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
News
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
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.
Read more here about scams and how to avoid being a target of unscrupulous predators
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.
Connect to Home Competition Winner
It’s time to announce the winner of our Connect to Home competition, which Tenants Queensland launched as part of our International Tenant’s Day celebrations in October. Thank you to all the fantastic entrants who shared their images, poems and messages.
After much deliberation, we’re happy to announce the winning entry is a poem sent to us by Tracy. Congratulations Tracy and thanks once again to all who took the time to participate and share with us.
Law Reform changes effective from 1 October 2022
1 October 2022 tenancy law changes – What you need to know
Recent changes will impact your tenancy agreements from 1 October 2022 under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (‘the Act’). Here is a quick snapshot of the key changes.
Photo Comp
Monday 3 October 2022 is International Tenants’ Day (ITD). International Tenants’ Day has been celebrated annually on the first Monday in October since 1986 as a day to promote and raise awareness of tenants’ rights across the world.
Tenants Queensland invites all tenants across Queensland to participate in our competition. Share with us and tell us with your entry why it is so important for you to “CONNECT TO HOME” 
This can be done with a photo, a poem, a painting or drawing.