Residential Tenancy Agreement Template (Australia)

What a residential tenancy agreement needs to cover

At a minimum: the parties, the property address, the term (fixed-term or periodic), the rent amount and payment frequency, the bond amount and lodgement, who pays which utilities, and each party's maintenance responsibilities. Beyond that baseline, states differ sharply in what they additionally require — bond caps, minimum housing standards, and specific disclosure obligations all vary by state.

This is the single biggest reason a generic downloaded tenancy agreement goes wrong: it either omits something a state requires, or it includes language that doesn't apply anywhere and just looks unprofessional.

The bond must be lodged with the state's bond authority

In New South Wales, for example, a landlord or agent must lodge the bond with NSW Fair Trading (via Rental Bonds Online) within 10 business days of receiving it — the bond is held by the state, not the landlord, until the end of the tenancy. Every other state and territory runs its own equivalent bond authority (for example Victoria's Residential Tenancies Bond Authority, Queensland's Residential Tenancies Authority) with its own lodgement deadline. This template includes a bond-lodgement clause requiring lodgement with the relevant state authority, rather than treating the bond as an amount the landlord simply holds.

Give notice before you enter — don't just show up

A widely circulated free lease commonly used as a "basic" or "simple" rental agreement skips landlord entry entirely — no notice requirement, no permitted purpose, no time-of-day limit. In New South Wales, at least 24 hours' notice is required for most entries, with longer specific periods for particular purposes (2 days for repairs, 7 days for a general inspection, 14 days for an inspection related to a sale) and an emergency exception. Other states set their own notice periods. This template includes a right-of-entry clause with a notice-period field you set to match your state's rule, rather than leaving landlord access unaddressed.

The clauses, explained

Parties and property

Full legal names of landlord and tenant and the complete property address, including unit number if applicable.

Term

Fixed-term tenancies end on a stated date; periodic tenancies continue until either party gives the required notice. State the type clearly — this affects how and when either side can end the tenancy.

Rent and payment

The rent amount, payment frequency and accepted payment methods.

Bond and lodgement

The bond amount and a requirement to lodge it with the relevant state bond authority within the applicable deadline, rather than the landlord simply holding it.

Right of entry

Requires the landlord to give the stated number of hours' or days' notice, and state the purpose, before entering, except in a genuine emergency. Set the notice period to match your state's rule.

Utilities and maintenance

States who pays for which utility and who is responsible for routine maintenance versus structural repairs.

Pets

Optional clause recording whether pets are permitted, any pet bond top-up or restrictions.

Governing law

The state or territory whose law governs the tenancy — normally the state where the property is located.

Requirements checklist

These vary by state — check your own state's residential tenancies legislation and bond authority before finalising the agreement.

• Lodge the bond with the state bond authority

  In NSW, the bond must be lodged with NSW Fair Trading within 10 business days of receipt via Rental Bonds Online; other states and territories run their own separate bond authority with their own lodgement deadline.

  NSW Government — Residential rental bonds

• Give proper notice before entering

  In NSW, at least 24 hours' notice is required for most entries, with longer specific periods for repairs (2 days), general inspections (7 days, up to 4 times a year) and sale-related inspections (14 days); other states set their own periods.

• Check your state's minimum housing standards

  Several states impose minimum standards a rental property must meet (for example, working smoke alarms) — confirm your specific state's requirement before the tenancy begins.

How to use this template

1. Fill in the parties and property. Tap the highlighted blanks and type the landlord's and tenant's names and the full property address.
2. Set the term, rent and bond. Choose fixed-term or periodic in the document, then fill in the rent amount and frequency, and the bond amount.
3. Set the bond lodgement deadline. Enter the number of business days your state's bond authority requires for lodgement.
4. Set your state's entry-notice period. Enter the notice period your state requires before the landlord may enter.
5. Add any optional clauses. The pets clause sits in the agreement with its own Add control — add it if relevant and fill in any pet bond top-up or restriction.
6. Sign, download and check your state's rules. Sign on the signature line — the tenant can sign on the same screen — then download the agreement as a Word or PDF file and check your state's specific bond cap, lodgement and notice requirements before signing.

Frequently asked questions