5 decisions published by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal between 13 October to 19 October 2026, summarised in plain English. Each one links to the full published decision.
Other civil disputes
- Shop tenant’s $338,000 road-closure claim fails and landlord wins $57,858 counterclaim (QCAT, 2026) $57,859
A laser clinic business leased a shop in a Brisbane shopping centre and later claimed the landlord's disclosure statement had failed to warn of road works that closed part of the street used to reach the car park. The tribunal dismissed the tenant's claim for $337,992.63 and upheld the landlord's counterclaim, ordering the tenant to pay $57,858.68 by 30 November 2026. - Shop lease claims dismissed: licensing salon rooms is not a retail business, so QCAT had no power
A business that leased premises in a Southport shopping centre and licensed individual salon rooms to freelance hairdressers and beauty operators took its landlord to the tribunal over outgoings, a bank guarantee cost, an air conditioning repair, rubbish charges and customer parking. QCAT found the lease was not a "retail shop lease" under the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994 (Qld), so it had no power to decide any of those claims, and dismissed the application with each side bearing its own costs. - Landlord ordered to repay $1,521.08 taken from a shop lease bond for his own legal fees (QCAT, 2026) $1,521
A landlord took $1,521.08 out of a retail shop tenant's bond to cover the legal fees for preparing a renewed lease, and claimed a further $836.44. QCAT found the tenant was not liable for those costs, ordered the landlord to repay the $1,521.08 within 14 days, and dismissed his counterclaim.
House rentals, bonds and tenancy
- Cleaning costs still payable after a tenancy ended for domestic violence: award raised to $782.60 (QCAT, 2026) $783
A tenant ended her tenancy early using the domestic violence provisions of Queensland's tenancy law, and the landlord and managing agent claimed cleaning, pest control, lawn mowing and repair costs on top of the bond. The QCAT Appeal Tribunal held that the protection for tenants leaving because of domestic violence does not wipe out ordinary cleaning obligations, set aside the original $7.10 award and substituted an order that the tenant pay $782.60. - Tenant’s appeal refused: $2,840 taken from the bond for cleaning, lost rent and a driveway stain (QCAT, 2026) $2,840
A tenant was ordered to pay $2,840 out of her $3,120 bond after the tribunal found the rental property was not left in the condition it was in at the start of the tenancy. She appealed, arguing the landlord had not proved the breach caused the lost rent and that the wrong section of the Act was used, but the Appeal Tribunal refused leave to appeal and dismissed the application.
Every QCAT decision we have summarised: QCAT cases. Thinking of applying? How to lodge a QCAT application.
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