We get it—reading tenancy law updates isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of a good time. But here’s the thing: the changes coming to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) in 2025 are worth your attention. Whether you’re a landlord figuring out how to manage your property or a tenant trying to stay ahead of the curve, these updates are going to affect you.
The good news? You don’t have to wade through pages of legal jargon. We’ve done the legwork to break it all down, so you can focus on what matters: staying informed, staying compliant, and avoiding the pitfalls that come with misunderstanding the rules. Let’s take a closer look at what’s changing—and what it means for you.
What You Need to Know about Periodic Tenancies
Effective from the 30th of January 2025, periodic tenancies will come with new guidelines that make it clear how and when these agreements can end.
What is a Periodic Tenancy?
Think of a periodic tenancy as the rental world’s answer to a casual relationship. There’s no fixed end date; things keep ticking along until one party decides it’s time to part ways. It’s flexibility at its finest—perfect for landlords who like to keep their options open and tenants who value the freedom to move on short notice.
Periodic tenancies often arise when tenants have an unpredictable work schedule or landlords want to reclaim property in the near future. But don’t mistake “low commitment” for “no rules.” Periodic tenancies still come with their fair share of regulations, and starting in 2025, the stakes are about to get higher.
What’s the New Law?
- Landlords: If you want to end a tenancy without providing a reason, you’ll need to give your tenant 90 days’ notice.
- Exceptions: There are three exceptions where a landlord may provide 42 days' notice instead. If you or a family member needs the property to live in, the property’s been sold with a vacant possession agreement, or it’s required for employees or contractors, you can give a shorter notice.
- Tenants: You’ll still have the option to leave with just 21 days’ notice—no questions asked.
What to Avoid
With great flexibility comes great responsibility—or at least the risk of getting it wrong. One major pitfall? Retaliatory terminations.
Imagine this scenario: A tenant complains about a leaky roof, and instead of calling in a roofer, the landlord issues an eviction notice. That’s not just bad form; it’s bad law. Come 2025, tenants will have up to 12 months to challenge termination notices they believe are retaliatory, and landlords found guilty could face some hefty consequences.
Another thing to avoid is the temptation of speeding things along retrospectively. This means if a landlord gives 63 days' notice on the 20th of January, they can’t use one of the three exceptions to ‘shorten’ it down to 42 days after the 30th of January.
For landlords, the lesson here is simple: play fair. Follow the rules, communicate clearly, and remember that professionalism wins over pettiness every time.
What You Need to Know about Fixed-Term Tenancies
Also effective from the 30th of January 2025, fixed-term tenancies will come with their own new guidelines that make it clear how these agreements can end.
What is a Fixed-Term Tenancy?
If periodic tenancies are the casual flings of the rental world, fixed-term tenancies are more like long-term commitments. These agreements have a clear start and end date, giving both landlords and tenants a solid timeline to work with.
For landlords, fixed-term tenancies offer the reassurance of steady income for a set period. For tenants, they bring peace of mind—no surprise eviction notices, no scrambling to find a new place before your lease is up. It’s a mutually beneficial setup, as long as both parties understand what they’re signing up for.
What’s the New Law?
While fixed-term tenancies have always been relatively straightforward, the upcoming changes are designed to make them even clearer. Starting in 2025, here’s how things will work:
- End Dates Matter: If a landlord or tenant wants the tenancy to end when the fixed term expires, they’ll need to give notice between 90 and 21 days before the lease’s end date. No need to provide a reason—it’s as simple as that.
- Automatic Transition: If neither party gives notice, the tenancy will automatically roll over into a periodic agreement. For landlords who like predictability, this is your cue to set a reminder in your calendar.
- Old vs New Rules: Tenancies that started before 11 February 2021 and expire on or before 30 April 2025 will follow the old rules. Anything expiring after 1 May 2025 will fall under the new system.
The goal here? To make fixed-term agreements easier to manage without either side feeling blindsided.
What to Avoid
Let’s say you’re a tenant who’s happily living in a fixed-term rental, and you assume the lease will just end on the agreed date. But surprise! Without proper notice, that agreement might roll into a periodic tenancy, and suddenly you’re bound by new rules.
Or imagine you’re a landlord who forgets to give notice within the 90 to 21-day window—your property transitions to a periodic tenancy, and now you’re playing by a whole different set of rules.
The solution here is very simple. Stay organised, communicate clearly, and don’t leave things to the last minute. Fixed-term tenancies offer stability, but only if everyone stays on top of their responsibilities.
Worried about what these changes mean for you?
Don’t be. At The Rent Shop, we’re more than just property managers—we’re your partners in making tenancy stress-free. From helping landlords stay compliant to matching tenants with their ideal homes, we’ve got the expertise to keep things running smoothly.
Why not let us do the heavy lifting? Get in touch today, and let’s make your tenancy journey a breeze.
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