Renters in Australia continue to face inconsistent tenancy laws and an ongoing lack of protection, says a new report out today from National Shelter and the National Association of Renters’ Organisations (NARO).
Today, one year on from National Cabinet’s a ‘Better Deal for Renters’, the National Association of Renters’ Organisations – NARO (of which Tenants Queensland is a member) and National Shelter released a report card that assesses the progress of State and Territories against their commitments. The report finds inconsistent progress and that some jurisdictions have failed to meet their obligations. The report also recommends areas requiring attention including the need to limit the amount a rent can be increased, adequately funding tenancy advice and advocacy services, and better data to inform policy.
In Queensland despite many welcomed and positive changes during the year, key issues have been missed, leaving important, cornerstone reforms outstanding. Tenants Queensland and the Make Renting Fair in Queensland campaign are calling on all parties to commit to them. They are:
- Protecting renters from arbitrary evictions by requiring a fair reason to end all tenancies whether they are fixed term or on-going. This requires the removal of the ‘End of a Fixed Term’ as a ground to end a tenancy
- Rent rises to be restricted to once per annum at the rate of the Consumer Price Index
- The inclusion of minimum standards for energy efficiency,
