Today’s launch of Disrupted- the consumer experience of renting in Australia by Choice, NATO and NShelter emphasises the need for significant modernization of Queensland tenancy laws. The Queensland government’s current review of tenancy law provides the perfect opportunity to get rid of unfair evictions (by requiring a reasonable ground in law for all tenancy terminations); protect against excessive rent increases and make it fairer and easier for tenants to get their bond back. The time is now!
#rentinoz
Click here to read the full report.
Are you a renter looking to improve tenancy rights? Your submissions to government’s Open Doors to Renting Reform close on November 30!! And we’ve just made it easy for you through this link – it will take you 2 minutes!
Simply enter your name, email address and postcode to support the MAKE RENTING FAIR seven point plan.
Alternatively, go to the Open Doors site and make your own submission.
The Governments OPEN DOORS TO RENTAL REFORM continues to seek your feedback on renting. The current theme – BETTER PROTECTIONS seeks your views on how tenancy legislation could better protect more vulnerable tenants such as those experiencing domestic violence, seniors and people with a disability. It is also seeking your feedback on tenancy databases. Have your say here.
Let the government know what you think about ending a tenancy on short notice in situations where there is domestic and family violence by answering the SNAP POLL question here.
Don’t forget to support the Make Renting Fair in Queensland Alliance seven point plan for tenancy law reform and follow Make Renting Fair in Qld Facebook and Twitter.
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. [click to continue…]
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.
Our last post told you what Tenants Queensland thinks about entry notice times – see below. Now the snap poll on the Queensland government’s Open Doors to Renting Reform is asking that question. Please jump on and answer the question – how long should the notice period you get for non–urgent entries.
Here’s what we said previously
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.
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.
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.
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.
