A no-nonsense real estate agent has slammed a baby boomer who complained about a forthcoming ban on “no-fault” evictions of tenants in New South Wales.
State Premier Chris Minns on Saturday announced new legislation that would scrap “unfounded” evictions to allow tenants to “build a home and a life on safer ground.”
This means that landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without a “reasonable” excuse.
One critic, writing below Minns’ announcement on Instagram, slammed the decision as “a typical Labor Party attack on anyone who wants to cover their own pension.”
“If I buy a house I should have more rights than the person who rents it, period,” the critic raged.
“This will only encourage and promote bad behavior on the part of tenants.”
But Sydney-based real estate agent Ashton Chan would have none of it.
“If you want rights, don’t take your tenant’s money,” he replied.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced on Saturday a new law that eliminates “unfounded” evictions to allow tenants to “build a home and a life on safer ground” (pictured: a queue for an open inspection in Bondi, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs)
Mr Chan, who has helped sell hundreds of luxury properties in Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia he stood by his word and really wanted the government to go further.
“I agree with the ban because I myself was a tenant for five years in Artarmon on Sydney’s north shore,” Chan said.
“I wouldn’t be happy if my landlord kicked me out for no reason, all of a sudden, especially in this current market where it’s hard to find a place to rent.”
He added: “If you want to rent out your property and take your tenant’s money, you cannot at the same time have the right to do whatever you want.”
Mr Chan acknowledged that his views may surprise people given that he often works for landlords.
“I know real estate agents get a bad rap, but not all agents are created equal,” she said.
He said he also wanted the government to consider changing the rules on landlords who rent out their property for a fixed period but then decide to sell it within that period.
“What I have to deal with every day now is that if my seller wants to sell the property, I have to schedule an inspection time with the tenant and I’m interrupting their privacy and personal space,” she said.
Sydney-based real estate agent Ashton Chan (pictured) said he supported a ban on no-fault evictions in New South Wales and called on the government to also address the issue of landlords deciding to sell their property during a fixed-term lease.
‘They pay the full rent every week, but I have to go there and do open house inspections because the landlord decides to sell.
“I don’t think it’s fair to the tenant because he signed a contract with the landlord and all he wants is to get his money’s worth and enjoy his home in privacy.”
The decision to ban no-fault eviction in New South Wales brings the state in line with other states and territories, including the ACT, South Australia and Victoria, where governments have already legislated their own models to end the practice.
The New South Wales government said about 33 per cent of the population was renting, a huge increase of 17.6 per cent since 2016.
Worse still, average rental prices have grown by around 7 percent over the past 12 months.
“Anyone who rents in New South Wales knows how anxious and challenging it can be to rent right now,” Minns said at the time of the announcement.
‘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.
