Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services

Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services provide free, independent information, advice and advocacy to tenants throughout New South Wales.

There are 16 generalist services, four specialist services for Aboriginal tenants, one specialist service for older tenants and one specialist service for residential park residents.

Each is run by a local non-government organisation. They receive legal back-up, training and other resources from the Tenants' Union of NSW (TU), and help inform the TU’s policy and law reform work.

The services are funded under the NSW Office of Fair Trading’s Tenants Advice and Advocacy Program, which uses monies from the Rental Bond Board Interest Account and the Property Services Statutory Interest Account.

Tenants’ Union of NSW

The Tenants’ Union of NSW (TU) is the state’s peak non-government organisation for tenants. It represents the interests of all NSW tenants, including tenants of private rental housing, social housing tenants, boarders and lodgers, and residential park residents.

The TU is a community legal centre specialising in residential tenancies law accredited by the National Association of Community Legal Centres.

The TU's work includes:

• supporting the statewide network of Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services, which includes providing:
  • training in tenancy and consumer law, advocacy, negotiation skills, Aboriginal and social housing, and community education
  • legal back-up, research and resources
    
  • IT support, database administration and information management
• developing publications on tenants' rights and obligations (including this website)
  
• advocating for the reform of policies and laws affecting tenants
• conducting strategic litigation to advance the interests of tenants.

The TU is incorporated as a not-for-profit co-operative.

Further information

Tenants' Union of NSW annual report 2008-09