Tasmania Rental Law Changes 2025–2026: What Property Managers Need to Know

Tasmania's residential tenancy framework has been more stable than the rapid reform waves that have moved through NSW, Victoria, and Queensland in recent years. However, 2025 and 2026 have brought meaningful changes — most significantly, a new statutory framework for tenants keeping pets in rental properties — and a government consultation launched in April 2026 signals that further reforms are likely in the period ahead.

This guide focuses on the legislative changes property managers with Tasmanian properties need to understand and act on. For condition report mechanics — including the Section 26 two-copy obligation, the 2-day tenant return window, and the exit bond claim process — see our Tasmania condition report requirements guide. This guide complements that one by covering the reform changes: what is new, what it requires of property managers, and what is coming.

Tasmania's residential tenancy laws are governed by the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tas), administered by Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) within the Department of Justice. The Residential Tenancy Commissioner handles bond disputes and selected tenancy matters. TASCAT — the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal — handles applications including pet refusals, eviction orders, and enforcement. CBOS can be contacted at cbos.tas.gov.au or on 1300 654 499.

All information in this guide reflects the law as in force as of June 2026. For the most current forms and procedural guidance, check the CBOS website directly, as details may be updated after legislation commences.

The Residential Tenancy Amendment (Pets) Act 2025 (No. 22 of 2025) commenced on 20 March 2026, introducing Tasmania's first statutory framework for tenants who want to keep pets in a rental property.

Before this change, there was no legislative process governing pet requests. A landlord could include a "no pets" clause in the tenancy agreement and enforce it as a contractual term. A tenant had no statutory right to request consent, and a landlord had no obligation to consider any such request through a regulated process. The outcome was whatever the parties agreed — or did not agree — in the lease itself.

From 20 March 2026, the position changed materially. A tenant may now formally request consent to keep one or more pets at the rental premises using the process established by the Pets Act. The landlord or property manager's response is now regulated: they cannot simply refuse in writing. If they wish to refuse, they must apply to TASCAT. If they do not respond at all within 14 days, the law deems them to have consented. This fundamentally changes the practical dynamic of pet requests for property managers in Tasmania.

The Pets Act was accompanied by a new CBOS-approved form that tenants must use when making a formal pet request. The form is available from the CBOS website. Tenants who make an informal pet request — a text message or verbal request — outside the approved form process may not have all the Act's protections applying to their request. Property managers should consult current CBOS guidance if faced with an informally submitted request, as the procedural rules in those circumstances may differ.

The Residential Tenancy Amendment (Pets) Act 2025 establishes a specific workflow that property managers must follow when a pet request is received. Running this process correctly protects both the property manager and the landlord.

Step 1 — Receive the written request. A tenant submits a formal pet request to the landlord or property manager using the CBOS-approved form, specifying the pet or pets they are proposing to keep. The form must be directed to the landlord or property manager in a way that creates a clear record of receipt — email to your agency's inbox with the date showing is a practical standard. If you receive a paper form, note the receipt date in writing.

Step 2 — Note the receipt date and set a 14-day deadline. From the date the pet request is received, the landlord or property manager has 14 days to respond. This deadline is strict. Build a calendar reminder on the day of receipt.

Step 3 — Decide on one of three courses of action.

• Approve the request, with or without conditions. Communicate the approval in writing to the tenant. If conditions are attached, set them out clearly.
• Apply to TASCAT to refuse the request. If the landlord's instructions are to refuse, you must lodge a TASCAT application within the 14-day window. TASCAT will assess whether the grounds for refusal are reasonable. Valid grounds include genuine concerns about property damage, nuisance to neighbours, and health or safety issues related to the specific pet. A general objection to pets without specific grounds relating to this property or this pet is unlikely to be accepted by TASCAT.
• Take no action. If you do not respond and do not lodge a TASCAT application within 14 days, the landlord is taken to have given consent to the pet. This deemed consent applies regardless of any "no pets" clause in the tenancy agreement. This is the outcome that catches property managers off-guard — the 14-day clock is firm.

Step 4 — Communicate and document the outcome. Once you have approved, had a TASCAT application determined, or confirmed deemed consent, communicate the outcome to the tenant in writing. Retain copies of all communications related to the pet request on the tenancy file. This documentation matters if the pet becomes the subject of a bond claim at tenancy exit.

When approving a pet request, the landlord or property manager can attach reasonable conditions to the approval. Conditions must be related to the pet and the potential impact it may have on the property or neighbouring properties — they cannot be used to burden the tenant's enjoyment of the tenancy in ways unrelated to the pet.

Common reasonable conditions used across Australian pet tenancy frameworks include requiring the tenant to arrange professional carpet cleaning at the end of the tenancy if pets have been kept in carpeted areas, fumigation where flea infestation is identified at exit, and repair of any damage caused by the pet that goes beyond fair wear and tear. The conditions should be proportionate to the specific animal — conditions appropriate for a large dog may not be reasonable for a caged bird.

Any conditions attached to a pet approval should be recorded in writing and ideally documented in a signed variation to the tenancy agreement or as a separate signed document retained with the tenancy file. A written record ensures the tenant understands what is expected and establishes the agreed basis for any end-of-tenancy deductions related to the pet.

For condition reports, pet approvals change what property managers should document at both entry and exit. At entry for a pet-approved tenancy — or at the point when a mid-tenancy pet approval is granted — document the property's condition before any pet takes up residence: carpet condition in each room, any existing animal-related odours (there may be none), condition of doors and skirting boards, condition of the garden, and condition of any outdoor structures. This baseline is what you compare against at exit.

At exit in a pet-approved tenancy, inspect specifically for pet-related changes: carpet fibre wear or staining from animal movement or accidents, scratches to door frames or skirting boards at a height consistent with the pet, garden damage, any odour requiring professional remediation, and damage to any fixed screens or outdoor structures. Document each item with photographs and specific descriptions. For a bond claim involving pet damage to succeed at the Residential Tenancy Commissioner, the entry evidence and exit evidence need to be clearly linked item by item.

Tasmania's rent increase framework under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 requires landlords to give tenants at least 60 days written notice before a rent increase takes effect. Rent may not be increased more than once in any 12-month period.

Unlike some Australian jurisdictions, Tasmania does not legislate a cap on the amount by which rent can be increased. A landlord can propose any amount of increase — subject to market and to the tenant's right to challenge the increase if they consider it unreasonable.

A tenant who believes a proposed rent increase is excessive can apply to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner within 60 days of receiving the rent increase notice. The Commissioner can investigate and, where the increase is found to be unreasonable in the circumstances, determine that a lower increase applies or that the existing rent continues. The Commissioner's assessment of "unreasonable" takes into account market conditions and the landlord's evidence for the increase rather than applying a fixed percentage benchmark.

For property managers managing rent reviews across a Tasmanian portfolio, the compliance requirements are clear:

• Track the date of the last rent increase for every property separately from the lease commencement date.
• Confirm that at least 12 months has elapsed before issuing any new rent increase notice.
• Provide written notice at least 60 days before the proposed effective date.
• For tenants who challenge an increase, engage with the Commissioner process constructively — a landlord who has evidence supporting the market rate for the property is in a stronger position than one relying on a general assertion.

The 60-day challenge window for tenants runs from when they receive the notice — this is distinct from the 60-day notice period the landlord must give. Both run concurrently from the date of the notice. A tenant who challenges on day 59 of the landlord's notice period is still within time.

Bond in Tasmania is administered through the Rental Deposit Authority (RDA), a body within CBOS. All bond transactions are managed through the MyBond online portal. A bond must be lodged with the RDA — not held in an agency trust account or retained by the landlord beyond the applicable deadline.

Lodgement timeframes under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997:

• A landlord who receives the bond directly must lodge it with the Rental Deposit Authority within 14 days of receipt.
• A property manager or agent who receives the bond must lodge it within 3 working days of receipt.

The distinction between landlord-collected and agent-collected bond matters. Where a tenant pays the bond directly to the property manager or agency, the 3-working-day deadline applies — which is significantly shorter than the 14-day window a self-managing landlord has. Property managers should lodge bond on the same business day or the next business day after receiving cleared funds, to avoid accidental breaches of the 3-day deadline during busy periods.

At the end of a tenancy, two obligations arise promptly:

• The landlord must give the tenant a bond claim form within 3 working days after the termination of the tenancy. This is a firm procedural requirement. Failure to provide the form in time can affect the property manager's ability to progress a bond claim through the standard MyBond process.
• Both parties can then initiate or respond to bond claims through the MyBond portal. Uncontested claims proceed through MyBond. Disputed claims are referred to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner.

For the full detail on the exit condition report process, what evidence the Commissioner considers, and how bond claims are assessed, see our Tasmania condition report requirements guide and the bond dispute guide for Tasmania.

In April 2026, the Tasmanian Government released a discussion paper inviting public comment on modernising the Residential Tenancy Act 1997. The consultation is part of the Government's Housing Strategy Action Plan — a framework for reviewing and reforming Tasmania's rental housing market.

This consultation is distinct from the Pets Act 2025, which is already in force. The discussion paper represents a public engagement process before any further legislative changes are proposed or enacted. As of June 2026, no specific legislative amendments have been introduced as a result of the consultation — but the government has signalled that the consultation outcomes may inform future reforms.

The areas open for community input in the April 2026 consultation include broad questions about how Tasmania's current tenancy framework is working for landlords, tenants, and property managers — covering security of tenure, minimum standards, the condition report process, inspection rights, and dispute resolution mechanisms. The scope of the review suggests that several aspects of the existing framework could be subject to legislative change in 2026 or 2027.

Property managers who want to contribute to shaping the outcome of the consultation can respond through the CBOS consultation portal. The Real Estate Institute of Tasmania (REIT) is also a channel for industry engagement on the consultation.

For property managers with Tasmanian portfolios, the practical advice is to watch for consultation outcomes and any consequent draft legislation closely. When the Pets Act 2025 was moving through Parliament, the final form of the legislation was known with reasonable lead time before commencement on 20 March 2026. A similar lead time is likely for any changes that emerge from the Modernising the Act consultation, but monitoring CBOS announcements and REIT communications is the most reliable way to stay current.

Several practical connections between the Pets Act 2025 and existing condition report and inspection obligations are worth understanding as a system rather than as separate compliance items.

Pre-approval documentation. When a property manager receives a pet request and is inclined to approve it, completing a brief inspection of the property — or reviewing the current entry condition record — before communicating approval gives you a documented baseline of the property's condition before the pet arrives. This is especially useful for mid-tenancy pet requests where the full entry condition report may be many months old and the property's current condition may have changed since entry.

Routine inspections during pet-approved tenancies. The existing inspection frequency rules apply regardless of whether a pet is present — a maximum of one routine inspection every 3 months, with at least 24 hours written notice, conducted between 8am and 6pm on a weekday or Saturday. The presence of an approved pet does not on its own give a property manager grounds for additional inspections. Where a routine inspection reveals developing pet-related damage, document it clearly with photographs and notify the tenant in writing of the issue and the expectation that it will be remedied or monitored.

Exit claims for pet-related damage. Bond claims for pet-related damage follow the same evidentiary process as any other damage claim — the entry condition report establishes the baseline, the exit report shows what changed, and the difference (excluding fair wear and tear) is what can be claimed. The challenge in pet-damage claims is often specificity: a claim for "carpet damage from pet" that is not tied to a room-by-room entry baseline is much harder for the Commissioner to assess than a claim showing the entry photograph alongside the exit photograph for the same room, with a written description of the change. Specific, photographic, room-by-room evidence is what makes or breaks these claims.

If you manage residential properties in Tasmania, the following action list covers the compliance obligations that should be in place as of mid-2026:

Pet request process:

• Establish a documented workflow for receiving and responding to pet requests submitted by tenants.
• When a pet request arrives using the CBOS-approved form, note the receipt date immediately and set a 14-day calendar deadline.
• Within 14 days, either approve (with any conditions recorded in writing), instruct the landlord's preferred course and act on it, or lodge a TASCAT application if the landlord instructs refusal. Do not simply write a refusal letter without an accompanying TASCAT application — this is not an effective refusal under the Pets Act.
• Confirm all outcomes to the tenant in writing. Retain all pet request correspondence on the tenancy file.

Condition documentation for pet-approved tenancies:

• Before any approved pet arrives at the property, document the current condition in writing and with photographs. If you are processing an entry pet approval at the start of the tenancy, this should be part of the entry condition report. If the pet is approved during an ongoing tenancy, conduct a brief inspection at or around the approval date.
• Record any conditions attached to the pet approval clearly in a written document signed by both parties.
• At exit, inspect specifically for pet-related changes and document them with item-level photographs.

Rent increases:

• Record the date of the last rent increase for every property in your management system.
• Before issuing any rent increase notice, confirm at least 12 months has elapsed since the last increase.
• Provide 60 days written notice before the proposed effective date of any increase.

Bond lodgement and end-of-tenancy paperwork:

• Lodge bond with the Rental Deposit Authority through MyBond within 3 working days of receipt if you are a property manager or agent.
• At tenancy termination, provide the bond claim form to the tenant within 3 working days.

Upcoming changes:

• Monitor CBOS and REIT communications for outcomes from the April 2026 Modernising the Act consultation. Prepare for potential legislative changes to condition report requirements, inspection rights, or security of tenure provisions during 2026–2027.

Several of Tasmania's 2025–2026 changes reinforce the importance of structured, photographic condition documentation. The Pets Act 2025 adds a new category of end-of-tenancy claims — pet-related damage beyond fair wear and tear — where the quality of entry and exit condition evidence directly affects the outcome before the Residential Tenancy Commissioner. And the April 2026 consultation on modernising the Act may lead to further requirements for how condition reports are prepared and retained.

ConditionHQ generates condition reports that meet Tasmania's requirements under Section 26 of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997, with timestamped photographs embedded against each specific item documented. For pet-approved tenancies, the entry-exit comparison view allows the Commissioner to see clearly what changed between the commencement of the tenancy and its end — and to identify which changes are plausibly related to pet presence.

For property managers who receive a mid-tenancy pet request, ConditionHQ can be used to generate a brief current-condition record at the point of approval, giving a documented snapshot of the property before the pet arrives. This snapshot sits alongside the original entry report as a supplementary evidence layer specific to the pet approval.

The AI-assisted condition descriptions that ConditionHQ generates are at the level of specificity the Commissioner expects — room-identified, item-specific, with dimensional descriptions where relevant — rather than the vague entries ("carpet — some wear") that provide little protection in a disputed claim. This is the quality difference that matters most in contested bond matters.

ConditionHQ offers a free tier with three full condition reports per month at no cost, and a Pro plan at $59 per month for unlimited reports. For the detail on Tasmania's condition report form requirements, the 2-day tenant return window, and the bond claim process, see our Tasmania condition report requirements guide.