Regulatory Services

Who we are

Regulatory Services is committed to governing a fair and sustainable regulated accommodation sector for those who reside in:

The Housing Act Review Team (HART) also form part of Regulatory Services. They manage reviewable decisions under the Housing Act 2003.

The work we do is underpinned by our key values:

  • the industries we regulate are supported to understand, implement and comply with the regulation
  • consumers are aware of their rights, including effective pathways to dispute resolution, and can access the information they need to make informed decisions
  • our people have the resources, training, tools, processes and systems they need
  • we are a transparent, efficient and effective regulator.

Our purpose is to protect vulnerable Queenslanders, retirees and seniors, by improving access to appropriate accommodation options and ensuring fairness, safety and viability of the accommodation services we regulate. We aim to support a well-functioning industry while protecting the public interest, avoiding unnecessary cost to the industry and ensuring good outcomes for Queenslanders.

The Executive Director of Regulatory Services is also Queensland Registrar, responsible for administering the National Regulatory System for Community Housing in Queensland. Additional responsibilities include the regulation of residential services, manufactured homes and retirement villages under state schemes.

What we do

Residential services

A residential service provides affordable accommodation solutions where residents occupy a room but share facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms or common living areas. A residential service is also known as a boarding house, aged rental scheme or supported accommodation.

Residential services are regulated under the Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002 (RSA Act). Regulatory Services is responsible for:

  • registration, accreditation and the cancellation of residential services
  • ensuring that service providers are complying with the RSA Act to protect the health, safety and basic freedoms of residents and encourage providers to continually improve the way they conduct residential services
  • carrying out regular inspections and compliance checks to ensure that services are complying with the RSA Act.

Learn more about residential services.

Manufactured homes (residential parks)

Manufactured home parks or residential parks are sites where home owners own the home or building they live in, (their ‘manufactured home’) but not the land on which it sits. Therefore, home owners must pay regular site rent to the park owner. They are often marketed as over 50’s lifestyle resorts or mixed-use caravan and tourist parks.

Manufactured homes are regulated under the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003 (MHRP Act). Regulatory Services is responsible for:

  • the recording of new manufactured home parks
  • regulating and promoting fair trading practices in manufactured home parks and encouraging the continued growth and viability of the industry
  • investigating alleged breaches not otherwise subject to the manufactured home park dispute resolution mechanisms
  • ensuring homeowners and park owners fulfil their obligations and behavioural standards as set out in the MHRP Act
  • providing general information and advice about the framework for the resolution of disputes.

Learn more about manufactured home parks.

Retirement villages

Retirement villages are residential lifestyle communities offering seniors a choice of home or apartment style living with independent or serviced options and a wide range of facilities and activities. They cater for retirees and older members of the community who can live independently.

Retirement villages are regulated under the Retirement Villages Act 1999 (RV Act). Regulatory Services is responsible for:

  • registration  and cancellation of new retirement village schemes
  • educating the sector to promote transparency and consistency in regulation
  • monitoring ongoing compliance to the RV Act
  • carrying out regular inspections and audits of retirement village procedures and practices to ensure compliance with the RV Act.

Learn more about retirement villages.

Community housing

The Queensland Registrar defines community housing as social and affordable housing that is not public housing and is delivered by local government and registered community organisations. Community housing assets are funded under the Housing Act 2003.

This service assists eligible Queenslanders on low to moderate incomes, including those listed on the department’s social housing register.

If an entity provides a community housing service using government funding, the entity must be registered with Regulatory Services.

Community housing is regulated under the Housing Act 2003 and the National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH) .

Crisis housing and other prescribed accommodation such as the National Rent Affordability Scheme (NRAS) is not community housing.

The Queensland State Regulatory System for Community Housing (QSRSCH) is the Queensland system for registering, monitoring and regulating local government and prescribed state providers of community housing.  Functions undertaken in these programs include:

  • assessing new registration applications for community housing providers and local government housing providers
  • maintaining registers of providers (national register and state register)
  • assessing providers’ compliance with the requirements of the National Regulatory Code (PDF, 37KB) and Queensland State Regulatory Code (PDF, 167.19 KB)
  • where necessary, undertaking enforcement activities to assist providers to maintain compliance
  • managing stakeholder engagement with community housing providers.

Learn more about community housing.

The Housing Act Review Team (HART)

HART transitioned to Regulatory Services in the 2021 financial year. The team has regulatory and enforcement capabilities. They govern and enforce:

Learn more about HART.

Other functions

Regulatory Services also performs the following functions across all industries that we regulate:

  • undertaking timely investigations of complaints or other matters raised with the department that fall within our jurisdiction
  • enforcing legislative compliance and regulatory requirements including prosecution of offences
  • driving continual improvement in both the regulation of industry and with industry compliance
  • maintaining registers and links to those registers.

Regulator Performance Reports

Regulator Performance Reports profile the work and outcomes of Regulatory Services.

Feedback on the reports can be emailed to regulatoryservices@housing.qld.gov.au.

Related links

National

State

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