Policy and Law Reform

The Tenants’ Union of NSW (TU) and the Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services (TAASs) believe that people should be able to live happily in rental housing. For too many people, however, the experience of rental housing is not a happy one.

The Residential Tenancies Act 2010 does not address all of the problems that tenants encounter in renting. Our present rental housing system provides too little affordable, appropriate and reasonably secure rental housing. The TU and TAASs work for reform of these laws and for policies to make renting more affordable, appropriate and reasonably secure.

We do this by drafting papers and making submissions to government on policy and law reform. We also promote policy and law reform in the media and through the TU's newsletter.

Contact

If you are seeking tenancy advice, contact your local Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service. Callers to the Tenants' Union will be referred to their local services.

If you want to talk with someone about how NSW laws affect tenants generally, or about policy and law reform relating to rental housing, contact the Tenants’ Union:

Phone: 02 8117 3700
Address: Suite 201, 55 Holt St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Tenancy law reform

The Residential Tenancies Act 2010 commenced on 31 January 2010. See Tenancy Law Reform for details about the TU's lobbying work in the lead-up to the passing of the Act including links to submissions, media coverage, position papers and research papers.

Priority issues

The TU has identified the following issues as priorities for policy and law reform. Follow the links to find out more.

Marginal renters. Some of the most vulnerable renters in New South Wales have no legislated rights, and no effective means of resolving disputes with their landlords. Law reform for 'occupancy agreements' is fair for both landlords and occupants.

Raising standards. Safer renting.

Reasonable grounds for termination. Under the current law, landlords have the power to give notices of termination without grounds, creating unnecessary insecurity for tenants. The TU proposes reasonable grounds for terminations.

Equitable treatment for social housing tenants. Social housing tenants are subject to laws, policies and decisions to which no other persons in the community are subject.

Affordable housing. The crisis in affordable housing is most acute in the rental housing system. More than a quarter of households in rental housing are in housing stress – that is, they have low incomes and pay more than 30 per cent of their incomes in rent. We need to increase the supply of low-cost rental housing, and reduce the cost of housing generally.