The termination notice has arrived. You weren’t expecting it. You’ve paid rent on time, kept the place tidy, and recently asked for a repair. The rules around residential tenancy termination have tightened sharply across Australia, and a formal Legal Response can either stop the eviction or buy you the time and standing to negotiate properly.
The termination framework in your state
NSW: Residential Tenancies Act 2010 — no-grounds notices abolished from May 2025; terminations now require a prescribed reason (sale, owner moving in, demolition, etc.) with evidence. NCAT reviews. VIC: Residential Tenancies Act 1997 — no-reason notices ended in 2021; specified grounds only. VCAT. QLD: Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 — no-grounds ended October 2024; prescribed grounds required. QCAT. WA: Residential Tenancies Act 1987 — reform underway. Magistrates Court. SA: Residential Tenancies Act 1995 — no-grounds ended July 2024. SACAT. ACT: Residential Tenancies Act 1997 — prescribed grounds required. ACAT. TAS: Residential Tenancy Act 1997 — limited grounds; reform pending. RMPAT. NT: Residential Tenancies Act 1999 — RMPAT/NTCAT.
Common landlord justifications and why they often fail
“We’re selling.” Requires a genuine listing or contract; tribunals will look for evidence. “Owner moving in.” Requires a statutory declaration in most states; if the property is re-let within the prescribed period (often 6 months), penalties apply. “End of fixed term.” Even at end of fixed term, retaliatory terminations are unlawful — particularly where you’ve recently requested repairs or asserted tenancy rights. “We’ve decided to renovate.” Requires development approvals or genuine evidence of works.
What the document does
A Legal Response to an eviction notice formally challenges the termination, identifies the procedural or evidentiary defects, raises retaliatory eviction arguments where applicable, and either demands withdrawal or sets out the grounds on which you will defend at tribunal. It is a more substantial document than a Letter of Demand because the stakes — losing your home — are higher.
What Claim Done delivers
For a flat $79, Claim Done drafts a comprehensive Legal Response: cited to the correct sections of your state’s Act, raising every available defence (retaliatory eviction, defective notice, insufficient evidence of grounds), and structured for tribunal use if needed. Compare $1,500–$3,000 for a tenant solicitor’s brief.
What happens after
A properly-drafted Legal Response often results in withdrawal of the notice or a negotiated extended move-out date. If the landlord proceeds, the matter goes to your state tribunal, where the Legal Response forms the foundation of your defence. Tenant advocacy services (e.g. Tenants’ Union NSW, Tenants Victoria) can also assist at hearing.