Queensland rules
What Queensland's application rules mean when you're self-employed
Since 1 May 2025, rental applications in Queensland run on a standardised form with clear limits on what can be requested. For self-employed renters, those limits are good news — if your evidence is organised.
How many documents can an agent ask for?
Every application goes through Form 22, Queensland's standardised rental application form, and each applicant in a household completes their own. A property manager may request a maximum of 2 documents from each of 3 categories: identity, financial ability to pay rent, and suitability. That cap shapes what you prepare — two strong documents per category matter more than a thick folder.
What counts as proof of income without payslips?
Self-employed applicants commonly use a different evidence set as proof of income:
- Recent bank statements showing income consistency
- Your BAS (Business Activity Statement)
- A notice of assessment or recent tax return
- An accountant's letter, if you have one
- Recent invoices alongside your ABN
None of these is compulsory on its own — they're the documents self-employed renters commonly reach for. What changes an application is not which one you pick, but whether the reviewer can follow it: legible statements, consistent dates, and a one-paragraph note that explains how your income actually works.
Can you add more than the caps allow?
Yes — the caps limit what can be requested, not what you can offer. Applicants may voluntarily provide supporting information beyond the two-document limit. For variable income, that's the lever: a short supporting note giving context to your statements often does more work than a third bank statement ever could. RentFiles gives that note its own labelled section, so it reads as structure rather than clutter.