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Queensland referee contact sheet: a controlled file decision

A referee contact entry becomes useful only after permission, relationship and availability are clear. This Queensland sheet helps distinguish a confirmed contact from an old name in a prior rental file.

Market: AU
Jurisdiction: Queensland
Updated: 2026-08-05

Short answer

A Queensland referee contact sheet is a contact-and-consent record, not a drafted reference. Start with the recipient’s stated request, then list the person’s name as supplied, relationship, relevant period, preferred contact method and whether they agreed to be contacted. Keep any unavailable or uncertain contact visible. A landlord, employer or other person should not be presented as a confirmed referee merely because their details appear in an old file.

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Working checklist

Choose contact details that match the stated relationship

Check the contact detail against the relationship before adding it. A number that once belonged to a property office may not identify the individual who knew the applicant, and a personal email may not be appropriate to share without consent. Record the source of the detail for the applicant’s own reference, but do not attach private correspondence simply to prove the relationship.

Action plan

Make reachability and permission easy to see

Use a single row per possible referee and include a status such as confirmed, unavailable or awaiting permission. A short note can explain whether the person knew the applicant during the period relevant to the property request. That approach avoids combining several people into one vague “reference” and shows which contact, if any, is actually ready to be named.

Useful context

Treat a referee sheet as a consented contact record

The sheet has one job: help a recipient identify a person the applicant is allowed to name. It does not describe what that person will say. Set out the contact name, relationship, relevant period and method in distinct fields so a reader is not asked to infer them from an address history or old message. This separation matters when a former landlord, manager or employer is no longer available.

Keep in view

Send a contact sheet only when its status is clear

Before sending, confirm that the contact sheet distinguishes a confirmed referee from a possible alternative. Note any unanswered period or unavailable person rather than substituting a guessed contact. The sheet supports a property-specific contact step; it does not create an endorsement or determine how the application will be treated.

Provide information relevant to the recipient's application process and handle identity or financial material carefully.

In Queensland, an application request is limited to listed information and supporting-document categories.

The sheet records consent and contact status only. It does not speak for a referee, create an endorsement or require a recipient to make contact.

Practical example

Keep third-party detail out of an applicant narrative

Third-party material needs a tighter boundary than the applicant’s own notes. Remove private messages, opinions and personal background that do not help the recipient contact the person. If consent is uncertain, do not solve it by adding more detail. Leave the row pending and ask the person or the recipient what contact information is appropriate.

Questions

Common questions

Clear answers for the decisions people usually pause on.

What belongs on a referee contact sheet?

Include the person’s name, relationship, relevant period, contact method and consent status. Those fields are more useful than a broad paragraph about the applicant.

Can I list a former landlord who has not agreed to be contacted?

Do not label them as confirmed. Record the gap and ask whether another contact is acceptable, or obtain permission before sharing their details.

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