Insurance & Protection
Current as of 5 October 2026
Disputes between rental providers and renters are a reality of property management. Even with the best intentions on both sides, disagreements arise over repairs, rent, bond returns, noise, privacy, and property condition. How you handle these disputes determines whether they are resolved quickly and cheaply, or escalate into costly tribunal proceedings. This guide provides a practical framework for managing every stage of a dispute.
Understanding the most frequent sources of conflict helps you anticipate and prevent disputes before they escalate.
The vast majority of disputes can and should be resolved informally through direct communication. Before escalating, try these steps.
Contact the renter (or respond to their contact) calmly and professionally. Acknowledge their concern, even if you disagree with it. Listen to their perspective fully before responding. Many disputes arise from misunderstanding or miscommunication rather than genuine disagreement.
Focus on the facts and the law. If the dispute is about repairs, refer to the specific legislative requirements. If it is about a rent increase, point to the notice requirements you have followed. Avoid emotional responses, personal attacks, or threats. Everything you say or write may be presented as evidence if the matter reaches the tribunal.
Propose a reasonable solution and be willing to compromise where appropriate. A small concession that resolves a dispute quickly is almost always cheaper than a tribunal hearing, which costs money, time, and stress regardless of the outcome.
Put any agreement in writing and have both parties confirm it. An email exchange confirming the resolution is sufficient.
If informal resolution fails, the next step is the formal dispute resolution process, which varies by state. Whether you must use it before going to the tribunal or court also varies: in Queensland, most non-urgent disputes must go through it first, while in NSW you can apply directly to the tribunal if you wish.
In Queensland, the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) provides a free and confidential conciliation service. Its conciliators are impartial: they do not decide who is right or wrong, but help the parties reach an outcome both accept. A non-urgent dispute must go through the RTA's dispute resolution process before it can go to QCAT, and QCAT asks for the RTA's Notice of unresolved dispute with the application.
In NSW, NSW Fair Trading offers a free tenancy complaint service that can help the parties reach agreement. It does not handle bond disputes, which go to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
In Victoria, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) is a free alternative dispute resolution service offered by VCAT. It can help with most rental disputes, including rent increases, repairs and bonds, and if it cannot resolve the issue it will help you apply to VCAT.
In Western Australia, Consumer Protection offers a free conciliation service, and the Commissioner for Consumer Protection can now decide most residential tenancy bond disputes without going to court.
If conciliation and mediation fail, the matter proceeds to the relevant tribunal or court. For residential tenancy disputes these are NCAT (NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal), VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal), QCAT (Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal), SACAT (South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal), and the Magistrates Court of Western Australia (in WA, the State Administrative Tribunal hears residential park tenancies, not ordinary rentals). In Tasmania, the Residential Tenancy Commissioner decides some disputes, such as rental bond disputes, and a decision can be appealed to the Magistrates Court within 7 days. In the ACT, disputes go to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT), and in the Northern Territory to the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NTCAT).
Each tribunal and court has its own fees, usually updated once a year. The fees below are as published on each body's own site; check the current fee before you apply.
The application fee for residential proceedings, which include tenancy matters, is $64 (standard), $128 for a corporation, or $16 for the reduced fee, as at 1 July 2026. Tenancy cases are first listed for conciliation and hearing; if a case is not resolved at the first hearing, it may be listed for a contested hearing on a later date. Most people represent themselves at NCAT.
VCAT's fees depend on your fee category (concession, standard or corporate) and changed on 27 June 2026. Use VCAT's fees page to find the current fee for a residential tenancies application. Before applying, you can use RDRV, which will help you apply to VCAT if the dispute is not resolved.
If a non-urgent dispute is not resolved through the RTA's dispute resolution process, the RTA issues a Notice of unresolved dispute, and the person who lodged the dispute resolution request can then apply to QCAT. For a bond dispute, you must apply to QCAT within 7 days after that notice was issued, and notify the RTA in writing within the same 7 days that you have applied (QCAT asks for a copy of its receipt to be given to the RTA); if you do not, the bond is paid to the first party who lodged a claim on it. Urgent tenancy disputes, as the legislation defines them, can be brought straight to QCAT without going through the RTA's dispute resolution first. Residential tenancy disputes are minor civil disputes at QCAT, and the application fee depends on the amount claimed: $119.00 where no amount is claimed, $96.30 for up to $1,000, $164.30 for more than $1,000 up to $10,000, and $405.60 for more than $10,000.
SACAT's application fees are updated each year and published in its fee schedule. Check SACAT's fees and charges page for the current fee for a residential tenancies application.
Most WA rental disputes, other than bond disputes, start with Form 12 (Application for court order), lodged online through the court's eCourts Portal. The court's fee schedule effective 1 July 2026 lists a filing fee of $86.00 for this application ($23.70 for a financially disadvantaged person). A hearing date is usually set within 14 days, at the Magistrates Court nearest to the rental property.
Mediation and conciliation are processes where a neutral third party helps the rental provider and renter reach an agreement. The mediator or conciliator does not make a decision; they facilitate discussion and help both parties find common ground. The RTA's conciliation service in Queensland, for example, is free and confidential, and its conciliators do not determine who is right or wrong.
These processes are usually quicker and less adversarial than a full hearing. If you reach an agreement, put it in writing and have both parties confirm it.
Approach mediation with an open mind and a willingness to compromise. Come prepared with your evidence and a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, but also think about what you are willing to concede. The mediator's role is to help both sides find a resolution that works, not to determine who is right or wrong.
Most routine tenancy disputes can be handled without a lawyer. However, there are situations where legal advice is warranted: when the claim amount is significant, when the matter involves complex legal issues such as constructive eviction or discrimination claims, when you are unsure of your legal obligations or rights, when the renter has engaged a lawyer or renter advocacy service, and when you are considering or facing an appeal of a tribunal decision.
Many lawyers offer an initial consultation for a fixed fee that can clarify your position and options without committing to full legal representation. Renter and rental provider advocacy services also provide free or low-cost advice.
If there is one piece of advice that applies to every type of dispute, it is this: keep records of everything. Good documentation is the strongest support you can bring to a tribunal or court.
Everfolio automatically maintains a complete communication and maintenance history for every tenancy. All messages, maintenance requests, inspection reports, and financial transactions are logged with timestamps and stored securely. This audit trail can be exported at any time for use in a dispute.