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Welcome to our blog. Staff at the Tenants' Union and occasional guests offer their commentary and analysis of our renting system. We hope to inform, educate and debate the legal, political and cultural aspects of this renting life. For an official quote for media use, or questions regarding our research, policy or publications please contact us. For more articles see the Brown Couch archive, the Clearing House, and general news.  For factsheets see Tenancy info.

 

Leo Patterson Ross | 24/05/2021

No home left behind!

In this op-ed piece, Leo Patterson Ross asks what is missing from our approach to regulation of boarding houses? What would it look like if we started the conversation about reform by…
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Jemima Mowbray | 21/05/2021

A long, winding road: NSW boarding house reform

In the context of plans for a new Shared Accommodation Act to replace the existing Boarding House Act 2012, Jemima Mowbray provides a short history of the long road towards ensuring better…
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Pamela Hunter | 10/05/2021

How a volatile rental market could impact some of the most vulnerable in our communities 

The past 12 months have had a significant impact on many tenants, particularly those who may be at risk of financial hardship or homelessness. Pamela Hunter, from VERTO’s Tenants’ Advice and…
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The Conversation | 24/02/2021

Can I have a pet and be housed, too? It all depends...

Trying to find housing can be a nightmare for pet owners, especially those who need it in a crisis. The inconsistencies from state to state and between different forms of housing demand reform.…
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Leo Patterson Ross | 23/02/2021

Getting your LL plates?

There is currently a petition in NSW Parliament for the creation of a “Landlord non-compliance register”. It speaks to some of the most frustrating aspects of renting in Australia.
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Robert Mowbray | 31/12/2020

Housing people with a hoarding disorder - what should a best practice approach look like?

Robert Mowbray, Older renters' Policy Officer at the Tenants' Union looks at the ways in which hoarding disorder impacts on people's lives and the particular risks renters with a…
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Eloise Parrab | 23/12/2020

Fire safety in your rented home

As we are heading back into the bushfire season in NSW we thought it would be a good time to remind us all on how to ensure our homes are bushfire prepared and general fire safety in the home.…
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Lauren Berends | 14/12/2020

Forced out during a health crisis: Renters' stories #MovingMonday

You might have seen via our social media that the Tenants' Union NSW is moving – because we've been evicted! We're an organisation and it doesn't affect our lives - or the…
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Jemima Mowbray | 18/11/2020

Promise of a big spend on social housing: Did the NSW budget deliver?

In early October NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald suggested social and affordable housing would be a priority in the November NSW budget. In this…
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Jemima Mowbray | 17/11/2020

Tracking NSW Govt Future Direction Commitments

A breakdown of the contracted providers and dwellings under the Communities Plus and Social and Affordable Housing Funds programs.
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Robert Mowbray | 12/11/2020

80 to 55: the case for lowering the age for early allocation of social housing in NSW

In this blog Robert Mowbray puts the argument for lowering the age for early allocation of social housing in NSW from aged 80 years to 55 years. We argue that older people, especially older…
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Riley Brooke | 19/10/2020

What could the NSW Religious Freedoms Bill mean for renters?

Last week, the Tenants’ Union signed on to a joint statement coordinated by Equality Australia opposing NSW One Nation's Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill…
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