Last updated: 28 July 2026
Editorial responsibility: Moving To Australia.
Quick Answer
Consumer and Business Services (CBS) owns South Australia's private-tenancy process; the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) makes binding orders when a dispute cannot be resolved.
The practical sequence is: verify the offer, record the agreement and required starting documents, confirm the rent and bond payment route, complete the inspection sheet, report repairs in writing and escalate through CBS or SACAT when needed.
Agreement And Starting Documents
A tenancy can exist even when the agreement is verbal, but a written agreement gives both sides a clearer record. If the agreement is written, the tenant must receive a copy when signing or within 21 days after both parties have signed. The lease-agreement guidance explains the current requirements.
Before or at the start, retain:
- the landlord or agent's required contact notice;
- the tenant information guide;
- the signed inspection sheet;
- rent and bond receipts; and
- the signed agreement where one is used.
Verify the property, agent or owner and application channel before sending personal documents or money. Use Moving to Adelaide to test the address against work, transport and services.
Rent, Bond And Condition
At the start, the maximum amount ordinarily payable in advance is two weeks' rent plus the bond. A private landlord must lodge the bond with CBS within two weeks; a registered agent has four weeks. The rent and bond guidance and bond-lodgement process explain the current routes, including Residential Bonds Online where available.
Complete the ingoing inspection sheet carefully. Add discrepancies and dated images, sign it and keep a copy with the agreement and receipts.
Repairs
Tell the landlord or agent promptly and keep the written request. For a non-urgent repair, use the CBS request-for-repairs form or an equally clear written notice. Report urgent problems as soon as possible.
If the landlord refuses or does not act within a reasonable time, the repairs and maintenance guidance explains the route to SACAT. The tribunal can make orders for repairs, compensation or, where the legal test is met, ending the tenancy.
A tenant-arranged urgent repair and reimbursement is only safe within the conditions on the official repairs page. Do not treat it as a general right to arrange work or deduct the cost from rent.
Disputes And Exceptions
Try to resolve the issue in writing first. Keep the agreement, inspection report, receipts, notices, photos and a dated event log. CBS dispute guidance explains available advice and assistance, while SACAT housing and rental disputes is the formal order-making route. RentRight can also provide tenant assistance.
Keep paying rent while a dispute is unresolved unless a lawful order changes the obligation.
Rooming houses, residential parks, public or community housing, domestic-abuse circumstances and some early-termination situations have separate rules. Use the specific official route rather than assuming the ordinary private-tenancy sequence applies.
Renting in Australia covers accommodation choices and national scam precautions. The Rental Application Readiness Checker can identify preparation gaps, and South Australia Guides connects the tenancy to the wider move.
This is general information, not legal or tenancy advice. The official processes above were checked on 28 July 2026.