wendy_temp – Tenants Queensland

Tenancy Law Reform Bill tabled – good start, more to do

Tenants Queensland (TQ) welcomes the Miles Government’s package of reforms that will improve the experiences of renters, with the introduction of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024

TQ CEO, Ms Penny Carr, said, “banning rent bidding, requiring a fee free way of paying rent, limiting what can be asked when signing up applying for a tenancy and controlling how and for how long information can be kept, will very much improve the experiences of renters across the state. We welcome these changes”.

Requiring evidence when the landlord wants to claim against the bond, the portable bond scheme and a rental code of conduct are changes also strongly supported by TQ.

Despite welcoming the package TQ CEO, Ms Penny Carr, stated that there is more to be done. “The package is a good start but more needs to be done to support struggling renters”.

The PM just announced outcomes from the National Cabinet discussion about rental reforms. We think more needs to be done to limit the amount rent can rise. This is the summary of their proposals:

“A Better Deal for Renters

– Develop a nationally consistent policy to implement a requirement for genuine reasonable grounds for eviction, having consideration to the current actions of some jurisdiction.

The Queensland Government is consulting about changes to the frequency of rent increases to ensure recent changes are effective.

On July 1, the government limited the frequency of rent increases to once per year. However, the last few months have seen the emergence of rental management practices which appear to undermine the intent of the legislation, for example, ending tenancies after six months so that the rent can be increased with new tenants.

Today the government issued a discussion paper and is calling for submission on how to ensure the annual rent increase frequency limit is effective.

The discussion paper proposes changes that would apply the limit to the frequency of rent increases to the property, rather than the tenancy, regardless of whether the sitting tenants remain, or the property is re-tenanted.

The commencement of the second stage reforms has been long awaited and Tenants Queensland (TQ) is pleased to see consultations commence. Overall, the paper contains some positive proposals (if they eventuate), however, we think that our government needs to do more to regulate the rental market in order to deliver stability, safety, amenity and affordability to Queensland renters.

Queensland Housing Summit

Tenants Queensland will join other key community and government stakeholders at the Queensland Housing Summit this Thursday 20 October 2022. In the lead up to the summit we have submitted a paper outlining our recommendations for consideration.

1 October 2022 tenancy law changes – What you need to know

Recent changes will impact your tenancy agreements from 1 October 2022 under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (‘the Act’). Here is a quick snapshot of the key changes.

Photo Comp

Monday 3 October 2022 is International Tenants’ Day (ITD). International Tenants’ Day has been celebrated annually on the first Monday in October since 1986 as a day to promote and raise awareness of tenants’ rights across the world.

Tenants Queensland invites all tenants across Queensland to participate in our competition. Share with us and tell us with your entry why it is so important for you to “CONNECT TO HOME”

This can be done with a photo, a poem, a painting or drawing.

Government changes to Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA)

On 24 May 2022, a law to secure the rental bonds of Queensland tenants passed Parliament which makes the Residential Tenancies Authority self-funding model no longer. Following on from our submission to the committee, we wrote to the Treasurer on 12 May 2022 to seek changes, but we were unsuccessful.

You can read the full media statement here.

TQ signs joint letters to Federal election candidates

As the election nears, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) have asked organizations to sign on to two joint letters from the community sector to Federal Election candidates calling on them to commit to two game-changer policies to reduce poverty and inequality.

These policies are:

Lift income support payments to above the poverty line so everyone can cover the basics
Invest in 25,000 social housing units each year as part of a National Housing Plan.

Tenants Queensland have joined with the many organisations to be a signatory to the two letters.

One to independent and minor party candidates asking them to make these policies part of negotiations to form government should there be a hung parliament. The same letter will go to all other candidates (without reference to negotiating to form government).

You can access a copy of the letter with the full list of signatories here.

Government proposes changes to RTA – Update

On March 17 2022, changes to how the RTA manages bond money and the interest it earns on it were tabled in parliament as part of the State Penalties Enforcement (Modernisation) Amendment Bill 2022.

In response, we have made a submission to the Economics and Governance Committee stating that we strongly oppose the proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008. The proposed amendments will result in undermining a legacy that should be provided to tenants, they remove the autonomy of the industry regulator and a self-funded model which makes financial sense. As a result of this submission, we have been asked to appear as a witness at the Public Hearing of the Bill on Tuesday 19 April 2022.

You can read the full submission here

Tenancy Law Reform Bill tabled – good start, more to do

PM announces National rental reforms

More effective changes to limit the frequency of rent increases?

Response to the Queensland Government’s Stage Two Rental Reform Consultation Paper (May 2023)