- Big change is coming for renters in New South Wales
- Unfounded evictions will be abolished
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says new laws seeking to abolish “unfounded” evictions will allow the state’s renters to “build a home and a life on more secure ground” as historically low vacancy rates continue to worsen.
Announced Saturday, the laws seek to end the right of rental property owners to choose to end a lease “at any time or (for) no reason,” instead requiring them to provide “common sense or reasonable reasons.”
The prime minister said the changes would allow “bad tenants” to continue to be evicted and protect landlords from bad behaviour, but would give greater peace of mind to the state’s growing renter population.
“Anyone who rents in New South Wales knows how anxious and challenging it can be to rent right now,” Minns said.
‘We’ve all seen the queues on a Saturday morning with hundreds of people waiting to inspect new properties.’
We believe this reform strikes the right balance, but more importantly, it will give landlords and tenants more certainty and peace of mind so they can build a home and a life on a more secure foundation.
The New South Wales government said about 33 per cent of the population was renting, a whopping 17.6 per cent increase since 2016. Worse still, the average rental price has risen by around 7 per cent in the past 12 months.
Under the proposed changes, tenants with fixed-term or periodic rental agreements would be protected from unfounded evictions. Instead, landlords would have to prove that the tenant breached the rental agreement or caused damage to the property.
NSW Premier Chris Minns says new laws seeking to abolish “unfounded” evictions will allow the state’s renters to “build a home and a life on more secure ground” as historically low vacancy rates continue to worsen (file image)
Announced on Saturday, the laws seek to end the right of rental property owners to choose to end a lease “at any time or (for) no reason,” having to instead provide “reasonable or common sense reasons” (file image)
Other reasons included non-payment of rent, if the property was being sold or significantly renovated or repaired, change of use, and if the tenant was no longer eligible for an affordable housing program.
Youth Housing and Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson said the proposed changes, an election promise of the current Labour government, would help create a fairer rental system, which was “crucial to rebuilding our housing system”.
“For too long, renters have faced an unprecedented amount of uncertainty, making it difficult to secure jobs, start families and develop community ties,” Ms. Jackson said.
“Tenants who do the right thing – pay rent, take care of their home – should not be in constant limbo with the possibility of a no-fault eviction looming around the corner. They deserve more security, and ending no-fault evictions is an important first step.”
The NSW government said the changes helped bring the state “in line with other states” including the ACT, South Australia and Victoria, where state governments have already legislated their own models to end unfounded evictions.