News and announcements

Tenant Advocates come together for Network Meeting

Tenant Advocates at the Network Meeting
Tenant Advocates from across New South Wales recently came together for another successful Network Meeting organised by the Tenants' Union. There were sessions on the new domestic violence tenancy laws, the 'pay to stay' principle in relation to rent arrears, electricity in land lease communities, the NDIS, social housing transfers, and much more.
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Thank you to our volunteers!

Volunteers Merrilyn and Tina
Merrilyn and Tina are two of the Tenants' Union Monday Advice Line volunteers. From rent increases, social housing, evictions and sharehousing, our volunteers explain the laws and systems and talk through renters' options. Their dedication has made a world of difference – between them they have assisted more than 300 people who called up looking for renting advice. What champions!
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A tenant's guide to the NSW election 2019

A tenant's guide to the NSW Election 2019
We asked all the political parties 10 key questions about housing in NSW. This guide compiles their answers and compares key tenant demographics for each electorate. Addressing the state’s affordability crisis and implementing amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act was front of mind for many of those who responded. We also asked about pets, boarding houses, residential land lease communities, building quality and more.
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Tenants demand action on ‘no grounds’ evictions – new report released

cartoon of furniture upside down
The Tenants’ Union of NSW with Marrickville Legal Centre has released the findings of a new report exploring the impacts of no grounds evictions. Just over three quarters (77%) of renters have held back from asserting a right or reporting a problem because they worried about receiving a ‘no grounds’ eviction.
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New domestic violence provisions start today

Domestic Violence Amendments to Residential Tenancies Act
Changes to domestic violence provisions in the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 have now come into effect. The changes, passed by NSW Parliament in November last year, improve the protections for tenants experiencing domestic violence.
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Public Housing Transfers

Public housing transfers
In October 2018, FACS Housing commenced their program of ‘whole of location’ transfers to Community Housing Providers with a group of just under one thousand tenancies in the Shoalhaven District transferred to Southern Cross Housing. These are the first of about 14,000 tenancies marked for whole-of-location management transfer over the coming year.
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NSW Fair Trading information sessions and webinars

Sign reading 'Informaiton'
Throughout the year NSW Fair Trading holds information sessions of various sorts. Coming up soon are webinars about domestic violence law changes and live information sessions in the Northern Rivers about Residential Land Lease Communities.
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Check rents in your local area - December update

Postcode rent tracker. Find the rent in your area
The Rent Tracker tool has been updated to include bonds data to the end of December 2018. What's been happening in your area?
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Media Release: Government should commit to action to end unfair 'no grounds' evictions

Nine news CGI of a manila folder and paper reading "outlaw no-fault evictions. opposed"
Revelations that key cabinet ministers who are also landlords failed to excuse themselves from debate on ending unfair 'no grounds' evictions despite having clear conflicts of interest were aired on the 8th of January. The Tenants' Union of NSW calls on the Government to now join with the other parties in committing to end unfair evictions following the state election in March.
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Disrupted – the consumer experience of renting in Australia

Disrupted – the consumer experience of renting in Australia
Fear of eviction, properties in disrepair and just getting by are the common experience of renting in Australia. "Disrupted – the consumer experience of renting in Australia", is the second report commissioned by CHOICE, National Shelter, and the National Association of Tenant Organisations (NATO), that delves into the renting experiences of our country’s renters.
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