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Documents and information you may need to provide:

• Formal identification (such as a driver’s licence)
• Employment and financial details, such as a payslip
• Rental or residential history
• Personal references, if requested.

Rental providers must ask for this information through the prescribed rental application form. They can’t ask you for any information that is not set out in the form.

Read more about applying for a property.

The rental provider or agent cannot ask you for the following information in your application:

• Whether you’ve taken legal action or had a dispute with a previous rental provider.
• Your bond history, including any claims you’ve made on your bond.
• Detailed bank statements with daily transactions (if you need to provide a statement, you can delete transactions you think should be kept private).

Unlawful discrimination in renting

In ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ, it’s against the law to stop somebody from renting a property because of certain personal characteristics, including:

• age
• carer status, family ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ, parental status
• disability
• employment
• gender identity, lawful sexual activity, sexual orientation
• marital status
• physical features
• pregnancy, breastfeeding
• profession, trade or occupation (including being a sex worker)
• race (including colour, nationality, ethnicity and ethnic origin)
• religious belief or activity
• sex.

If a rental provider asks about personal protected attributes outlined in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (for example, ethnicity, gender identity, disability), they must provide you with a written reason for requesting this information.

The rental provider must also provide you with a statement on discrimination as part of the application form so that you are aware of your rights.

Find more information about unlawful discrimination in renting.

Important to know: Rental providers or agents can’t charge a fee to show you a property to rent.

Legal requirements:

• Rental properties must be advertised at a fixed amount only. For example, $475 per week.
• It’s unlawful for rental providers or agents to:
  • advertise a property with a price range
  • ask for, invite or accept offers of rent higher than the advertised price
  • ask for, invite or accept more than one month’s rent in advance
  • advertise or offer a property to let unless they reasonably believe the premises meet the rental minimum standards.

Seen a rental property that doesn’t look quite right?

You can make an anonymous report to our Renting Taskforce using our online form.

Since 2024, our Renting Taskforce has helped protect ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵn renters’ rights by taking action against rental providers and agents who break the law.

The taskforce investigates issues affecting the safety, security and wellbeing of renters, including:

• advertising or renting out a property that doesn’t meet the rental minimum standards
• false advertising
• not lodging bonds with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority or taking an excessive bond (bonds should generally be no higher than the amount of one month's rent)
• re-letting a property within 6 months after using a notice to vacate claiming the property was going to be sold, demolished or converted
• failure to provide a condition report
• rental bidding.

Rental providers and agents who break the law may be issued with a fine or warning or other enforcement action.

Our free rent calculator can help you:

• work out if a rental property fits your budget over time
• calculate the exact amount you owe if you move out part-way through a rent payment period
• plan your housing expenses more effectively.

Use the rent calculator.