Queensland rental application form revised after real estate industry concerns

Queensland’s standardised rental application form has been updated following concerns raised by the real estate industry about the original version.

The revised form will be introduced from May 1 as part of the final phase of Queensland’s rental reforms, which were initiated by the previous state government and are being continued by the current LNP administration.

The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) had criticised the initial version when it was released three weeks ago, claiming it contained flawed wording around identity verification requirements.

REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said the organisation had made 19 recommendations for changes, which were subsequently adopted in the revised form.

“We highlighted that the initial version of the form could cause significant risk for property owners and their managers, as well as potentially undermining the prospects of success for applicants seeking to rent property in Queensland,” Ms Mercorella said.

According to the REIQ, Housing Minister Sam O’Connor responded quickly to their concerns.

“After receiving the REIQ’s feedback, Minister O’Connor acted quickly, engaging with the peak body to assess our concerns, including those centred around VOI,” Ms Mercorella said.

The original form was temporarily removed from the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) website while revisions were made.

The REIQ says the updated form better balances privacy concerns with landlords’ needs to verify tenant identities.

“The new form strikes the right balance – tenants have a right to privacy, but property investors also have a right to know who is renting their valuable investment property,” Ms Mercorella said.

The standardised rental application form will be mandatory for general tenancies across Queensland from next month.

Property managers, who are responsible for processing rental applications, were considered key stakeholders in the development of the revised form.

The updated standardised rental application form is now available on the RTA website.