SA Rental Laws in 2026: A Guide for South Australian Landlords

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.

If you own a rental property in Adelaide, Mount Barker, Victor Harbor, or anywhere else in South Australia, the rules around how you manage tenants have changed substantially in the last two years. The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2023 commenced in stages, with the bulk of the reforms taking effect on 1 July 2024 and the final pieces (the prescribed application form and the longer non-renewal notice) commencing on 1 January 2026.

If you have not refreshed your understanding since the original Residential Tenancies Act 1995 days, you are operating under the wrong rulebook. Disputes that used to be straightforward are now decided against landlords who have not kept up.

This guide walks through what every self-managing SA landlord should know in 2026, written for the person juggling one or two rental properties alongside a day job rather than running a full agency.

The Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (and the 2023 Amendments)

Almost everything below sits under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA) and the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2025. Consumer and Business Services (CBS) administers the Act and runs Residential Bonds Online (RBO), where every residential bond in the state is lodged.

The reforms have come in waves. Rent bidding bans and the once-per-12-months rent increase cap took effect on 1 March 2024. The bigger overhaul kicked in on 1 July 2024, covering minimum housing standards, prescribed grounds for ending a tenancy, the four-inspections-per-year cap, the new pet approval process, and direct online bond lodgement for tenants. The final phase landed on 1 January 2026 with the prescribed Form A1 rental application and the extended 60-day non-renewal notice.

You do not need to memorise the legislation, but you do need to know what each rule expects of you. Get the basics wrong and you can lose at SACAT (the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal), face fines of up to $25,000 for breaching the minimum housing standards, or void your insurance.

Bonds: Lodgement, Limits, and the RBO Portal

Bonds in SA are held by the Commissioner for Consumer Affairs and managed through Residential Bonds Online (RBO). The maximum bond depends on the rent:

• For a weekly rent of $800 or less, the maximum bond is four weeks' rent.
• For weekly rent above $800, the maximum is six weeks' rent.

That $800 threshold has been in place since 1 April 2023. Tenancies entered into before that date may still sit under the old $250 threshold. Once a tenant signs a new agreement, the current rule applies.

You must lodge the bond with CBS within two weeks of receiving it. You also have to give the tenant a receipt within 48 hours of receiving the money. Holding a bond in your own account, even briefly, breaches the Act. Lodgement is done online through RBO, which is the simplest path for self-managing landlords. Tenants can now lodge their own portion of the bond directly online, which is one of the changes from 1 July 2024.

When the tenancy ends, an undisputed bond refund can be processed through RBO within five working days. Disputed claims go through a counter-offer system: the receiving party can accept, reject, or counter-offer, with each round running on a 10-day clock. After up to seven rounds of counter-offers without agreement, the matter is referred to SACAT for a decision.

For self-managing landlords, this means your evidence at the end of a tenancy needs to be sharper than it used to be. Vague claims for "general cleaning" or "scuffs on walls" do not survive the counter-offer process. Photo records from the entry condition report, dated maintenance receipts, and a clean trail of communication carry the day. Our guide to the end-of-lease inspection checklist covers exactly what to capture and how to present it.

Rent Increases: Once Every 12 Months

You can only raise the rent once every 12 months in SA, and you must give at least 60 days' written notice using the prescribed Notice of Rent Increase under section 55 of the Act. The rule applies whether the tenancy is on a periodic agreement or a fixed-term lease.

There is a key wrinkle for fixed-term leases. Rent can only be increased during a fixed term if the agreement specifically allows it. If your lease is silent on increases, you cannot raise the rent until the lease moves to a periodic arrangement or rolls over into a new fixed term. Plan ahead before the tenant signs.

The notice has to spell out the new amount and the date the increase takes effect. There is no statutory cap on the percentage you can increase, but a tenant who thinks the increase is excessive can apply to SACAT. The tribunal will compare the proposed rent against comparable properties in the suburb, the property's condition, and the time since the last increase. Plenty of landlords have had increases knocked back at SACAT for being out of step with local medians. Use the rental yield calculator and check Domain or REA medians for your suburb before you set the new figure.

Calculate Your Rent Increase

Enter your current weekly rent and proposed new amount below to see the annual impact and check the SA notice requirements.

If you are unsure what rent to charge, the break-even rent calculator gives you the minimum weekly rent needed to cover your holding costs in about 30 seconds.

Minimum Housing Standards: Compulsory Since 1 July 2024

One of the biggest changes from the 2024 reforms was the introduction of mandatory minimum housing standards under the Housing Improvement Act 2016. Every rental property must meet them at the start of a new tenancy, and existing tenancies were brought into scope on 1 September 2024.

The standards are administered by the Housing Safety Authority and cover the basics:

• Weatherproof and structurally sound. The property must keep weather out and not have structural defects.
• Locks. External entry doors must have a deadlock or a lockset operable by key from outside but without a key from inside. Bathroom and toilet doors must have a lock that can be operated from inside without a key.
• Toilets. A working flushing toilet in a private room with adequate ventilation.
• Bathroom. A bath or shower with hot and cold running water, with adequate ventilation.
• Kitchen. A working sink with hot and cold water, plus a cooktop and oven if those are part of the property.
• Ventilation. Adequate ventilation in living areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundries.
• Electrical safety. A safety switch (RCD) on the switchboard covering power and lighting circuits.

If a property fails to meet the standards, a tenant can require you to fix it, terminate the lease without penalty, or apply to SACAT. Penalties for failing to meet the standards can reach $25,000 for an individual, plus the loss of rent if a tenancy is terminated.

If your property has not had a proper audit against the list, do it before your next changeover. A pre-tenancy fix is far cheaper than a SACAT order or a void claim against your landlord insurance.

Smoke Alarms: 240V Hardwired or 10-Year Sealed

SA's smoke alarm rules sit under planning regulations rather than the Residential Tenancies Act, but the obligations land on you as the landlord all the same.

For homes built or significantly altered from 1 January 1995, mains-powered (240V) smoke alarms are required. For older homes, the rules tightened in 1998: when the property changes hands, the new owner has six months from settlement to install either 240V hardwired alarms or 10-year non-removable lithium battery alarms. Replacement of any expired alarm at any time must use the same compliant types.

Landlords are responsible for ensuring the alarms are installed, working, regularly tested, and replaced when faulty or expired. Most quality alarms have a 10-year service life; once they hit that age, replacement is mandatory regardless of whether they still appear to work. Tenants are not responsible for any of this beyond reporting a fault.

Failing to maintain compliant smoke alarms is a breach of the minimum housing standards and a likely insurance issue if there is ever a fire claim. Document every check and replacement. The cost is generally tax deductible as a repair if the alarm has failed, or depreciable as a capital item if you have upgraded to a newer system.

Entry: 7 to 28 Days' Notice and Four Inspections a Year

You cannot enter your rental whenever you like, even if you own it outright. For a routine inspection in SA, you must give at least 7 days' but no more than 28 days' written notice, and the notice must specify a two-hour window during which the inspection will occur.

Routine inspections are now capped at four in any 12-month period (this came in on 1 July 2024, replacing what used to be effectively unlimited). If you need to inspect more frequently, you need the tenant's agreement or a SACAT order.

For other types of entry, the rules are tighter:

• For repairs and maintenance, you generally need 48 hours' written notice.
• For showing the property to prospective tenants near the end of a tenancy, you need to give the tenant a reasonable amount of notice and try to agree on a time. SACAT can step in if you cannot agree.
• For a genuine emergency (a burst pipe, fire risk, or threat to safety), you can enter without notice, but only to address the emergency.

You also cannot photograph the tenant's belongings during an inspection. Inspection photos must be of the building structure and any damage only, unless the tenant gives written consent before the inspection takes place.

Pets: 14 Days to Respond, Refusal Only on Prescribed Grounds

Since 1 July 2024, tenants have a clear right to apply to keep a pet at the property. They submit an Application for approval to keep a pet on rental premises, and you have 14 days to respond. Your options are: approve the request, approve it with reasonable conditions, or refuse it on prescribed grounds. If you do nothing within 14 days, the pet is taken to have been approved.

The prescribed grounds for refusal are limited:

• Keeping the pet would exceed a reasonable number of animals on the premises.
• The premises are unsuitable for the pet (insufficient fencing, no open space, or other factors needed to humanely accommodate the animal).
• Keeping the pet would pose an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of a person.
• Keeping the pet would contravene a law, by-law, council rule, or strata by-law.
• The tenant has not agreed to your reasonable conditions.

"I just don't want pets in my property" is not a prescribed ground. If you refuse, you must set out the grounds in writing and explain why they apply. The tenant can appeal a refusal to SACAT.

You can attach reasonable conditions to an approval. Common ones are professional carpet cleaning at lease end, professional flea and pest treatment, or yard restoration if the pet is an outdoor animal. SA does not have a separate pet bond regime; the standard four or six week bond covers any pet-related damage.

Ending a Tenancy: Prescribed Grounds Only

This is where SA tenancy law has shifted most for landlords. Since 1 July 2024, you cannot end a fixed-term tenancy at the expiry date without a prescribed reason. Letting the lease run out is no longer a reason on its own.

The prescribed grounds for non-renewal include:

• You or an immediate family member intend to occupy the property as a primary residence.
• The property is being sold and the contract requires vacant possession (this includes the new ground from 1 September 2025: a signed sales agency agreement requiring vacant possession).
• The property is to undergo significant renovations or demolition that requires the tenant to leave.
• The tenant has been given two notices for the same or substantially similar breach and has breached again.
• Other limited grounds set out in the Regulations.

From 1 January 2026, the notice period for non-renewal of a fixed-term tenancy doubled from 28 days to 60 days. If your tenant's lease ends on 30 June, you need to give written notice using Form 9 by 1 May at the latest.

There is also a six-month re-letting restriction. If you end a tenancy on the demolition, renovation, owner-occupation, sale, or sales agency ground, you cannot re-let the property primarily as a residence within six months. If you do, the previous tenant may apply for compensation.

For periodic tenancies, the rules are similar in spirit. You need a prescribed reason and the appropriate notice period. The trade-off is that periodic tenancies give the tenant security but constrain your flexibility, so think carefully about whether you offer a fresh fixed term or let the lease move to periodic.

For more on managing the lease lifecycle and renewal timing, see our broader guide to managing tenants and leases in Australia.

The New Form A1 Application: Live from 1 January 2026

From 1 January 2026, you must use the prescribed Form A1 rental application when screening prospective tenants. Custom application forms are no longer permitted.

The Form A1 limits what you can ask for:

• Identity verification (photo ID, etc.)
• Rental history (previous addresses, references)
• Income verification (employer letter, payslips)
• Personal references

You cannot request tax file numbers, full bank statements, transaction histories, or other financial documents that go beyond the form. There is also a cap on supporting documents: no more than two items in each of the categories of identity, financial ability to pay, and suitability.

If a prospective tenant is unsuccessful, their application data must be destroyed within a prescribed period. This change reflects a broader concern about how much personal information rental applicants were being asked to hand over, often for properties they would never occupy.

The form was available from 1 September 2025 as a transition, then mandatory from 1 January 2026. If you have an existing application form template, retire it.

Tenancy Databases: When You Can Actually List a Tenant

Listing a former tenant on a tenancy database (a "blacklist") is heavily restricted in SA. You can only list a tenant if all of the following apply:

• The tenancy agreement has ended.
• The tenant has breached the agreement.
• The breach has resulted in either an outstanding amount greater than the bond, or a SACAT order terminating the tenancy at your request.

Before listing, you must give the tenant written notice of your intention and the reasons. You also have to tell prospective tenants which database you typically use when screening applications.

Personal information cannot be kept on a database for more than three years. Tenants can request a copy of any information held about them, and from 1 July 2024, you cannot charge a fee for providing it. SACAT can also order that information be removed from a database if the breach was a consequence of domestic violence.

Repairs: Urgent vs Routine

SA tenancy law splits repairs into urgent and routine, and your obligations differ between them.

Urgent repairs include things that affect health and safety: a burst water pipe, a serious roof leak, a broken hot water service in cold weather, a dangerous electrical fault, a blocked or broken toilet (where it's the only one), or a failure of essential services. Urgent repairs need to be addressed immediately. If a tenant cannot reach you to authorise an urgent repair, they can arrange the repair themselves and recover reasonable costs from you.

Routine repairs must still be addressed within a reasonable timeframe. What is reasonable depends on the issue, but a stuck window or a broken cabinet door left for months is unlikely to pass muster at SACAT.

Repair costs are generally tax-deductible in the year they are incurred. The line between a repair (deductible) and an improvement (depreciable) is one of the most common areas where landlords get tripped up at tax time. For a deeper look, see our guide on claiming maintenance and repairs on an investment property.

For a broader picture of how repairs, mortgage interest, and other costs add up against your rental income, the cash flow calculator shows where your property stands.

Water and Statutory Charges

SA water billing for rentals splits into supply and usage. Under section 73 of the Act, you and the tenant agree who pays what, but the default rules are:

• The landlord pays statutory rates and charges (council rates, sewerage, Emergency Services Levy).
• For tenancy agreements from 1 March 2014, the tenant is responsible for water supply and usage, unless the agreement says otherwise.
• The landlord is liable for excessive water charges caused by a fault in the property's plumbing or fixtures, provided the tenant reported the fault.

If your property is on shared metering or you have decided to absorb water costs in the rent, document it clearly in the tenancy agreement. The default position only applies if the agreement is silent.

Rent Bidding and Advertising

Since 1 March 2024, rent bidding has been banned in SA. You must advertise the property at a fixed amount and you cannot solicit or accept offers above the advertised rent. Auctions for rental properties are no longer permitted.

If a prospective tenant offers more than the advertised rent unprompted, the law was previously read to permit it, but the safer practice now is to decline and stick with your advertised figure. The intent of the reform is to remove price escalation from the application process entirely.

Tracking It All

Compliance in SA is not complicated, but it is constant. Bond lodgement deadlines, smoke alarm checks, the four-inspections-per-year cap, the 60-day non-renewal notice, rent increase timing, pet request response windows, the new Form A1, and the minimum housing standards all need a reliable record. A spreadsheet works until the day a tenant disputes the bond and you are scrambling for a maintenance receipt from 18 months ago.

This is where propkt fits in. Track property expenses so your tax-deductible expense claim at EOFY reflects the real numbers. Use maintenance tracking to log every repair with its quote, invoice, and dated photos. Set reminders for compliance dates so the smoke alarm check, the lease expiry, and the rent increase notice all surface before you need them. The document vault keeps the lease, condition reports, and bond paperwork together so end-of-tenancy decisions are based on facts, not memory.

If you also own properties interstate, our companion guides cover WA rental laws in 2026, Queensland landlord obligations, Victoria's rental reforms, and NSW rental laws. Each state has its own quirks. SA's prescribed grounds for ending a tenancy and the new Form A1 are particular to here.

If your property is in a higher-value bracket, the land tax calculator shows your annual SA liability, which is one more cost to plan around.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much notice do I need to give for a rent increase in SA?

At least 60 days' written notice using the prescribed Notice of Rent Increase. Rent can only be increased once every 12 months, and for fixed-term agreements only if the lease specifically allows it.

What is the maximum bond a SA landlord can charge in 2026?

Four weeks' rent for properties renting at $800 per week or less. For properties above $800 per week the maximum is six weeks' rent. Bonds must be lodged with Consumer and Business Services within two weeks of receipt.

Can I refuse a tenant's request to keep a pet in SA?

Only on prescribed grounds such as the property being unsuitable, an unacceptable safety risk, an unreasonable number of animals, or a by-law prohibition. You have 14 days to respond to a written pet request. If you do not respond, the request is taken to be approved.

What changed in SA on 1 January 2026?

Landlords must use the new prescribed Form A1 rental application, which limits what information you can ask for. The notice period for not renewing a fixed-term lease was extended from 28 to 60 days, and a new termination ground was added for properties under a sales agency agreement.

How many routine inspections can I do per year in SA?

A maximum of four routine inspections in any 12-month period. You must give at least 7 days' but no more than 28 days' written notice, and the notice must specify a two-hour window for the inspection.

Tracking rental compliance across one or more SA properties? propkt helps self-managing landlords stay on top of bond lodgement, smoke alarm checks, rent increase timing, lease renewals, and tax-deductible expenses. Get started free.