The same questions, three sets of rules
Each column is drawn only from that state’s own official page, read on 8 October 2026. The wording is summarised; the pages linked hold the full rules.
| Question | New South Wales | Victoria | Queensland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who provides the locks? | The landlord must provide and maintain locks and other security devices so the property is reasonably secure. | Each external door needs a working deadlatch with at least one cylinder, with listed exceptions; every external window that opens needs a working lock, or a latch if there are no locks. | The property manager or owner must supply and maintain all locks, with functioning locks or latches on all external doors and windows that can be reached without a ladder. |
| Keys at the start | Each tenant named on the agreement must be given the key, fob or device needed to get in and operate the locks. | Each person on the agreement gets a free set of keys, including security devices such as swipe cards. | Each person named on the agreement gets a set of keys to enter, and the tenant gets a key for each lock that is part of the premises. |
| Changing a lock | Either party may, with the other’s consent or on reasonable grounds: an emergency, a Tribunal order, or a co-tenant’s tenancy ending. A tenant who asks for a change generally pays, unless agreed otherwise. | The renter needs the rental provider’s consent and pays for the change. Consent can’t be unreasonably withheld; the renter can apply to VCAT. | Outside a domestic and family violence situation, only by agreement, in an emergency, or by QCAT order. Neither party may unreasonably withhold consent. |
| New keys after a change | As soon as reasonably possible and no later than 7 days, unless the other party agrees or the Tribunal allows. | As soon as possible, to the other side and to other renters. | Not set out on this page. |
| Screens named on the page | The locks page does not name security screens. A separate page lists inserting fly screens on windows as a minor change. | A screen door in the same frame as an external door that has its own deadlatch need not have a deadlatch itself. | If a security screen or grilles are fitted, the property still needs a functioning lock or latch under the minimum housing standards. |
A deadlatch is not a lock that traps you inside
Consumer Affairs Victoria describes a deadlatch as a lock that can lock automatically when you close the door, and adds that it is not necessarily a lock that always needs a key to open from the inside: “In fact, these types of locks are not recommended.”
Where an external door can’t take a deadlatch, it must at least have a locking device operated by a key from outside that may be unlocked from inside with or without a key. That leaves room for a lock you can open from inside without hunting for a key, which is the kind Tasmania Fire Service calls the best option for getting out in a fire. What the fire services say.
“Reasonably secure”, and what happens if it isn’t
The NSW page says what is reasonably secure will vary in different situations. It goes on: “If the tenant does not think the property is reasonably secure, they can speak with their landlord or agent and request locks or other security devices to make the property secure. If the landlord does not agree, the tenant can: make a complaint to NSW Fair Trading, or apply to the Tribunal for an order to change or add a lock to make the property reasonably secure.”
Changing locks or security devices outside these rules is an offence and a breach of the tenancy agreement, the page says.
On a separate page about changes to a rental, the NSW Government lists inserting fly screens on windows and installing window safety devices for child safety among minor changes. A landlord cannot unreasonably refuse consent to them, and the tenant pays unless the landlord agrees to. Exceptions and restrictions apply, including for heritage properties, properties on the loose-fill asbestos insulation register, and strata schemes.
Think about asbestos before drilling into any frame. The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency says a home built or renovated before 1990 might contain it, and that this is something to be aware of before even a small job like putting up a shelf. It also says it is “not recommended that you handle or remove asbestos yourself”, and in NSW the state government says a home owner may legally take out less than 10 square metres of non-friable material themselves, but must take the same strict safety precautions as professional removalists and protect others from harm, while any friable material, or more than 10 square metres, must be removed by a licensed removalist. The national agency adds that asbestos waste can only go to a landfill licensed to accept it. It also says that even if you follow every safety step, hiring a licensed asbestos removalist who is trained, insured and equipped for the work is much safer and easier. NSW’s planning department says there is “no safe level of exposure to asbestos”, and that in NSW you must not do anything that can release asbestos fibres into the air from material that may contain it, including cutting, drilling, sanding, scraping, scrubbing and water-blasting. In NSW, asbestos waste also cannot go into demolition waste skip bins or kerbside bins. For the disposal rules where you live, the national agency keeps a list of the organisations in each state and territory that deal with asbestos.
Fixtures need written approval
The Residential Tenancies Authority says a tenant must seek written approval from the property manager or owner to attach a fixture or make a structural change, using its Form 23. If a tenant wants to install a security system or alarm, they need written permission first. Whether a particular screen counts as a fixture is a question for the RTA or the property manager, not for this guide.
At the end of a tenancy, all keys, including copies the tenant made, must go back to the property manager or owner.
Domestic and family violence
All three states’ pages describe extra rights for renters affected by domestic or family violence, including changing locks without the landlord’s or rental provider’s consent in the circumstances each page sets out. The conditions differ from state to state, so read your own state’s page in full: NSW, Victoria, Queensland.
Other states and territories
Each state and territory has its own tenancy law and its own official guidance. This page does not stretch the three states above to cover the rest. Two official starting points: the WA Government’s Consumer Protection pages on renting a home and the ACT Government’s pages on renting in the ACT.