The 2025 NSW Residential Tenancies Act reform was the biggest rewrite of the landlord-tenant relationship in NSW in a decade. If you own a NSW investment property and are not 100% sure what's in force versus what's still being consulted on, this is the piece for you.

What is in force as of 2026

1. End of "no-grounds" evictions

From 19 May 2025, landlords can no longer terminate a periodic lease without specifying a reason that falls into the new prescribed list. The accepted grounds include sale of property, the landlord (or close family) intending to move in, significant renovation, or change of use. Each ground has a required notice period , 30, 60 or 90 days depending on the ground.

What this means practically: keep documented evidence for the ground you rely on. If you serve a "sale of property" termination, you need to be able to demonstrate genuine intent , a listing within 30 days of termination is the conservative test. NCAT has already heard challenges where the evidence trail was weak and ruled in tenants' favour.

2. Pets reform

From October 2025, landlords must respond to a tenant pet request within 21 days and can only refuse on prescribed grounds (e.g. strata bylaws explicitly prohibit, the property is unsuitable for the type of pet, animal welfare concerns). Silence beyond 21 days is treated as consent.

The smart move: have a pets policy documented before you take on a new tenant. "Pets case-by-case with bond top-up" is far easier to defend than ad-hoc refusals.

3. Rent increase frequency cap

Rent increases on periodic agreements remain capped at once every 12 months. The 2025 reform tightened the requirement that any increase notice must be in writing with 60 days notice and reference the current rent in the agreement.

4. Bond portability ("Rental Bonds Online")

Tenants can now request bond transfer between properties without re-lodgement. This is administrative for the landlord but means you should run the bond release process within 14 days of vacate inspection , the system is faster than it used to be, and slow landlords are getting NCAT-ordered penalties.

What is being consulted on in 2026

Minimum rental standards (in flight)

NSW is harmonising with Victoria on minimum standards: minimum heating in habitable rooms, electrical safety inspections, window locks. The consultation closes August 2026, and the most-likely outcome is a phased compliance schedule starting 2027. Professional Portfolio Managers are already auditing portfolios against the draft standards.

Rental application data minimisation

A reform aimed at limiting what landlords can ask on rental applications. Expected to land late 2026: bank statements and ID may need to be returned or deleted within a set window after the lease begins.

Rent bidding ban (in force, but enforcement scaling)

Rent bidding has been illegal in NSW since 2022, but 2025 saw the first NCAT decisions awarding multi-thousand-dollar penalties to landlords who encouraged tenants to offer above the advertised rent. The lesson: list at the rent you want.

Risk checklist for NSW landlords

1. Do you have written, documented grounds for every periodic termination you've served in the last 12 months?
2. Is your pets policy in writing and consistent across all your properties?
3. Are rent increase notices being sent with 60 days notice in writing?
4. Are your bond returns processed within 14 days of vacate inspection?
5. Is your portfolio audited against the draft minimum standards (so you're not caught short in 2027)?

If any of those answers is "I'm not sure", that's exactly the gap a professional Portfolio Manager closes. We document the trail, we file the paperwork, we attend NCAT if it comes to that , but mostly we keep you out of NCAT in the first place. Speak to our NSW team about a free portfolio compliance review.