The short answer
Queensland’s minimum housing standards require rental premises to be free from vermin, damp and mould, unless the tenant caused it. A rental mould inspection documents where the mould is and what is driving it — a leak, a building defect or how the home is being used — so owners, tenants and managers can sort out who fixes what.
Who books this
- Tenants who have reported mould and want independent evidence
- Landlords and property managers dealing with a complaint or a vacate
- Disputes heading to the RTA or QCAT
Methods used
- Moisture meters
- Thermal imaging
- Relative humidity logging
- Optional air and surface samples
The damp and mould standard
The Residential Tenancies Authority lists being “free from vermin, damp and mould” as one of the minimum housing standards, with an exception where the damp or mould was caused by the tenant. The standards applied to new and renewed tenancies from 1 September 2023 and to all remaining tenancies from 1 September 2024.
The RTA’s guidance splits responsibility by cause. Tenants should tell the owner or manager as soon as possible when mould appears. The owner is responsible where the cause is structural, such as a leaking roof, or comes from reasonable use, such as a leaking shower head. The tenant is responsible where their own actions caused it — the RTA’s example is not ventilating a bathroom after steam builds up.
How the cause is established
Cause is a question of evidence, and the evidence is moisture. A leak shows as a wet area with a gradient from the source; condensation shows as cold surfaces at or below dew point, often behind furniture and in corners, with dry wall cavities behind. Humidity logging over several days can show whether a room stays damp with normal use, or only after showers and drying clothes indoors.
Written for more than one reader
The report is factual and neutral, because the owner, the tenant, the agent and possibly a tribunal may all read it. It describes findings and likely cause; it doesn’t take sides.
Example moisture map
Wall behind a shower, floor to 1.5 m · relative readings
Questions people ask
Who is responsible for mould in a Queensland rental?
Under the RTA’s guidance, the owner is responsible where mould comes from a structural issue or reasonable use of the property, and the tenant where their own actions caused it. An inspection gathers the evidence on cause.
Can a tenant book a mould inspection?
Yes, though access to the property during a tenancy is arranged with the tenant’s consent, and an inspection commissioned by the owner or manager needs proper entry notice. The RTA sets the rules on entry.
Is a baseline inspection useful between tenancies?
Yes. Moisture readings and photos at the start of a lease give a dated record of condition, which makes a later dispute about cause far easier to resolve.
References
- [1]Minimum housing standards — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland)
- [2]Minimum housing standards fact sheet – general tenancies — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland)
Checked against these references on 2 November 2026.