Law reform

Tenancy reforms announced

Tenants Queensland and QCOSS have jointly welcomed the package of tenancy reforms announced today by Premier Steven Miles as a promising first step towards improving the lives of Queenslanders living with rental insecurity.

The package is a positive sign that the Miles Government has listened to the pleas of Queensland’s renters and that it will continue to take seriously the plight of those burdened with insecure tenancies amid a cost-of-living crisis.

Tenants Queensland CEO Penny Carr says:
“Following three years of campaigning by Make Renting Fair in Queensland supporters, we particularly applaud the introduction of the following measures that will make a real difference in the lives of Queensland renters:

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.

Your help needed to Make Renting Fair!

The Parliamentary Committee on the governments proposed new tenancy laws is still considering all submissions to it, but your voice can still be heard!

If the laws are passed as proposed, renters will still face evictions for no good reason.

You can help make change in three simple steps:

Send a letter to your MP here
Sign up to the Make Renting Fair in Queensland campaign to get updates here
Get your friends, family and any concerned clients to sign up for the Make Renting Fair in Queensland campaign.

Removing the ability to end a tenancy without a fair and just reason is core to improving the situation for renters and evening up the bargaining power. Without this, other positive changes – and the ability to stand up for your rights – are undermined by the continuing fear of eviction without fair reason.

Together we can improve renting for all Queenslanders by making renting fair, safe and certain.

Proposed new tenancy laws to go to Parliamentary Committee

Submission due by midday July 13!!! The Community Support and Service Committee of the Queensland Parliament have just called for submissions on the government’s proposals to change tenancy laws. The proposed laws are a watered-down version of what the government released in the Regulatory Impact Statement of late 2019, before COVID hit us all. TQ is disappointed with this version and will make a submission to that effect.

We encourage all renters to make a submission as well. You only have until midday on Tuesday July 13. In the coming days we will share our thoughts. You may already be in the position to start your submission. Here is the link to the Committee’s request When we have a draft we will circulate this.

Help end ‘no grounds’ evictions in Queensland!

We all need a home that we can rely on. Without stability and security of tenure, people begin to live in a state of fear and uncertainty. ‘No grounds’ evictions can be used in retaliation against renters who stand up for their rights.

All of us need to know we won’t get evicted if we haven’t done anything wrong. Evicting individuals and families from their home without a good reason is not fair and it is not right.

The Make Renting Fair in Queensland Alliance is calling on the Queensland Government to abolish ‘no cause’ evictions and give all renters a chance at a stable and secure home.

They need your help to make their voices heard by government!

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Minimum standards and the Minister

Sunday’s media release from Minister for Housing and Public Works, the Hon Mick de Brenni cited the heart wrenching case of baby Isabella Diefenbach in outlining his support for the introduction of minimum standards in residential tenancies.

The introduction of minimum standards is not a cause for concern for reasonable investors but a safeguard for renters against those lessors unwilling to ensure their property is fit to live in for their tenants. A key to ensuring minimum standards are effective is taking away the responsibility from individual tenants to enforcing the law. Minimum standards should be enforced by a third party empowered to investigate alleged breaches, order rectifications, deliver sanctions, and provide public access to important records.

Join the campaign to Make Renting Fair in Qld

Today a broad group of community-based organisations launched the Make Renting Fair in Queensland campaign for progressive tenancy law reforms. They’re calling for you to support their seven point plan. Follow Make Renting Fair in Qld Facebook and Twitter

Give people the right to stay in their rental homes and prevent unfair evictions by

Removing ‘no reason’ evictions
Enforcing ‘just cause’ reasons to support eviction notices

Keep rents fair to keep people in their homes by

– Limiting rent increases to once a year
– Justifying rent increases more than 20% above CPI

Make it easier for people who rent to get their bond money back when moving by

Automatically returning bonds to the tenants unless disputed by the lessor

Make sure that people who rent their homes are treated fairly and with honesty by

Providing full disclosure to renters of material that might affect a tenancy before they enter into an agreement and allowing renters to terminate in cases of material misrepresentation

Keep people together with their pets in their rental homes by

Allowing tenants pets in rental properties unless the lessor proves a good reason not to.

Enforce basic standards for rental homes by

Undertaking periodic third party inspections
Introducing transparency between tenancies regarding repair, maintenance and orders of the tribunal.

Protect people’s privacy by making sure that they have fair warning before someone enters their home by

Increasing all 24-hour entry notice periods to 48 hours.

The State Government’s Open Doors to Rent Reform public consultation continues until November 30. We encourage you to make use of the The Make Renting Fair in Qld website for inspiration in making your comments and submissions to government. The Make Renting Fair campaign aims to build momentum through the government’s current consultation process and into next year whilst deliberations are underway on changes to the law.

Entry and Privacy – have your say!

The Queensland government’s Open Doors to Renting Reform consultation process is currently asking about entry and privacy – have your say on the government’s site here!

This is what we think – feel free to use it to make a submission or join the discussion.

Protect people’s privacy by making sure that they have fair warning before someone enters their home
For many entries to tenants’ homes the law only provides that 24 hours’ notice is required. With such short notice, sometimes tenants don’t even know that an entry is going to be made to their home until it has already occurred.

Entries can be made at any time with the agreement of the tenant, but when it is done by serving a notice, tenants should be given more time.
To Make Renting Fair in Queensland increase all 24 hour entry notice periods to 48 hours.

Should you have the right to keep a pet – have your say!

The Queensland government’s Open Doors to Renting Reform is asking about pets in rental properties – have your say here!

This is what we think – feel free to use it if you want to make a submission.

Keep people together with their pets in their rental homes
Numerous studies show that having pets increases people’s health, happiness and resilience yet many people who rent their home are not allowed to keep them.

The Animal Welfare League say about 25% of animals surrendered to them last financial year was because of inability to find pet friendly homes. Quoting the Residential Tenancies Authority, they say only 10% of rental properties in Queensland allow pets.

It’s not fair to deny tenants’ rights that others take for granted. Like home owners tenants have to comply with local government regulations about the keeping of pets, and they are required to repairs any damage at the end of their tenancy.

To Make Renting Fair, people who rent should be able to keep their pets in their rental homes!

Get on line, make a submission or contribute to the discussion.

Help ensure there’s always a good reason to end a tenancy – tell the gov’t review today!

Do you worry about whether your lease will be renewed? Too scared to ask for repairs or raise other issues for fear of the consequences? We’re encouraging you to tell your experiences to the Queensland government by making a submission to their Open Doors to Rental Reform strategy. You can also fill in their survey. We think this is the way to go……..

Give people the right to stay in their rental homes
People who rent their home should have the right to stay if they are doing the right thing.

Right now, renters can be asked to leave without being given any reason. This uproots families from their homes with little notice and sometimes on unfair grounds.

We need to change the laws to stop people from being evicted from their homes without any reason.

To Make Renting Fair in Queensland, we need to make sure there is a good reason within the law before a person is asked to leave their home. In other words, ensure we have Just Cause evictions.