NSW rental laws for landlords: what changed and what didn't
A landlord's guide to the NSW Residential Tenancies Act — no-grounds evictions are gone, rent isn't capped, and entry is limited to four times a year. Here's what's actually current.
New South Wales rewrote a chunk of its tenancy rules in 2025, and a lot of what's floating around online still describes the old version. If you own a rental in NSW, here's what the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 actually requires right now.
No-grounds evictions are gone
Since 19 May 2025, a NSW landlord can no longer end a periodic lease just because the fixed term is up, or without stating a reason. You now need a specified ground — sale of the property, the owner or a family member moving in, significant renovations, or a handful of others set out in the Act. This is one of the bigger changes in the country: NSW joins SA, the ACT, Victoria and Queensland in abolishing no-grounds terminations. Western Australia and the Northern Territory still allow them.
No rent cap, but a challenge exists
NSW does not cap how much rent can increase, and it never has. What exists instead is a right to challenge an increase you think is excessive, through NCAT. There's no fixed percentage that triggers this — the tribunal weighs the amount against market rent for comparable properties nearby. If you're planning a large increase, budget for the possibility of a challenge rather than assuming it'll go through unquestioned.
Minimum standards: seven items, and they're not optional
A rental has to meet seven baseline conditions before you can lease it: structurally sound, reasonably secure and weatherproof, fit for habitation, with adequate natural or artificial light, plumbing and drainage connected to services, electricity or gas connected (or ready to connect), and a kitchen with a sink. This is a lower bar than Victoria's fourteen-item list, but it's still enforceable — a tenant can apply to NCAT for repairs or compensation if the property falls short.
Entry is capped at four times a year
Outside of emergencies, inspections, and the usual notice-driven visits (repairs, valuations, sale), a landlord or agent can enter for a routine inspection no more than four times in any twelve-month period. You still need proper written notice for each entry — this cap doesn't replace that requirement, it sits on top of it.
Pets: 21 days of silence means yes
If a tenant asks in writing to keep a pet, you have 21 days to respond with a written refusal on one of the Act's permitted grounds. Say nothing for 21 days and consent is taken as given. NSW's window is notably longer than everywhere else in the country — every other state and territory uses 14 days. If pet requests tend to sit in your inbox, that's the number to watch.
Bonds
Four weeks' rent is the standard bond in NSW, held by NSW Fair Trading's Rental Bond Board rather than sitting with the agent or landlord.
What generic advice gets wrong
You'll still see claims that NSW introduced minimum energy efficiency standards from 1 July 2025. It didn't — that's a consultation that closed without a commencement date attached. Don't budget for compliance work against a date that hasn't been set.
What we're not covering here, on purpose
Penalty amounts for breaches under the Act aren't included in this guide. Our research found the commonly cited $11,000 individual and $71,500 corporate figures don't reconcile cleanly against the Act's standard penalty-unit multiplier, and NSW's own legislation portal wasn't accessible to verify them directly. Check the exact figure that applies to your situation with NSW Fair Trading or a solicitor rather than relying on a number from this or any other guide.
General information, not legal advice, current to the best of our research as at 30 July 2026. Tenancy law changes — confirm anything you're relying on with NSW Fair Trading or a solicitor before acting on it. See the state-by-state rental law comparison for how NSW stacks up against the rest of the country.