Committee Details

Committee’s report

The committee tabled its Report No. 29, 57th Parliament - Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation (Rent Freeze) Amendment Bill 2022 on 20 February 2023.  The Bill was discharged from the Notice Paper on 11 May 2023, and as such the report will not be debated in the Legislative Assembly.

View: Report
View: Speakers ruling on the bill: Transcript 11 May 2023 pages 1380 - 1381

About the BilL

On 31 August 2022 the Member for South Brisbane, Dr Amy MacMahon MP, introduced the Bill into the Queensland Parliament.  The Bill was referred to the Community Support and Services Committee for detailed consideration.  

View: Explanatory Speech
View: Bill
View: Explanatory Notes 
View: Statement of compatibility

The Bill proposes a 2-year freeze on residential rents in Queensland.  The Bill proposes to amend the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008, for particular purposes including:

• freezing of rents at no more than the amount advertised by the lessor, or agreed by a lessor and lessee, on or before 1 August 2022
• applying a 50 penalty unit fine to lessors who fail to observe the rent freeze or who move a property from the private rental market to the short-term accommodation market during the rent freeze period
• capping rental increases after the 2-year rent freeze period at no greater than 2% every 2 years
• setting rent for properties that have not been rented for over 12 months as the median rent for comparable properties in that postcode
• providing the power to the Residential Tenancy Authority (RTA) to compel lessors to provide information about the amount of rent payable with respect to a residential tenancy agreement for which a rental bond has not been lodged with the RTA, with a 50 penalty unit fine applying to lessors who fail to provide that information.

Timeline