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ACAT cases: the most common types of dispute, with real decisions

Last updated · Reviewed by the Claim Done team · Not legal advice

Claim Done drafts your Tribunal Application for a flat $97. Answer a few quick questions and it is ready in about 5 minutes; you approve it before anything is sent.● 2 people started a Tribunal Application today
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The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal publishes its decisions. These are the types of dispute it decides most often among the cases we have summarised for the Australian Capital Territory, each with recent examples in plain English and a link to the full decision.

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1. House rentals, bonds and tenancy (2 decisions)

Bond claims, unpaid rent, repairs that were never done, compensation for a landlord's breach, and terminations. These are the residential tenancy decisions from the tribunals in every state, summarised in plain English so renters and landlords can see how the rules are applied. All house rentals and bonds cases.

ACAT · 29 Jun 2026Public housing tenancy ended after tribunal finds the home was used for drug dealing (ACAT, 2026)The Commissioner for Social Housing asked the tribunal to end a long-running public housing tenancy after the tenant was jailed for drug trafficking that the Commissioner said took place from the home.…ACAT · 15 Sep 2026Room occupancy agreements declared void and misleading, but no refund or compensation ordered (ACAT, 2026)An occupant who rented a room from a share-accommodation company had already won a ruling that his occupancy agreements were void, meaning they never had legal effect. At this follow-up hearing, the…

2. Neighbour, fence and tree disputes (1 decision)

Dividing fences, overhanging trees, retaining walls and the arguments that follow. These are the neighbour-dispute decisions from the tribunals that hear them, summarised in plain English. All neighbour disputes cases.

ACAT · 9 Sep 2026 · $1,054Neighbour who cut a hedge past the fence line ordered to pay $1,054 to townhouse owners corporation (ACAT, 2026)A tenant used a chainsaw to cut back a hedge that overhung his back fence, and he cut well past the fence line into a townhouse complex's common property. The tribunal found…
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3. Other civil disputes (1 decision)

Civil disputes that do not fit the other areas: contracts for services, deposits, damaged property, commercial leases and more. Summarised in plain English from the published decisions. All other civil disputes cases.

ACAT · 31 Jul 2026Tribunal cannot decide who keeps the dog after a de facto break-up, so the appeal is dismissed (ACAT, 2026)After a de facto relationship ended, one former partner asked the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal to order the return of a pet dog he said he alone owned. The tribunal's appeal…
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4. Strata and body corporate disputes (1 decision)

By-law breaches, levies, common property repairs and disputes with the committee. These are the strata and body corporate decisions from the tribunals in every state, summarised in plain English. All strata and body corporate cases.

ACAT · 11 Aug 2026Unit owners keep balcony screens and shelves as tribunal strikes down strata balcony rule (ACAT, 2026)An owners corporation in a 17-storey Canberra tower asked the tribunal to order two unit owners to remove freestanding shelves and screens from their enclosed balcony. The tribunal refused, found the items…

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Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.

Before — doing it yourself
You turn up with a folder of texts.
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