News – Page 8 – Tenants Queensland

SUPPORT MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES

The condition of rental properties in Queensland can often be very poor – especially those that are ‘affordable’ . Although the law says properties must be “in good repair” and “fit to live in” it is not always clear what that means. There are many reasons why tenants might be reluctant to ask an agent for repairs – especially if they have a short lease or are worried about being unfairly evicted. Often a tenant will not pursue repairs because they don’t want to ‘rock the boat’, resulting in problems being inherited by consecutive tenants.

The state government is proposing to make changes to the Residential Tenancy and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (RTRAA) so that, in the future, rental properties will have to meet defined minimum standards before being listed for rent. Minimum standards will make it easier for tenants and lessors to know what is expected.

MINIMUM HOUSING STANDARDS FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES!

TQ welcomes today’s introduction of the Housing Legislation (Building Better Futures) Bill 2017 into the Queensland parliament by Housing Minister, the Hon Mick de Brenni. The Bill will amend the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 to allow for the introduction of minimum housing standards in rental properties. The standards will be set out in Regulation and developed through a process of consultation.

The poor quality of some properties is an on-going issue for Queensland renters. The changes will help protect the most vulnerable, often pushed into the margins of the market and reluctant to seek repairs for fear of losing their tenure, from living in substandard and unsafe housing.
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The Bill’s introduction is a big step forward but there is still a lot of work to be done. TQ looks forward to participating in the consultation to develop the standards. TQ will also lobby for additional reforms, in particular to address the lack of tenure security.

Queensland Premier announces 10 Year Housing Strategy

On Monday the Premier, the Hon Anastasia Palaszczuk announced the government’s 10 year Housing Strategy providing an investment of $1.8B over that time.

The Strategy’s three year Action Plan states that ‘people living in the private rental market will have better consumer protection and housing stability through legislative and policy reforms’. This mean a legislative review of Queensland tenancy laws will take place soon. It is likely to focus on security of tenure and standards in rental properties. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. Rest assured, we’ll be enthusiastically supporting the Strategy’s aim of developing a more contemporary legislative framework!

Changes to the Manufactured Homes legislation and Retirement Villages, work commenced some years ago are likely to be finalised in the near future.

We launched the first ever Rental Vulnerability Index!

Check out the rental vulnerability where you live!

Today Housing Minister Mick de Brenni helped Tenants Queensland launch the first ever Rental Vulnerability Index (RVI), a tool which allows you to see how many vulnerable renters there are in any postcode area in Queensland.

The RVI is more than just a measure of affordability; it is a look into who lives in the local rental housing and what sort of other vulnerabilities they might experience. It combines 13 data sources, each of which individually expose a potential to experience a housing problem, into one measure of overall rental vulnerability.

Using the interactive map, you can identify not just the RVI for each Queensland postcode area, you can also see the statistics on each of those 13 indicators.

This RVI has been developed as primarily as a service planning tool for tenant advisory services – to ensure that need for services align with demand and if not to reach out to the most vulnerable tenants. However, it will have applicability for a much broader range of service providers, policy maker and planners.

Check out your postcode!

Australian Renters Yell For Change!

Last Thursday CHOICE, the National Association of Tenants’ Organisations (NATO) and National Shelter called for governments to prioritise rental security and quality issues, not just housing affordability. This followed the release of Unsettled, Life in Australia’s Private Rental Market, the results of a national survey by the same groups, in which widespread fear and discrimination was reported by thousands of Australians.

Key findings from Unsettled were:

83% of renters in Australia have no fixed-term lease or are on a lease less than 12 months long
62% of people say they feel like they can’t ask for changes
50% of renters report experiencing discrimination when applying for a rental property
50% of renters worried about being listed on a residential tenancy database
20% renters experiencing leaking, flooding and issues with mould
8% of renters are living in a property in need of urgent repairs

For those who rent, this was no surprise but media across the country picked up the story with coverage on

Ten-year Queensland Housing Strategy: key reforms

The AHURI Homelessness and housing solutions conference is coming to Brisbane, 31st March 2017. At this conference, the Honourable Mick de Brenni (Queensland’s Minister for Housing and Public Works) will outline the key reforms from the upcoming ten-year Queensland housing strategy.

The Minister said the new strategy is aimed at providing a pathway for people into independent accommodation wherever possible, whether that be new affordable housing, the private rental market or home ownership.

Out and About

Tenants Queensland will be out and about in February and March at upcoming University orientation and market days.

Come along, say “Hi” and get the low down on your rights and responsibilities as renters.

You can catch us at:

Griffith University – Nathan and Logan Campuses
Sunshine Coast University

See you there!

Advice Service for Tenants

Established in 1986, Tenants Queensland (TQ) is a specialist statewide community and legal service providing free tenancy law advisory services for residential tenants. TQ seeks to protect and improve the rights of all people who rent their home in Queensland including those who live in marginal tenures such as caravan parks and boarding houses.

TQ provides a range of tenancy information and advocacy services including a statewide telephone advice service, tenancy and legal casework for renters, tenancy publications, a tenancy law training program and research and policy development in relation to tenancy law issues. TQ has been at the forefront of all tenancy law reform since our establishment.

In September 2015, TQ was awarded the tender to deliver the new Statewide Tenant Advice and Referral Service (QSTARS) program across Queensland. As the lead provider, TQ is working with seven partner organisations to build and deliver this new and exciting program.

Changes to tenancy database laws

Tenancy law changes from July 1 will improve conditions for Queensland tenants who are listed on a tenancy database. Queensland Housing Minister De Brenni released a press statement highlighting the changes.

Key changes include:

lessors/agents must advise prospective tenants of the databases they use, the reason for which they use them, and how the database operators can be contacted
lessors/agents must advise prospective tenants that they are listed on a tenancy database and in particular, advise them of the person that listed them and how they can challenge the listing
a tenant must not be listed for more than 3 years

Listing parties will have up to six months to comply with some parts of the new legislation, including ensuring removal of all listings that are more than 3 years old.

For how the changes apply to you see the TQ Tenancy Database fact sheet under Information for tenants

Tenants Queensland

In Queensland 34% of households live in rented homes. Tenants Queensland is a specialist community legal service that provides tenancy law advice. We assist and represent renting households. Our vision is to ensure renting in Queensland is a secure and respected housing tenure and tenant’s rights are respected. We have a free statewide advice service for Queensland residential tenants including caravan park and boarding house residents.

Need advice? Call our statewide advice service. Phone 1300 744 263 Mon/Wed/Thurs 9am-12.30pm and Tues/Wed 3.30pm-7pm.
See information for tenants for an overview of renting rules in Queensland.
See our Tenancy Fact sheets for information on common renting issues.
If you rent a room see our Rooming Accommodation Fact sheets
If you own and occupy a Manufactured Home (Mobile Home) see our Manufactured Homes Fact Sheets.
View our videos for tips on solving tenancy disputes in Queensland.
Going to the tribunal ? – see tips to prepare for a tenancy hearing in QCAT.