Safer and fairer public housing for Queenslanders

• New policy to manage antisocial behaviour in public housing, setting out clear and fair expectations.
• Housing officers will be empowered to better protect neighbours, make communities safer, and ensure fairness in social housing.
• Zero tolerance for severe or illegal activity including violence or drug offences, scaled consequences for serious and nuisance behaviour. 

The Crisafulli Government is taking action to deter dangerous or repeated disruptive behaviour and ensure fairness and safety in Queensland’s public housing. 

From 1 July 2025, a new Public Housing Antisocial Behaviour Policy will be implemented to empower housing officers to manage public housing tenancies with clear and fair expectations. 

During Labor’s Housing Crisis, public housing tenants who damaged property, threatened neighbours, or engaged in repeated antisocial behaviour were too often allowed to continue without consequences, while the social housing wait list of vulnerable Queenslanders grew. 

Under the new policy, tenants who receive three behaviour-related breach notices within a 12-month period for substantiated disruptive or aggressive behaviour risk having their tenancy ended.  

Where behaviour is severe — including violence, serious property damage, or illegal activity such as drug manufacturing — action will be taken immediately to end the tenancy. 

The policy follows a commitment to ensure social housing supported those most in need through a system of annual rent reviews from July 1, following revelations almost half of social housing tenants’ eligibility had not been checked in five years and tenants with six-figure incomes were living in taxpayer-funded accommodation. 

The Crisafulli Government’s Securing our Housing Foundations plan is aimed at delivering a place to call home for more Queenslanders, sooner, including easing Labor’s 52,000-people social housing wait list by building more homes and ensuring fairness. 

Construction or approval of about 5,000 social and affordable homes is underway, after Labor failed to keep up with population growth, building an average of just 509 social homes a year. 

Key changes include: 

• Progressive enforcement: Tenants who engage in serious or nuisance behaviour will be exited from public housing on their third breach within 12 months. 

• Zero tolerance: Tenants who engage in severe or illegal activities, including assault, drug manufacturing or dangerous behaviour will be exited immediately and banned from accessing social housing for 2 years.  

• Mandatory Acceptable Behaviour Agreements: Tenants who receive written warnings must commit to improving their conduct or face formal action to end their tenancy.  

• Partnership with Queensland Police: Stronger local coordination and real-time information sharing. 

• Support where needed: Discretion remains for tenants with complex needs, including disability, mental illness or domestic violence.