutions from the Big 4 down to Ubank handing over 1.7 million landlord records annually. A parallel property management data-match covers 2018-19 to 2025-26 across PropertyMe, Console Cloud, PropertyTree, REST, Kolmeo and Ailo. ATO Assistant Commissioner Rob Thomson's line last tax time was that 9 in 10 rental returns contained at least one error. Here is every data field the ATO now cross-checks against a landlord's rental schedule, the four errors that drive the 90% number, and what the 12 May 2026 negative gearing overhaul does to the risk profile.
ATO to cross-check 2.3 million property records against 2025-26 landlord returns. 9 in 10 got it wrong last year
The ATO's property management data-matching program pulls records for roughly 2.3 million individuals a year from property management software companies for 2018-19 through 2025-26. A parallel rental bond program pulls about 2.2 million individuals a year from state and territory bond authorities. Sharing economy feeds from Airbnb, Stayz and Booking.com have been direct since July 2024. Any landlord lodging a 2025-26 return this month is walking into that net. Here is what the ATO already has on your rental before you press submit.
Victoria's portable rental bond scheme is live from 1 July. Landlords now claim from the State, not the tenant
Victoria's Portable Rental Bond Scheme commenced 1 July 2026 under the Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025. Renters can now port an existing bond to a new property for a $25 fee, and the State guarantees any claim the landlord files against the old bond. For the 736,352 bonds the RTBA held on 30 June 2025 worth $1.545 billion, this rewires the end-of-tenancy claim process. Here is what changes for a Victorian landlord's cash flow, evidence trail and dispute path from 1 July 2026.
NSW Rental Taskforce scanned 950,000 listings and fined 12 landlords $50,050. The six-month re-let rule is the new trap
One year on from the 19 May 2025 no-grounds eviction ban, NSW Fair Trading has issued 12 fines totalling $50,050, 13 formal warnings and reviewed roughly 600 properties flagged by a data-matching tool that scans 950,000 NSW rentals. The six-month re-let exclusion after a sale termination is the bit catching landlords. Here is how the penalty unit works, what the exemption pathway looks like, and the cash cost for a Sydney investor who lists, doesn't sell at reserve and has to wait.
Tasmania ended blanket no-pets clauses on 20 March. Hobart vacancy sits at 0.4%
Tasmania's Residential Tenancy Amendment (Pets) Act 2025 commenced on 20 March 2026, killing the standard no-pets clause and giving landlords 14 days to consent or apply to TASCAT to refuse. With Hobart vacancy at 0.4% and weighted median rents in the north up 11.7% on the year, here is what the new rules cost a Tasmanian landlord in cash, time and risk.
Nine in 10 rental returns have an error. The ATO is matching 2.3 million records this tax time
With 30 June five weeks away, the ATO says nine in 10 rental property owners get their return wrong, and around 80% of the mistakes sit in the interest deduction. Its property management data-matching program now pulls roughly 2.3 million records a year, on top of 2.2 million rental bond records. Here is exactly where landlords slip up and how to lodge a clean return.
SA Rental Laws in 2026: A Guide for South Australian Landlords
Your obligations as a self-managing landlord in South Australia in 2026: bonds, rent increases, prescribed termination grounds, the new Form A1, pets, minimum housing standards and SACAT.
WA Rental Laws in 2026: A Guide for Western Australian Landlords
Your obligations as a self-managing landlord in Western Australia, from the new bond release process to pet rules, rent increases, smoke alarms, and minor modifications.
Rental Law Changes in Australia 2026: What NSW, SA, and Victorian Landlords Need to Know
NSW, South Australia, and Victoria have all introduced major rental reforms in 2026. Here is a state-by-state breakdown of what changed, the exact dates, and what self-managing landlords need to do now.
Smoke Alarms, Safety Switches, and Compliance: What Landlords Must Do in 2026
State-by-state guide to smoke alarm laws, electrical safety switches, pool fencing, and other compliance requirements for Australian rental properties.
Victoria Rental Reforms: What Landlords Need to Know in 2026
How Victoria's rental reforms affect landlords, from minimum standards to pet rules to the end of no-reason evictions.