Know your rights as an ACT tenant
An independent guide to renting law in Canberra and the ACT.
Renting guides by topic
Every guide lists the law it relies on and the date it was checked. Tenants ACT is independent: it isn’t the Tenants’ Union ACT, Legal Aid ACT or the ACT Government, and it doesn’t give legal advice.
Most asked questions about renting in the ACT
How much can my rent go up?
The 12-month rule, 8 weeks’ notice and the ACT limit.
How do I get my bond back?
Lodging, refunds, deductions and disputes.
What can I do about mould?
Who fixes it, how to ask, and what to do if they won’t.
Can I break my lease?
The break lease fee and when leaving early is free.
Ending a tenancy and notices to vacate
Notice periods, the reasons a lessor can use, and your options.
Getting repairs done
Urgent and non-urgent repairs, timeframes and ACAT.
Is your rent increase more than the ACT limit?
An increase above a set amount tied to Canberra’s rent inflation is presumed excessive. The calculator works it out from your rent, your dates and the index the law uses.
Check your rent increaseRecent and upcoming changes to ACT renting law
What changed, what’s coming, and the dates they start.
- Ceiling insulation deadline for homes rented continuously since before April 2023. Insulation standard
- After a lessor’s notice to vacate, tenants can leave on 2 weeks’ notice (4 days in the last 2 weeks). Notices to vacate
- Rent increase limits now apply to lease renewals, and every new fixed-term lease has a standard break lease fee. Rent increases
- No-cause evictions abolished: lessors need a listed reason and written evidence. Ending a tenancy
- Tenants may keep pets and make minor changes; a lessor needs ACAT’s approval to refuse. Pets