COVID-19 factsheet in 7 community languages

13/07/2020
Covid-19 community language factsheet
The Tenants' Union has published a basic factsheet in 7 community languages summarising renters rights under COVID-19 regulations. The factsheet has information on paying rent, evictions, the rules on access to rented properties for getting repairs done, inspections for sale of premises, and other issues that renters are facing.
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Changes are coming

26/06/2020
Heart
When we last published Outasite Lite at the beginning of April the COVID-19 pandemic was in its early stages and the NSW Government had just issued the first Public Health Order restricting the gathering and movement of people. In May and June those restrictions were eased slightly and from 1 July they will be eased further.
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Recently at NCAT

26/06/2020
NCAT
Getting back to site fee increases, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal has recently heard and determined an interesting case where the operator issued two notices of increase, claiming the second notice cancelled the first.
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Economic stimulus proposal: Healthy & affordable homes

22/06/2020
Economic Stimulus image
The Tenants' Union, together with over 50 other organisations, is calling for governments to invest in energy efficiency and solar PV for low income homes to stimulate tens of thousands of jobs, cut energy bills and emissions.
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Reflections on 10 years of Tenant Advocacy

15/06/2020
Maz at Tweed Heads
After 10 and a half years, Maralyn Schofield is leaving her role as Coordinator of the Northern Rivers Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service. We took the opportunity to ask her for some of her reflections on the changes she's seen in the world of tenancy – and the things she'd like to see change in future...
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60 day stop on COVID-19 evictions ends, restrictions on evictions continue

15/06/2020
Covid19 graphic
From 14 June the initial 60 day stop on evictions for rent arrears where the household is in financial hardship due to COVID-19 ended. However, there are still restrictions on the eviction of impacted tenants for rent arrears. After 14 June, the landlord may only give a termination notice or apply to the Tribunal if the landlord has participated in the NSW Fair Trading formal rent negotiations process in good faith and only if it is fair and reasonable in the circumstances of the case. Only the Tribunal can determine if the eviction order should be made.
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International student COVID-19 crisis accommodation

12/06/2020
The NSW Government is funding temporary crisis accommodation for vulnerable international students in NSW during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme will be delivered through approved student accommodation and homestay providers. Service NSW is administering the application process and will allocate the accommodation. Applicants will not be able to self-select their accommodation.
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Renters' Guide to COVID-19

25/05/2020
Covid19 graphic
The Tenants' Union of NSW is regularly updating our Renters' Guide to COVID-19. The Guide covers common questions about renting in NSW during the Coronavirus COVID-19 crisis.
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Change Management: Social Housing Management Transfers Program Best Practice Report

25/05/2020
Change management report graphic
Between October 2018 and September 2019 the management of more than 14,000 public housing tenancies across nine geographical regions of NSW was transferred from the management of the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS, now the Department of Communities and Justice or DCJ) to ten Community Housing Providers under contracts which last for twenty years. Since affected tenants had no voice or choice in the design or implementation of this program the Tenants’ Union has undertaken the vital task of observing and reviewing its implementation through the lens of tenants’ experience. This report focusses on the experiences of tenants during the transfer period and in the months following transfer.
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New report finds investment in social housing is critical to Australia’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery  

15/05/2020
Three initiatives are critical to Australia’s post COVID-19 economic recovery, a new report finds: build additional social and affordable housing stock across NSW; repair old social housing stock; and rapidly acquire properties in the private market to find a permanent solution for rough sleepers and others in temporary/crisis accommodation.
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