General tenancy agreement (Form 18a)
Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008
Page 7 of 8 v16 Apr19
(b) the lessor gives a notice to leave the premises to the
tenant and the tenant hands over vacant possession of the
premises to the lessor on or after the handover day; or
(c) the tenant gives a notice of intention to leave the premises
to the lessor and hands over vacant possession of the
premises to the lessor on or after the handover day; or
(d) a tribunal makes an order terminating this agreement; or
(e) the tenant abandons the premises; or
(f) after receiving a notice from a mortgagee under section
317, the tenant vacates, or is removed from, the premises.
Note – For when a notice to leave or a notice of intention to leave may
be given and its effect and when an application for a termination order
may be made to a tribunal, see the information statement.
(2) Also, if a sole tenant dies, this agreement terminates in
accordance with section 277(7) or (8).
Note – See the information statement for details.
37 Condition premises must be left in – s 188(4)
At the end of the tenancy, the tenant must leave the premises,
as far as possible, in the same condition they were in at the
start of the tenancy, fair wear and tear excepted.
Examples of what may be fair wear and tear –
• wear that happens during normal use
• changes that happen with ageing
38 Keys
At the end of the tenancy, the tenant must return to the lessor all
keys for the premises.
39 Tenant’s forwarding address – s 205(2)
(1) When handing over possession of the premises, the tenant
must, if the lessor or the lessor’s agent asks the tenant in writing
to state the tenant’s new residential address, tell the lessor or
the agent the tenant’s new residential address.
(2) However, subclause (1) does not apply if the tenant has a reasonable
excuse for not telling the lessor or agent the new address.
40 Exit condition report – s 66
(1) As soon as practicable after this agreement ends, the tenant
must prepare, in the approved form, and sign a condition report
for the premises and give 1 copy of the report to the lessor or
the lessor’s agent.
Example of what might be as soon as practicable – when the tenant
returns the keys to the premises to the lessor or the lessor’s agent
Note – For the approved form for the condition report, see the
information statement. The report may be very important in deciding
who is entitled to a refund of the rental bond if there is a dispute about
the condition of the premises.
(2) The lessor or the lessor’s agent must, within 3 business days
after receiving the copy of the report –
(a) sign the copy; and
(b) if the lessor or agent does not agree with the report – show
the parts of the report the lessor or agent disagrees with
by marking the copy in an appropriate way; and
(c) if the tenant has given a forwarding address to the lessor
or agent – make a copy of the report and return it to the
tenant at the address.
(3) The lessor or agent must keep a copy of the condition report
signed by both parties for at least 1 year after this agreement ends.
41 Goods or documents left behind on premises –
ss 363 and 364
(1) The tenant must take all of the tenant’s belongings from the
premises at the end of the tenancy.
(2) The lessor may not treat belongings left behind as the lessor’s own
property, but must deal with them under sections 363 and 364.
Note – For details of the lessor’s obligations under sections 363 and
364, see the information statement. They may include an obligation to
store goods and may allow the lessor to sell goods and pay the net sale
proceeds (after storage and selling costs) to the public trustee.
Division 9 Miscellaneous
42 Supply of goods and services – s 171
(1) The lessor or the lessor’s agent must not require the tenant to
buy goods or services from the lessor or a person nominated
by the lessor or agent.
(2) Subclause (1) does not apply to a requirement about a service
charge.
Note – See section 164 for what is a service charge.
43 Lessor’s agent
(1) The name and address for service of the lessor’s agent is stated
in this agreement for item 3.
(2 Unless a special term provides otherwise, the agent may –
(a) stand in the lessor’s place in any application to a tribunal
by the lessor or the tenant; or
(b) do any thing else the lessor may do, or is required to do,
under this agreement.
44 Notices
(1) A notice under this agreement must be written and, if there is
an approved form for the notice, in the approved form.
Note – Download approved forms via the RTA website rta.qld.gov.au.
(2) A notice from the tenant to the lessor may be given to the
lessor’s agent.
(3) A notice may be given to a party to this agreement or the
lessor’s agent –
(a) by giving it to the party or agent personally; or
(b) if an address for service for the party or agent is stated in this
agreement for item 1, 2 or 3 – by leaving it at the address,
sending it by prepaid post as a letter to the address; or
(c) if a facsimile number for the party or agent is stated in this
agreement for item 1, 2 or 3 and item 4 indicates that a
notice may be given by facsimile – by sending it by facsimile
to the facsimile number in accordance with the Electronic
Transactions (Queensland) Act 2001; or
(d) if an email address for the party or agent is stated in this
agreement for item 1, 2 or 3 and item 4 indicates that a
notice may be given by email – by sending it electronically
to the email address in accordance with the Electronic
Transactions (Queensland) Act 2001.
(4) A party or the lessor’s agent may withdraw his or her consent to
notices being given to them by facsimile or email only by giving
notice to each other party that notices are no longer to be given
to the party or agent by facsimile or email.
(5) If no address for service is stated in this agreement for item 2
for the tenant, the tenant’s address for service is taken to be the
address of the premises.
(6) A party or the lessor’s agent may change his or her address
for service, facsimile number or email address only by giving
notice to each other party of a new address for service, facsimile
number or email address.
(7) On the giving of a notice of a new address for service, facsimile
number or email address for a party or the lessor’s agent, the
address for service, facsimile number or email address stated
in the notice is taken to be the party’s or agent’s address
for service, facsimile number or email address stated in this
agreement for item 1, 2 or 3.
(8) Unless the contrary is proved –
(a) a notice left at an address for service is taken to have been
received by the party to whom the address relates when the
notice was left at the address; and
(b) a notice sent by post is taken to have been received by the
person to whom it was addressed when it would have been
delivered in the ordinary course of post; and
(c) a notice sent by facsimile is taken to have been received at
the place where the facsimile was sent when the sender’s
facsimile machine produces a transmission report indicating
all pages of the notice have been successfully sent; and
(d) a notice sent by email is taken to have been received by the
recipient when the email enters the recipient’s email server.