If Labour wins the next election in NSW it plans on making a number of changes including removing the ability for landlords to evict tenants from their properties without providing a reason, and they must wait a year before raising the rent.
In a move welcomed by tenants but opposed by property owners, Labor’s shadow minister for regulation Yasmin Catley announced a raft of proposed changed to be implemented in the first 100 days, if they win office.
“When you’ve got 70 groups and hundreds if not thousands of activists including, can I say, a list of academics as long as my arm coming out saying ‘ending no-fault evictions is the thing that is required for tenants in NSW to have some security in NSW’ than I’m afraid you listen,” Ms Catley said.
Labor Leader Michael Daley said the proposed changes were drafted with the support of the Real Estate Institute of NSW.
Currently, a landlord can serve a tenant with “no-grounds” eviction within 90-days of the lease’s expiration without the need to provide a reason for the ejection. They are able to raise the rent once every twelve months during the fixed term period and at any time after the fixed term has ended, once the tenant has moved to a continuing agreement.
Labor proposes landlords will be able to evict on grounds like wanting to sell the property, moving back into it or undertaking major renovations; while; rents couldn only be raised once a year and only after the tenant had occupied the property for a year.
The Property Council executive director Jane Fitzgerald said of the proposed changes, “We must ensure that we have the balance right between tenant and landlord rights; a system that means residents feel secure in their tenancy and landlords are able to manage their property
“The important thing is balance — we do not want to tip the scales to the extent that landlords are unable to effectively manage their property, however the 30 per cent of our state population who rent deserve a fair go — Labor must consult further on this policy before its potential implementation to get the balance right.”
