MEDIA RELEASE
Tenants Queensland CEO, Penny Carr, has congratulated the Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, on a returned Labor Government and is now calling on the re-elected government to act quickly on the long, drawn-out reform of rental legislation in Queensland.
“I look forward to working with the Premier and her team in delivering on reforms around tenancy laws to ensure the needs of Queenslanders are met now and into the future, but we do need to see this happen urgently,” said Ms Carr.
In a statement outlining the Government’s position prior to the election, Deputy Premier Steven Miles detailed a staged approach for the process:
Stage 1 of the Roadmap focuses on safety and security, managing tenancies and renting with pets. A returned Palaszczuk Labor Government is committed to delivering reforms that will require reasonable grounds for all tenancy terminations, make it easier for renters to keep pets and ensure all rental homes adhere to basic standards of safety and security.
Stage 2 of our Roadmap will look at issues relating to lease terms, bonds and rents, entry practices and accountability.
An increasing number of Queenslanders are renting their homes, rather than being in the process of purchasing them. With many now starting to acutely feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through the continued loss of jobs and the recent cessation of the rental eviction moratorium, it is absolutely critical that the Government act swiftly to reengage the sector in the ongoing reform process.
Ms Carr said that it was understandable that the reform process had been delayed during the early days of the pandemic, but with a growing number of Queenslanders renting for longer, increasing numbers of renting families with dependent children and older people, it was vital we act now to ensure tenants’ rights were protected.
“Times are changing, more people are renting than ever before and we need to make sure our tenancy laws are keeping up,” said Ms Carr.
“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 now to stop people from being evicted from their homes without any reason.
“It’s a fundamental right of every person in Australia to have a safe and secure place to live,” said Ms Carr.
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