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Overview of the 30 September 2024 Tenancy Law Changes – What you need to know

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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.

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Australian renters still vulnerable: National Cabinet reforms fall short in protecting tenants one year on.

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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,

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Overview of the 2024 Tenancy Law Changes – What you need to know

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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 will commence at the same time. Some of the changes commenced on Assent (6 June 2024), while other changes will start on Proclamation (30th September).

Here is a quick snapshot of the key changes. This text below applies to general tenancies and rooming accommodation.

Rent Bidding
Rent Increases
New Rule of Entry – Rooming Accommodation
Bonds – Rooming Accommodation and Boarder/Lodgers
New Grounds for Ending Tenancies
Three New Heads of Power
Changes Commencing on Proclamation

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Tenancy reforms announced

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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:

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More effective changes to limit the frequency of rent increases?

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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.

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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:

  1. Send a letter to your MP here
  2. Sign up to the Make Renting Fair in Queensland campaign to get updates here
  3. 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!

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.

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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

  1. 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
  1. 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
  1. 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
  1. 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
  1. 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.
  1. Enforce basic standards for rental homes by
  • Undertaking periodic third party inspections
  • Introducing transparency between tenancies regarding repair, maintenance and orders of the tribunal.
  1. 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.