Reasonable grounds for termination, better security for tenants

Under current renting laws in New South Wales, landlords can give notices of termination on a number of grounds, such as where a tenant is in rent arrears, or where the premises have been sold and the purchaser is to move in.

However, landlords can also give notices of termination without grounds. If you receive a 'without grounds' notice, you are not entitled to know the landlord's reason for wanting to end your tenancy.

This means that 'without grounds' notices can be used to hide a multitude of bad reasons for termination, such as retaliation and discrimination.

The Tenants' Union believes that tenants should not have to go through the financial and emotional cost of moving unless there are reasonable grounds for them doing so. They should also feel that they can discuss problems with their landlord or agent without worrying whether they will receive a 'without grounds' notice.

The law should replace 'without grounds' notices with a comprehensive list of reasonable grounds for termination, such as where the tenant is in breach of residential tenancy agreement, or the landlord wants to move in, or the premises are to be renovated such that vacant possession is required.

Reasonable grounds for termination would be fair to landlords and give all tenants better peace of mind and security.