In Victoria and Queensland, an application must be made on the form the law prescribes, and the landlord or agent may not ask for anything the form does not. South Australia lists the subjects a form may cover and a longer list it may not touch, and in Western Australia a landlord may use an application form to choose a tenant but must treat every applicant equally and fairly.
General informationAbout the rules for rental applications in four states, not legal advice about any application. The official pages are Consumer Affairs Victoria’s applying for a property, the Queensland Residential Tenancies Authority’s fact sheet for property managers and owners, SA.GOV.AU’s choosing a tenant and Consumer Protection WA’s applications page.
One form per state, or none
Each state handles the form differently, and the difference decides how much room a landlord has.
| State | The form | How far it limits the questions |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | The prescribed rental application form, compulsory for rental providers and agents from 31 March 2026. | Only what the form sets out may be asked: what is needed to judge whether a renter is suitable, such as who they are and whether they can pay the advertised rent. |
| Queensland | An approved form that complies with the RTA’s Form 22 (general tenancies and moveable dwellings) or Form R22 (rooming accommodation). | Nothing beyond what Form 22 or R22 contains. The form rules do not apply to a relevant lessor offering a general tenancy agreement. |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services does not supply a rental application form. | A list of subjects the form may cover, and a list of details a landlord or agent may not request (both below). |
| Western Australia | A landlord may ask a prospective tenant to fill in an application form and use the applications to decide. | Consumer Protection WA’s page sets out no list of fields; it requires applicants to be treated equally and fairly. |
In Queensland it is an offence to get this wrong, including by using a form that does not comply, asking for more personal information or documents than the Act allows, or failing to offer two different ways to apply.
The open fields
Victoria’s form asks for a short run of personal details:
- full name, date of birth and current address
- phone number and email address
- current or most recent employer, and that employer’s address
- net weekly income, or, for someone not working now, the date their last job ended
A Victorian applicant may also be asked for their rental or residential history, including past addresses and contact details for past rental providers, and for the contact details of personal referees. They can say which lease length they would like and when they hope to move in.
South Australia’s list is shorter. A form there may ask about:
- identity and contact details
- who is likely to live there, except that it may not ask whether a child will, unless the landlord or agent lives at the property too; it may check the applicant is 18 or over, so they can sign the agreement
- previous rental details, though not past rental disputes
- how long the applicant plans to rent
Queensland’s form works in categories of documents rather than questions, two documents at most in each; the documents guide sets them out.
The blacked-out lines
Each of the three states with a list names details that stay off the form altogether. The lists overlap on past disputes and bond history, then go their own ways.
Victoria: a rental provider or agent cannot ask for
- whether the applicant has taken legal action against, or had a dispute with, a rental provider
- their bond history, including any claim made on a bond
- a bank statement showing daily transactions; a statement may be needed, but the applicant can delete transactions they want to keep private
- anything that is not a question on the prescribed form
If a Victorian rental provider asks about a protected attribute under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, such as ethnicity, gender identity or disability, they must give the reason for asking in writing.
Queensland: property managers and owners must not request
- legal action the applicant has taken, including dispute resolution and matters before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal
- notices to remedy a breach, whether given to the applicant or by them
- rental bond history, including claims on a bond
- statements of credit accounts, or details of bank transactions
South Australia: details landlords and agents cannot request include
- any past legal action
- past breaches of a tenancy agreement, unless later breaches led to the tenancy being terminated
- whether the applicant sought help paying a bond, or their past bonds and any claims on them
- a past tenancy with the South Australian Housing Trust
- bank or financial statements that still show the account number and outgoing transactions
- financial information or any discharge from bankruptcy, and employment details beyond a payslip or a document confirming employment
- medical records, or information about the applicant on social media
- a vehicle registration number or a pet’s microchip number
- level of education, or the reason for moving into the property
The price on the advert, and no bidding
Before any form is filled in, the rent itself is fixed. In Victoria a property may only be advertised at one fixed amount. Among other things, it is unlawful for the rental provider or agent to:
- advertise a range of prices
- ask for, invite or accept an offer of rent above the advertised price
- seek or take rent in advance of more than one month
Nor may they charge anyone a fee to see a property. A holding deposit may be asked for before an agreement is signed; it must be refunded once both sides sign, and if no agreement is signed within 14 days, it must be refunded by the next business day.
In Western Australia rent bidding is banned: landlords must advertise a set amount, and must not encourage or pressure anyone to offer more. A tenant may still choose to offer more, but the landlord may not suggest it. WA allows an option fee from applicants, capped at $50 or $100 depending on the rent and where the property is, as at the page’s update of 17 June 2026. If the application succeeds, the fee comes off the first rent payment or is paid back; if it is refused, the fee goes back within seven days.
South Australia also bars a landlord or agent from inviting offers above the fixed rent. Queensland approaches money through the way applications are sent: a property manager or owner must offer at least two ways to apply, and one of them must not be restrictive. The RTA counts as restrictive any way that costs the applicant money, such as an application fee or a background check fee, and any that forces their personal information through an online platform or a third party other than the agent collecting it.