Hi there. It sounds like you are in a difficult position. Generally leasing arrangements are covered by a written agreement called a tenancy agreement. In your situation, it appears that you never signed a tenancy agreement with your private landlord. The document your landlord showed you will not apply to your tenancy if you were not the person who signed it.

Even if you did not sign a tenancy agreement, the Rooming Accommodation and Residential Tenancies Act 2008 (Qld), which sets out all the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords, will still apply to your tenancy. This means you have the same legal protection as a tenant who has signed a written tenancy agreement. It also means you can take action against your landlord if they fail to do their job properly.

If you have have a dispute with your landlord, you should contact the Residential Tenancies Authority (www.rta.qld.gov.au) and try to resolve the dispute through their Dispute Resolution Service. This involves you and your landlord attending a conciliation – a process whereby a third party (a ‘conciliator’) helps the parties resolve the dispute. If conciliation is unsuccessful, you can apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal to resolve the dispute (www.qcat.qld.gov.au).

If your landlord forged your signature on a tenancy agreement, this qualifies as fraud. Fraud is behaviour that is deceptive, dishonest, corrupt or unethical. It usually occurs when someone acts dishonestly to obtain property belonging to someone else or to cause detriment to another person. If you are a victim of fraud, you should report the matter to the police. The Queensland Police website has information about how you can report an incident of fraud (www.police.qld.gov.au). For more information, you can contact the Queensland Police Service’s Fraud and Cyber Crime Group on (07) 3364 6622.