South Australia Rental Law Changes 2026

Part 12 of the Rental Rule Changes Watch 2026 series.

South Australia is its own tenancy jurisdiction.

The Australian Taxation Office sets national rental tax expectations. South Australian rental rules come from South Australian tenancy law and practical guidance from Consumer and Business Services South Australia.

This guide is for South Australia, Australia. It does not describe rental rules for New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, or the Northern Territory.

The Reform Timeline To Keep In The File

Consumer and Business Services South Australia says the new rental laws began on 1 July 2024, with reforms described as the biggest changes to South Australia’s rental laws in a generation.

The South Australia compliance file should track:

• 1 March 2024: earlier reform stage, including rent increases limited to once a year in most cases
• 1 July 2024: prescribed grounds for termination or non-renewal, longer fixed-term notice periods, and pet-related changes
• 1 January 2026: standard rental application Form A1 for landlords and agents considering future tenants

Those dates matter because they change what landlords and agents need to prove.

Standard Rental Applications: Form A1 From 2026

Consumer and Business Services South Australia says residential landlords and agents must use South Australia’s new standard rental application, Form A1, to consider future tenants from 1 January 2026.

For property owners and agents, that creates a front-of-file evidence requirement.

Keep:

• the completed Form A1
• date received
• applicant communications
• screening notes that are allowed under the current rules
• property manager recommendations
• acceptance or rejection communications
• any supporting documents received and retained under the policy

Do not treat tenant application records as casual email attachments. They are part of the compliance story for how the tenancy began.

Termination And Non-Renewal: Prescribed Grounds

Consumer and Business Services South Australia says from 1 July 2024 landlords need prescribed grounds to terminate or not renew a tenancy.

The July 2024 rental reform update also says the notice period for landlords not renewing a fixed tenancy was extended from 28 days to 60 days.

For owners, the file should include:

• the tenancy agreement
• the termination or non-renewal notice
• the prescribed ground relied on
• supporting evidence for that ground
• service evidence
• tenant response
• property manager notes
• any South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal records, if relevant

The practical shift is simple: a termination decision now needs a reason file, not just a calendar reminder.

Rent Increases: Keep The Timing Evidence

Consumer and Business Services South Australia has described rent increases as limited to once a year, unless automatic changes at stated intervals are terms of the agreement.

The safest owner file should include:

• current rent
• proposed rent
• date of the last increase
• tenancy agreement clauses about any automatic increase
• notice or communication about the increase
• calculation notes
• market evidence, if used internally
• tenant response

For Australian federal tax records, rent ledgers and bank statements also matter. But the rent-increase compliance rule is South Australian tenancy law, so store the tenancy notice file separately from the tax folder.

Pets: Approval, Refusal Grounds, And Conditions

Consumer and Business Services South Australia says tenants applying to keep a pet in rental premises can no longer have the application refused unless the refusal is based on a ground listed in the Residential Tenancies Act 1995.

It also notes that strata or community title premises, rooming houses, and residential parks may be governed by their own by-laws or rules.

Keep:

• the tenant pet request
• date received
• animal details
• strata or community title records, if relevant
• owner response
• reasons for refusal, if refusing
• reasonable conditions, if approving with conditions
• tenant communications
• condition report photos
• end-of-tenancy cleaning, fumigation, or damage evidence if relevant and lawful

Pet decisions are especially easy to lose in email. Keep them in the property file with the tenancy agreement and condition records.

Minimum Housing Standards And Repair Evidence

The South Australia Housing Safety Authority says the 1 July 2024 rental reforms placed clearer responsibilities on landlords and agents in relation to rental properties meeting minimum housing standards.

For owners, the evidence file should show the state of the property and how reported issues were handled.

Keep:

• entry condition report
• inspection photos
• tenant repair requests
• urgent repair triage notes
• contractor quotes
• invoices
• completion photos
• follow-up messages
• minimum housing standards checks
• agent recommendations

Minimum-standards disputes often turn on timing. The key questions are what was reported, when it was reported, what action was taken, and when the tenant was told.

How Proppi Would Structure A South Australia Compliance Folder

For each South Australian rental property, use folders such as:

1. tenancy agreement
2. rental applications and Form A1
3. rent increase records
4. termination and non-renewal notices
5. prescribed-ground evidence
6. pet requests and responses
7. condition reports
8. minimum housing standards
9. repairs and maintenance
10. disputes and tribunal records

That keeps South Australian tenancy evidence separate from Australian federal tax records.

For the tax side, see Australia Rental Tax Changes 2026: What the ATO Is Watching. For the broader state-by-state cluster, see Australia Rental Compliance.

Common 2026 Mistakes

The preventable mistakes are usually evidence mistakes:

• not using or storing the correct rental application record
• treating a fixed-term non-renewal as a no-reason process
• missing the 60-day fixed-term non-renewal notice period
• keeping the prescribed ground but not the evidence behind it
• refusing a pet request without a listed ground
• setting pet conditions without writing them clearly
• mixing South Australia tenancy notices with Australian Taxation Office tax files
• losing minimum housing standards photos, repair requests, and completion evidence

Source Note

This article is specific to South Australia, Australia. It relies on Consumer and Business Services South Australia rental reform guidance, Consumer and Business Services South Australia pets guidance, Consumer and Business Services South Australia landlord and agent reform guidance, and South Australia Housing Safety Authority minimum housing standards guidance. It does not describe tenancy rules in other Australian states or territories.

Rental Rule Changes Watch 2026

Published guides in this series:

• Rental Rule Changes 2026: What New Zealand and Australia Landlords Need to Track
• New Zealand Rental Law Changes 2026: The Landlord Action Checklist
• Pet Bonds in New Zealand Rentals: What Changes From December 2025
• IRD Rental Records for New Zealand Landlords: What to Keep in 2026
• New Zealand Bright-Line Test 2026: The Dates and Documents That Matter
• Australia Rental Tax Changes 2026: What the ATO Is Watching
• Holiday Homes and Short-Stay Rentals in Australia: The ATO Green, Amber, and Red Zones
• Australian Rental Deduction Apportionment: Time, Area, Family, and Redraw Traps
• Queensland Rental Law Changes 2026: What Property Owners Need to Track
• Victoria Rent Increases, Pets, and Minimum Standards: 2026 Guide for Rental Providers
• New South Wales Rental Law Changes 2026: What Property Owners Need to Track
• South Australia Rental Law Changes 2026: What Property Owners Need to Track

Keep Reading

• Australia Rental Compliance
• New South Wales Rental Law Changes 2026: What Property Owners Need to Track
• Queensland Rental Law Changes 2026: What Property Owners Need to Track
• How AI Document Management Works for Property

The Short Version

1. South Australia rental compliance is state-specific.
2. Consumer and Business Services South Australia says landlords need prescribed grounds to terminate or not renew a tenancy.
3. The fixed-term non-renewal notice period moved from 28 days to 60 days in the July 2024 reforms.
4. Pet requests, minimum housing standards, and rental applications need clear property-level records.
5. Keep South Australian tenancy records separate from Australian federal tax records.

Last reviewed: May 2026. State and territory tenancy laws, forms, notice periods, dispute pathways, and bond procedures are subject to change. The figures and rules above reflect publicly available guidance current at the date of publication — confirm the current rules with the relevant state or territory tenancy authority before acting on any obligation. This guide is general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified legal adviser for advice on your specific circumstances.