If you are a renter who has been affected by the recent flooding in North Queensland, we have useful information on our website about your rights, including:
• If you need to leave
• If your landlord wants you to leave
• Paying rent
• Getting repairs done
• Mould
If you need further information, you can also contact our free tenancy statewide advice service on 1300 744 263, open from 9-5pm Monday to Friday (with evening advice 5–7pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
Are your power bills stopping you from turning on your fan or air conditioner this summer? You’re not alone – and help is here.
Starting this month, Queensland renters can get free help to stay cool and save money on power bills. The new EmPowering Renters program helps renters understand their energy use and bills better.
Through the program, Tenants Queensland (TQ) aims to help Queensland renters with their cost-of-living pressures. TQ will help them understand their energy bills, access concessions and rebates, find better energy deals, and make their homes more comfortable while reducing energy costs.
“Many renters are already trying to be as energy efficient as possible but still struggle to stay comfortable in their homes because of high energy bills,” says Penny Carr, CEO of Tenants Queensland. “While renters can’t make structural changes to their homes, this program offers information on what can be done to make renting more energy efficient for those of us who rent our homes.”
The EmPowering Renters project received grant funding from the Queensland Government as part of the Enable Grants Program. Tenants Queensland is working in collaboration with Energetic Communities Association Incorporated to help Queensland renters reduce their energy use.
“There are lots of simple things we can do around our homes to feel more comfortable,” says Luke Reade, President of Energetic Communities. “Our energy experts understand Queensland’s unique climate challenges and we’re here to help renters learn about their options.”
The EmPowering Renters Team can help renters with:
If you rent and want to stay cool without the bill shock, visit www.empoweringrenters.org.au today. Fill out the simple contact form, and the team will get in touch. You will also find helpful tips on the website.
—
About EmPowering Renters:
The EmPowering Renters project received grant funding from the Queensland Government as part of the Enable Grants Program.
The Enable Grants Program supports non-government organisations (NGOs) to provide energy efficiency advice and activities that will help reduce energy bills for Queenslanders experiencing vulnerability.
Tenants Queensland is delivering this program in conjunction with Energetic Communities Association Incorporated.
Contact details for energy efficiency information:
07 347 35010
empoweringrenters@tenantsqld.org.au
TQ assists tens of thousands of renting households across the state every year to maintain safe and stable housing. We support renters to exercise their rights and act on their responsibilities and advocate their concerns to government and the community. We hope to meet with the new government soon to explain our important work and better understand their vision for renters so that we can help them deliver on it.
What do we know about the Crisafulli Government’s policies for renters?
In the publicly released documents there is limited information from the LNP directly addressing policies for renters. However, TQ wrote to all political parties in the lead up to the State Election, asking questions on specific topics. On the three topics we have campaigned for change on, we know the LNP have announced a solar for renters program (The Supercharged Solar for Renters plan), which supports our call for energy efficiency standards for rental properties. Currently however, they do not support limiting the amount that rents can rise, nor ending arbitrary eviction for renters at the end of their fixed term agreement.
TQ also asked if the LNP had any plans for changes to tenancy laws. The LNP responded with the following:
“The Labor state government recently introduced some reforms to tenancy laws to the Queensland Parliament. Changes to tenancy laws are a complex issue. The LNP carefully and respectfully reviewed the proposed laws and did not oppose the rental reform changes which have now passed through the Parliament. These laws now need to be monitored to ensure they do not have adverse impacts that reduce the supply of rental accommodation or put additional upward pressure on prices”.
Outside of the answers to our direct questions, most of the publicly available housing policy statements focus on supply and home ownership, some with ‘trickle down’ impacts for renters.
The LNP acknowledges the problem of rental affordability and see their strong focus on housing supply as the way to address it.
The LNP committed to a similar target put in place by the Labor government last year:
“….‘Securing our Housing Foundations’ plan….which will deliver one million more homes by 2044, including 53,500 social and community homes. Increasing housing supply will provide more options for renters in both the price point and types of properties available.”
The following is also from the LNP’s publicly available information on housing issues.
In the first month we should see confirmed goals and KPIS for Ministers and Heads of Departments.
By the end of this year, there is a commitment to allow recipients of the First Homeowner Grant to rent out a room without penalty, with which they expect to ease the pressure on renters. Additionally, the LNP will aim to unlock church and charity-owned land for the Community Housing Sector.
In the first 100 days, the LNP has committed to establishing a Cabinet Housing Ministerial Taskforce. The LNP will also begin to abolish stamp duty on new builds for first home buyers and will commence work to expand home ownership opportunities in Queensland’s Indigenous communities.
These are the starting points for our work with the new government. TQ looks forward to using our expertise to support the LNP’s housing agenda and exploring ways to work together to improve the situation for renters across Queensland and make renting fairer.
Recent changes to tenancy law were passed by Queensland Parliament on 23 May 2024 and will impact your tenancy or rooming agreement under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (‘the Act’). Not all changes are commencing at the same time. Some of the changes commenced on Assent (6 June 2024), while other changes commence by Proclamation on 30 September 2024 or 1 May 2025.
Here is a quick snapshot of the key changes starting from 30 September 2024.
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:
Tenants Queensland congratulates the Miles Government and welcomes the passage of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 into law.
Tenants Queensland CEO, Ms Penny Carr, said, “I have just come out of Parliament House and I have watched the passage of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024. It is a good day for renters, there are many good reforms in the package that will improve the situation for people living in rented homes across Queensland.
There are significant improvements for Queensland renters in the package of reforms just passed and those which were made into law in October 2021.
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”.
In Queensland minimum housing standards will come into effect for new rental agreements from 1 September 2023.
These standards apply to general tenancy, moveable dwelling and rooming accommodation agreements. Minimum housing standards aim to ensure rental properties are safe, secure and functional and provide clarity around the maintenance obligations for rental properties. Tenants Queensland have developed the following fact sheet that provides information on the Minimum Housing standards.