This article is general information only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional for advice specific to your situation.
Key takeaways
- NSW now requires landlords to offer Centrepay when tenants request it (2 March 2026).
- South Australia introduced a standardised application form (Form A1) and extended the non-renewal notice period to 60 days (1 January 2026).
- Victoria banned no-fault evictions and extended rent increase notice to 90 days (25 November 2025), with a prescribed application form required from 31 March 2026.
- Here is a state-by-state breakdown with exact dates and compliance steps.
If you own a rental property in New South Wales, South Australia, or Victoria, the rules have changed. All three states have introduced rental reforms in 2026 that affect how you collect rent, screen tenants, increase rent, and end tenancies.
Some of these changes are already in force. Others land on 31 March 2026. Every one of them carries real consequences if you get them wrong, including fines and voided notices.
Here is a state-by-state breakdown of what changed, the exact effective dates, and what you need to do about it as a self-managing landlord.
New South Wales
NSW's latest rental reform took effect on 2 March 2026, building on earlier changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 that already banned commencement fees and limited rent increases to once per year across all lease types.
Centrepay must be offered as a payment option (2 March 2026)
If a tenant asks to pay rent through Centrepay, you must agree. Refusing a tenant's Centrepay request is a breach of the Act.
Centrepay is a free bill-paying service run by Services Australia. It lets tenants receiving Centrelink payments have their rent deducted automatically before the money reaches their bank account. Payments come directly from Services Australia, so they are reliable and consistent.
To comply, you need to register as a Centrepay business with Services Australia. Registration is free. You will need your personal details, bank account information, property details, and a written complaints process. You cannot charge the tenant any fee for using Centrepay. If you later increase the rent, the tenant must approve the new deduction amount through the Centrepay system. Any difference between the Centrepay deduction and the new rent amount must be paid by the tenant through other means.
Remember that NSW already caps rent increases to once every 12 months for all lease types, including fixed-term agreements. Factor this into your pricing when setting the right rent price, and use the break-even rent calculator to check the minimum rent you need to cover your holding costs. The bond and first rental payment are the only amounts you can collect at lease commencement. For the full picture of your NSW obligations, see our NSW rental law guide.
South Australia
South Australia's rental reforms amend the Residential Tenancies Act 1995. The main changes took effect on 1 January 2026, with some provisions starting on 1 September 2025. These were introduced by Consumer and Business Services (CBS) as part of SA's largest tenancy reform package in 30 years.
Mandatory standardised rental application form (1 January 2026)
SA landlords must now use Form A1, a government-prescribed rental application form, when screening tenants. You cannot use your own custom form, and you cannot ask for information beyond what Form A1 covers.
Each prospective tenant named on the lease must complete their own Form A1. The form covers identity verification, rental history, income verification, and references. Applicants can also indicate their preferred tenancy term. You cannot ask for tax file numbers, detailed bank statements, or financial documents beyond what the form permits.
If you have been using a form you created yourself, or one provided by a listing platform, switch to the CBS-prescribed version. It is available on the Consumer and Business Services website. Stick to what the form asks for and nothing more.
Non-renewal notice extended to 60 days (1 January 2026)
If you decide not to renew a tenant's fixed-term lease, you must now give at least 60 days' notice before the lease end date. This has doubled from the previous 28 days.
In concrete terms: if your tenant's lease expires on 30 June, you need to provide written notice by 1 May at the latest. That is a much earlier decision point than most landlords are used to. Leave it too late and you will either need to renew the lease or let the tenancy roll into a periodic arrangement.
A separate new ground for non-renewal also started on 1 September 2025. You can now end a tenancy if you have signed a sales agency agreement with a licensed real estate agent requiring vacant possession. You must provide the signed, dated agreement as supporting documentation with your 60-day notice.
Start thinking about lease renewals at least two to three months ahead. Our guide to managing tenants and leases walks through the renewal decision process in detail. For the broader picture of SA-specific obligations, see our South Australia landlord guide.
Victoria
Victoria continues building on substantial reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. The changes arrived in two waves: 25 November 2025 and 31 March 2026.
No-fault eviction ban (25 November 2025)
Victoria's ban on no-fault evictions took effect in November 2025. You can only end a tenancy for specific reasons set out in the Act. Valid reasons include: intending to move into the property yourself (requires a statutory declaration), selling the property where the contract requires vacant possession, carrying out substantial renovations (may require building permits), or the tenant breaching the agreement.
The end of a fixed-term lease is not, on its own, a valid reason to end the tenancy. If your tenant has been paying rent and looking after the property, the lease rolls into a periodic tenancy and continues. You cannot simply choose not to renew because you want a different tenant.
There is an important catch. After evicting a tenant for a "landlord reason" such as a sale or renovation, a 6-month re-letting restriction applies. You cannot re-let the property within that period unless VCAT approves it. Our detailed guide to Victoria's rental reforms covers these rules in full.
90-day rent increase notice period (25 November 2025)
Victoria has extended the required notice period for rent increases from 60 days to 90 days. Combined with the existing once-per-12-months rule, this means you need to plan rent reviews well in advance.
Here is what that looks like in practice. If you want a rent increase to take effect on 1 July (the start of the financial year, when many landlords adjust rent), you need written notice in your tenant's hands by early April at the latest. Leaving it until May or June will push your increase into the following quarter.
There is no cap on the amount you can increase by, but tenants can challenge excessive increases through Consumer Affairs Victoria or VCAT. Penalties for breaching the rules are steep: up to $12,210.60 for individuals and $61,053 for corporations for accepting rent above advertised amounts.
Calculate Your Rent Increase
Before you send that notice, run the numbers. Enter your current weekly rent and proposed increase below to see the weekly, monthly, and annual impact, along with the legal notice rules for your state.
Enter your current rent and proposed increase to see the breakdown.
Prescribed application form (31 March 2026)
Like South Australia, Victoria is introducing a mandatory prescribed rental application form from 31 March 2026. Custom forms and additional information requests beyond the prescribed fields will not be allowed.
New restrictions also limit what information you can collect. You cannot request bond or tenancy history, legal dispute history (unless the applicant volunteers it), or detailed bank transaction records. Unsuccessful applicants' data must be destroyed within 30 days, and data from former tenants within 3 years.
The prescribed form will be available through Consumer Affairs Victoria. If you are currently using your own template, update your process before the end of March. The Victoria self-management guide provides a complete overview of every obligation you need to meet.
Your Compliance Checklist
Here is what to do right now, based on where your property sits.
All states:
- Review your current lease templates and application forms against the new rules
- Update your rent increase calendar to reflect the correct notice periods
- Keep written records of all notices, forms, and communications with tenants
- Set calendar reminders well ahead of key deadlines
NSW landlords:
- Register as a Centrepay business with Services Australia if you have not already
- Prepare a written complaints process (required for Centrepay registration)
- Review your rent pricing approach for new leases, knowing that increases are capped at once every 12 months
South Australia landlords:
- Download Form A1 from CBS and start using it for all applications
- Dispose of any custom application forms
- Set a reminder to make non-renewal decisions at least 60 days before each lease end date
Victorian landlords:
- Download the prescribed application form from Consumer Affairs Victoria before 31 March
- Update your rent review timeline to allow 90 days' notice instead of 60
- Review any upcoming lease endings to confirm you have a prescribed reason if you intend to end the tenancy
- Document renovation plans thoroughly if you intend to issue a notice to vacate for that reason
The Common Thread
The pattern across all three states is the same: application processes are more standardised, notice periods are longer, and the window for last-minute decisions has narrowed considerably.
None of this is unmanageable, but it rewards being organised and planning ahead. Missing a 90-day rent increase window in Victoria or a 60-day non-renewal notice in SA does not just delay your plans. It can lock you in for months longer than you intended.
The landlords who stay on top of these deadlines will not have problems. The ones who leave it to the last minute are the ones who get caught out.
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