Western Australia

Renting Out Your WA Property (Landlord Obligations)

Bonds, rent increase limits, pet rules, and why a local property manager is close to essential when you're managing a tenancy from overseas.

Updated 1 August 20267 min read

General information, not advice. Foreign investment rules, duties and taxes change and depend on your personal circumstances (visa status, entity structure, property type). Always confirm current requirements with FIRB, RevenueWA, and a licensed conveyancer, migration agent, or tax adviser before acting.

Many foreign owners end up renting their WA property out — sometimes by choice, sometimes because a FIRB condition on a new dwelling requires it to be genuinely occupied rather than left vacant (see the vacancy fee section of our tax guide). Either way, becoming a landlord in WA means operating under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 and a set of rules that have changed recently.

The basics

Bond: capped at four weeks’ rent, and must be lodged with the Bond Administrator (part of Consumer Protection / the Department of Commerce) — you don’t hold it yourself
Property condition report: you (or your property manager) must complete one and give the tenant two copies within seven days of the tenancy starting — this is your evidence of the property’s condition at handover
Rent increases: limited to once every 12 months under reforms that took effect 29 July 2024 (down from every six months previously); older fixed-term agreements signed before that date can keep their existing rent-review clauses until they end

Pets

Tenants can request to keep a pet, and landlords need a valid reason under the Act to refuse. If a pet is approved, a separate pet bond of up to $350 can be charged, also lodged with the Bond Administrator rather than held privately.

Bond release reforms (from 28 March 2026)

The bond release process was streamlined: any party — tenant, owner, or managing agent — can now initiate the release, not just the owner or agent as before. Disputes over how the bond should be split no longer default to the Magistrates Court; they’re referred to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection instead.

Why a local property manager is close to essential

Being an overseas landlord adds real practical friction: organising repairs, attending to condition reports, responding to tenant issues, and keeping up with law changes are all much harder from another country and time zone. A licensed WA property manager handles this for a management fee (commonly a percentage of rent) and is the standard approach for non-resident owners — REIWA can help you find one operating in your area.

Tax on your rental income

Rental income from an Australian property is taxable in Australia regardless of where you live, and non-residents are typically taxed from the first dollar of Australian-sourced income at non-resident rates, with no tax-free threshold. This is federal tax law rather than a WA-specific rule, so it’s outside the scope of this guide in detail — engage a registered tax agent experienced with non-resident landlords to lodge your Australian return correctly.