Property Management in South Australia: What Landlords Need to Know in 2026

This guide is general information about South Australian law as at October 2026, not legal advice. Every figure links to the page it came from.

What does a property manager have to do under South Australian law?

A property manager acting for you takes on your duties as landlord under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995, and must be registered with Consumer and Business Services (CBS) to do it.

In practice, as at October 2026, that means:

• Choosing a tenant fairly. Applications must use the prescribed Form A1, mandatory since 1 January 2026, and applicants cannot be asked for more than two documents in any category (CBS: choosing a tenant).
• Advertising a fixed rent. Rent bidding is banned: a landlord or agent must not invite offers above the advertised rent, with a maximum penalty of $20,000.
• Handling the bond. A receipt within 48 hours, and the bond lodged with CBS within 4 weeks for a registered agent or 2 weeks for a private landlord.
• Taking rent without fees. At least one electronic way to pay must carry no third-party fee, and charging a fee to pay rent is banned.
• Keeping the home up to standard. It must meet the minimum housing standards on the day the tenant moves in, and be kept in a reasonable state of repair.
• Entering only with notice. Every routine inspection needs 7 to 28 days’ written notice.
• Ending a tenancy only on a ground the Act allows, with the right form and the right notice.

What are property management fees in South Australia?

Most Adelaide agencies charge 9% to 11% of the rent collected, plus a letting fee of one to two weeks’ rent when a new tenant is placed.

Wemark Real Estate charges 6.6% including GST, with every fee in the management agreement before you sign. What each fee covers, and how to compare agencies, is in our guide to property management fees in Adelaide.

How much bond can be taken in South Australia?

Up to 4 weeks’ rent where the rent is $800 a week or less, and up to 6 weeks’ rent where it is more than $800 (as at October 2026, CBS).

The tenant gets a receipt within 48 hours, and the bond is lodged with CBS through Residential Bonds Online: within 4 weeks by a registered agent, or 2 weeks by a private landlord (CBS: rent and bond). The only other money that can be asked for at the start is rent in advance, capped at 2 weeks. After 2 years a landlord can top the bond up to the limit with at least 60 days’ written notice. At the end, the bond is released only once everyone agrees the amount; otherwise CBS runs a dispute process before SACAT. The whole process is in our guide to rental bonds in South Australia.

How do periodic leases work in South Australia?

A periodic lease has no end date: it runs until the tenant or landlord ends it with the written notice the Act requires, and a fixed-term lease becomes periodic if nobody gives notice when it ends (CBS: lease agreements).

A tenant can leave a periodic lease on 21 days’ notice, or one rental period if that is longer, without giving a reason. A landlord can only end it on a ground the Act allows, such as selling with vacant possession or moving in, and with 60 or 90 days’ notice depending on the ground. Rent can rise once every 12 months, with at least 60 days’ written notice (CBS: rent increases). The rules in full are in our guide to periodic leases in South Australia.

How much notice is needed to end a tenancy in South Australia?

It depends on who is ending it and why: a tenant needs 21 days on a periodic lease and 28 days at the end of a fixed term, while a landlord needs 60 or 90 days and one of the grounds the Act allows (as at October 2026, CBS fact sheet, February 2026).

Since the 2024 reforms the Act gives a landlord no way to end a tenancy without one of these grounds, and each ground needs evidence, such as a contract of sale or a statutory declaration. After a possession notice the home cannot be re-let for 6 months without SACAT’s consent, and stating a false ground carries a penalty of up to $50,000. A tenant who receives a landlord’s notice can leave sooner, on 7 days’ notice, and stop paying rent.

What are the minimum housing standards for SA rentals?

From the day the tenant moves in, a South Australian rental must meet the minimum housing standards set under the Housing Improvement Act 2016, and a landlord who fails can be fined up to $25,000 (as at October 2026, Residential Tenancies Act s 67A).

The standards, published by the Housing Safety Authority, include:

• safe electricity and compliant electrical and gas work, and a working smoke alarm;
• a home that is reasonably weatherproof and draught-proof, reasonably free of mould and damp, drained, and free of vermin;
• external doors with keyed locks that open from inside without a key, latches on opening windows, and an external light;
• hot and cold running water, a kitchen with a sink, oven and cooktop, and a bathroom with a toilet and a bath or shower.

Beyond move-in day, the landlord must keep the home in a reasonable state of repair for its age and character (s 68, CBS: repairs). If the home does not meet the standards, the tenant can end the tenancy on 7 days’ notice. Smoke alarms are a separate obligation on every landlord, with fines of up to $750 (SA Government: smoke alarms).

Can a landlord break a lease in South Australia?

Not at will: a landlord can end a fixed-term lease early only for the tenant’s breach, if the home is destroyed, made uninhabitable or compulsorily acquired, or by order of SACAT (CBS).

For a breach, the tenant first gets 7 days’ notice to fix it. A compulsory acquisition needs at least 60 days’ notice. Serious breaches, hardship and unacceptable conduct go to SACAT. When it is the tenant who breaks the lease, the rent they owe is capped: one month’s rent if less than 24 months of the term remain, otherwise one month for each whole year left, up to six (s 75A), plus a share of advertising and re-letting costs worked out on SACAT’s formula, and only if the landlord tries to re-let (CBS: ending a fixed-term lease early). Both sides of it are in our guide to breaking a lease in South Australia.

Who regulates property managers in South Australia?

Consumer and Business Services (CBS) does: under the Land Agents Act 1994, anyone who signs agency agreements, does appraisals, conducts inspections or negotiates leases must be registered, unless they are a registered land agent (CBS: property managers).

You can check any agent, sales representative or property manager by name or number on the SA Government’s licence check. Wemark Real Estate’s licence number is RLA 286049. Tenancy law itself is administered by CBS, and disputes between landlords and tenants are decided by the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT).

How do I complain about a property manager in South Australia?

Raise it with the agency first, then contact CBS on 131 882, which can give advice and arrange conciliation, and report unlicensed or unethical agents (SA Government).

A dispute about the tenancy itself, such as a breach, an excessive rent increase or the end of a lease, goes to SACAT. If you have lost money through an agent and cannot recover it any other way, you may be able to claim on the Agents Indemnity Fund.

How do I switch property managers in South Australia?

Sign a management authority with the new agency and give your current agency the notice your management agreement requires; the tenancy and the bond carry on unchanged.

The tenant keeps the same lease, rent and bond. The new agency collects the keys, the tenancy file and the ingoing condition report, the managing party on the bond record changes, and the tenant gets a written introduction. There is no need to wait for the lease to end. The steps are in our guide to switching property managers.