ACAT deadlines, forms & process

The ACT caps rent increases at 110% of the CPI 'rents' component, with a $25k civil ceiling and a non-extendable 20-working-day window to seek review of a development decision.

• Residential tenancy & occupancy dispute

  Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT)

  Up to $25,000

• Civil dispute (small claims)

  ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2008 (ACT)

  Up to $25,000

• Administrative review of an ACT Government decision

  ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2008 (ACT)

• Unit titles / owners corporation dispute

  Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011 (ACT)

• Guardianship & management of property

  Guardianship and Management of Property Act 1991 (ACT)

The most common way a self-rep loses time is starting at the wrong place. In Australian Capital Territory, some disputes must clear an upstream step before ACAT will hear them.

• Rental bond is held by the Territory (Office of Rental Bonds), not the landlord

  Required first

  The lessor or agent must deposit the bond with the Territory (Office of Rental Bonds, in the ACT Revenue Office), which holds it in trust — the landlord never holds it. Release is by a bond release application to the Territory, not to the tribunal. The bond is capped at 4 weeks rent (Standard Terms cl 16).

  Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) s23, s27; Standard Residential Tenancy Terms (RT Act Sch 1) cl 16, cl 17

• Bond dispute: lodge a notice of dispute within 2 weeks; the Territory then refers it to ACAT

  Goes to a court instead

  When you are given a notice of a bond release application (s34B(2)(a) tenant-lodged / s34C(2)(a) lessor-lodged), you may give the Territory a written notice of dispute within 2 weeks of the notice (s35(1)(b)). The Territory must then refer the application and dispute to ACAT, and that referral 'is taken to be an application to the ACAT' (s35(2)-(3)) — there is no separate ACAT bond form for the disputing party. Any undisputed part is released first (s35(5)). Miss the 2 weeks and the bond is paid out as claimed.

  Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) s35(1)(b), s35(2)-(3); s34B(2), s34C(2)

• No-grounds (without-reason) lessor termination no longer exists in the ACT

  Required first

  The ACT abolished no-grounds eviction from 1 April 2023. Every lessor-initiated termination now needs a prescribed ground with its own notice period: grounds-based periodic termination (Standard Terms cl 96 — 8/12/26 weeks), or breach (cl 93) / non-payment (cl 92). The former without-grounds clauses were removed (the Standard Terms jump cl 93 → cl 96). There is no 'no-grounds' lessor path for the ACT.

  Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) Sch 1 (Standard Residential Tenancy Terms) cl 96; Residential Tenancies Legislation Amendment Act 2023 (ACT) (A2023-5)

• Claims over $25,000 must be capped, consented, or filed in a court

  Required first

  ACAT cannot make a civil order above $25,000 (ACAT Act s18(2); RT Act s76(2)). To stay in ACAT you may abandon the excess (limit the claim to $25,000, s20) or proceed with all parties' agreement that the excess is not abandoned (s21). For tenancy, a contract claim over $10,000 may instead go to a court (RT Act s77), and ACAT has extended jurisdiction by agreement (s78). Otherwise the matter goes to the ACT Magistrates Court (to $250,000) or Supreme Court. Common-boundary determinations are exempt from the cap (s18(3)(a)).

  ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2008 (ACT) s18, s20, s21; Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) s76(2), s77, s78

• Third-party development-application review: 20 working days, NON-extendable

  Required first

  For a reviewable decision on a development application where you are NOT the DA applicant (a third-party objector/representor), the review must be made within 20 working days of being given notice of the decision (Planning Act 2023 s507(2)), and that period 'may not be extended under the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2008' (s507(4)). This displaces both the 28-calendar-day general clock and the extension power — a hard, non-extendable, working-day clock.

  Planning Act 2023 (ACT) s507(2), s507(4)

• Interstate-resident party may oust ACAT (Burns v Corbett federal-jurisdiction caution)

  Goes to a court instead

  A dispute between residents of different States is a 'matter' in federal jurisdiction (Constitution s75(iv)). In Burns v Corbett [2018] HCA 15 the High Court held a State tribunal that is not a 'court' cannot exercise federal jurisdiction; the same limit may apply to ACAT, diverting the matter to a court. The leading case concerns NCAT and the ACT's status as a Territory (not a State) adds a live constitutional question — surface as a caution and seek advice, not as a hard rule.

  Burns v Corbett [2018] HCA 15; Australian Constitution s75(iv)

These are the clocks ACAT runs. Miss one and you can lose the right, the money, or the chance to be heard.

• Apply to ACAT to review a rent increase — at least 2 weeks BEFORE it takes effect (s65 may waive lateness)
  Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) s64C(2)
• Dispute a bond release application: notice of dispute to the Territory within 2 weeks (or the bond is paid as claimed)
  Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) s35(1)(b)
• Non-payment of rent: tenant has 7 days from the notice to remedy to pay (then the tenancy continues)
  Standard Residential Tenancy Terms (RT Act Sch 1) cl 92
• Non-payment of rent: a notice to vacate gives the tenant 2 weeks to vacate
  Standard Residential Tenancy Terms (RT Act Sch 1) cl 92(c)
• Apply for administrative review of an ACT Government decision within 28 days
  ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2008 (ACT) s10(2)
• Third-party development-application review: 20 working days, NON-extendable
  Planning Act 2023 (ACT) s507(2), s507(4)
• Internal appeal to the ACAT Appeal Tribunal within 28 days of the orders (no leave; extendable by the tribunal)
  ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Procedures Rules 2024 (NI2024-485) r94; ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2008 (ACT) s79
• Rent increase: the lessor must give at least 8 weeks' written notice
  Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) s64B(2)(a); Standard Residential Tenancy Terms (RT Act Sch 1) cl 38(1)
• Rent increase: at least 12 months since the agreement started or the last increase took effect
  Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT) s64AAA(1); Standard Residential Tenancy Terms (RT Act Sch 1) cl 35(1)
• Lessor must carry out ordinary (non-urgent) repairs within 4 weeks of being notified
  Standard Residential Tenancy Terms (RT Act Sch 1) cl 57

• Residential tenancy / civil — claim ≤ $3,000 or no amount

  $90$0 concession

• Residential tenancy / civil — claim $3,001–$15,000

  $189$0 concession

• Residential tenancy / civil — claim over $15,000

  $682$0 concession

• Review of an administrative decision

  $428$0 concession

ACT tenancy and bond disputes ARE heard at ACAT. The fee turns on the amount in dispute AND natural-person vs corporation; concession-card holders (and people represented by eligible legal services) pay $0. Civil ceiling $25,000. Indexed each 1 July.

Figures as at 1 July 2025 (FY2025/26). Source: official ACAT fees. Fees re-index — confirm the current amount before you lodge.

Every link below goes to an official Australian Capital Territory source — ACAT (or the court or commissioner that actually hears your matter), the bond authority, free legal help, and the governing law.

• ACAT homepageOfficial ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal site; hub for rental/civil case types.
• ACAT fees & exemptionsFees from 1 July 2025 + exemption/waiver categories.
• ACAT forms (apply / lodge)PDF + online application forms by case type.
• ACT Revenue Office — rental bondsHolds ACT residential bonds; bond disputes go to ACAT.
• Legal Aid ACT — Tenancy Advice Service (TASACT)Free tenant help: bonds, eviction, repairs, ACAT representation; 1300 402 512.
• Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT)Principal tenancy Act on the ACT Legislation Register; in force (R84).
• ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2008ACAT's enabling Act; in force.
• ACAT — rental property disputesOfficial ACAT guide to tenancy disputes under the RT Act 1997.
• Court Procedures (Fees) Determination 2025 (DI2025-125)Statutory source of the actual FY2025-26 ACAT dollar fees.
• ACT Government — rental laws in the ACTPlain-English overview of renter rights + the Renting Book.

Official links sourced and checked June 2026. Government sites move from time to time — if a link has changed, search the tribunal’s name plus the page title.