News – Page 2 – Tenants Queensland

Rent increases once every 12 months

New legislation will come into effect from 1 July 2023 which will limit rent increases to once every 12 months.

These changes will apply to all new and existing general tenancies and rooming accommodation agreements.

Any rent increase which is due to commence after 1 July 2023, will be valid only if there has been at least 12 months since the previous rent increase.

Any rent increase clauses written into a tenancy or rooming agreement will not apply if there has been a previous rent increase in the previous 12 months.

The frequency of rent increase applies for the duration of a tenancy if at least one tenant or resident continues to occupy the rental property, even if there is a change of property owner or real estate agent.

The new legislation does not provide for a limit to any rent increase, but it can be disputed if it is considered excessive

See fact sheet: Rent and Other Charges

For further information on these changes, contact Tenants Queensland 1300 744 263

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

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.

Tenants Queensland welcomes the State Government’s announcement today launching Stage 2 rental law reform. The consultation process will provide Queensland renters with the opportunity to be heard and help shape renting for the future. For further information about the process and to have your say visit here.

We support limiting rent increases

Tenants Queensland supports the Premiers call to limit the frequency of rent increases but we need to go further. We need to limit rent increases to one per year, using the CPI as the benchmark. This allows landlords to maintain their returns whilst providing stability and predictability for renters facing future rent increases. You can read our position in detail in our brief paper to today’s roundtable Tenants Queensland Second Housing Roundtable Paper

Information for tenants affected by floods and storms in Queensland

If you are being inundated with water or suffering damage from storms or cyclones, your tenancy may be affected.

THIS FACT SHEET is for residential tenancies, however most of this information also applies to rooming accommodation such as boarding houses.

Rent Decrease due to flooding

If you wish to request a rent decrease with your lessor due to flooding, here for a draft letter that you can use. Please click here for a Word version (you may need to check your downloads folder) or click here for a PDF version.

Dealing with Mould

Tenants Queensland have produced a Mould fact sheet for renters: please click here
Qld Department of Health have produced a fact sheet: please click here

Water bill discount for eligible South East Queensland households

The Queensland Government has provided a one-off discount of $55 for properties who are billed by:
Urban Utilities

Unity Water
Redland City Council
Logan City Council
City of Gold Coast

The discount is equivalent to approximately 13/2 kilolitres of water & will be issued before March 2023
Tenants do not automatically receive the discount.

As the Lessor receives the water bill for an eligible rental property, the Lessor will receive the discount. If a tenant pays for water usage as a term of their 18a general tenancy agreement, the discount should be passed on to the tenant. Further information https://www.rdmw.qld.gov.au/water/consultations-initiatives/water-bill-discount

Housing Summit Outcomes Paper released

Tenants Queensland congratulates the State Government on taking positive steps to improve access and affordability to housing for Queenslanders, with the release of the Housing Summit Outcomes Report today, but there is more to be done to making renting fair in Queensland.

The short-term relief measures in the Report are positive and will help those already struggling. We welcome the cost-of-living support measures such as increased funds for food relief and other types of emergency relief.

There is also increased support to those struggling with the costs of rent, which we are very pleased to see.

Positive steps to improve housing supply are being taken, with land immediately available already identified, as well as buildings that can be repurposed, helping bring forward supply solutions. The $1 billion boost to the Housing Investment Fund (to $2 billion) is very welcome.

Unfortunately, the Report does not include any reference to the Government’s promised second stage of tenancy law reforms. Any sustainable solution to Queensland’s housing crisis also requires legislative reform.

In the last twelve months, the average rental increase in Queensland was $110 per week.

Any increase to rent subsidies needs to be coupled with legislated limits to rent increases or we risk pushing rents even higher.

We need to protect renters from arbitrary evictions, allow them to make reasonable changes to their homes to make them safe and accessible, and make it easier for renters to get their bonds back. These changes would level the playing field and make renting in Queensland fairer for everyone.

There also needs to be more work done to identify vacant premises and properties that have been moved into short-term letting markets, such as AirBnB, which is putting further pressure on the housing market. Applying disincentives to this will get more properties into the long-term rental market and provide immediate relief to housing supply.

We are reassured to see the Premier, Deputy Premier, Treasurer, and multiple Ministers committed to addressing this, and congratulate the Government on their work to date, however there is still more to be done.

Beware! Scams come in many ways

Everyone will be aware there have been many scams around for a long time. They all involve trying to relieve us of our money to make the scammers rich. At present the most infamous two doing the rounds is the Optus and the Medibank scams but there are hundreds on the go at any one time.

They will eventually release the information on the dark web where it will be purchased by other criminals and used to target the vulnerable.

Think twice before you spend this Christmas

Despite the massive blow out to the cost of living in Australia we are, according to some web-based sites like Statista and Roy Morgan, set to spend approximately $64 billion. With Queenslanders set to spend $13 billion of that alone. That is a rise of 4.6% compared to the same time last year.
We all love to give gifts to family and friends especially for Christmas. However, there may be a price to pay for the privilege.

Click this link to read more about practical steps you can follow to have a great Christmas

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.