News and announcements

Escaping an unsafe and insecure rental nightmare

Kellie and her son Elijah
Kellie & her son Elijah, Central Coast tenants
Kellie and her son Elijah are tenants on the Central Coast. At their previous place the landlord failed to abide by the agreement and renting laws in a number of ways. So Kellie got advice from Central Coast Tenants Advice and wrote to the landlord to assert her rights. She also went to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to seek compensation for the landlord’s failure to do repairs and an illegal lockout. Although she was unsuccessful at the Tribunal, Kellie did manage to get rehoused in a better place.
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Home ownership is falling - what needs to happen?

Leo from the Tenants' Union of NSW speak on ABC News 24
Tenants' Union Advocacy and Research Officer Leo Patterson Ross
Our Advocacy and Research Officer Leo spoke to ABC News 24 about a new report which shows that Australia has one of the lowest rates of home ownership amongst 9 countries analysed by HSBC.
We point out that what people really want are homes they can rely on - watch now!
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Airbnb's effect on rents - a new report from Tenants' Union of NSW

Airbnb logo on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Tenants' Union has released a report investigating whether Airbnb has had an impact on the private rental sector in New South Wales. Airbnb does not appear to have had an impact on rents in Sydney, but the TU calls on government to ensure a sensible regulatory regime is implemented.
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Community Housing Transfers - What's It All About?

Want to know more about the transfer of public housing to community housing? Come to this Shelter NSW & Tenants' Union of NSW Forum.
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Big win for Aboriginal family in Northern NSW

NATAAS Tenant Advocates
NATAAS Tenant Advocates
Last year an Aboriginal family in Coffs Harbour with seven kids had their lives disrupted by building work. The family was renting a house on a large block in northern NSW. The landlord decided to redevelop the land by building another house on the block.

The tenants were annoyed enough to apply to the Tribunal for compensation and rent reduction. The Tribunal made directions for exchange of evidence. The tenants obtained some advice from an Aboriginal TAAS (Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service) about the evidence needed.
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Living in Residential Parks Workshop

Northern Rivers Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service
The Northern Rivers Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service (NORTAAS) is running a workshop about the legal rights and responsibility of home owners renting in residential parks.

The Workshop will be on Monday the 20th of March in Ballina.
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CHOICE research reveals renting crisis

Woman holding cat. List of statistics concerning text which reads "Discriminated against when renting? 50% of renters report discrimination when househunting. For having a pet (23%). For receiving government payments (17%). Age (14%). Having young children (10%)
Discrimination is widespread amongst renters
Research finds renters facing insecurity, poor quality housing, and discrimination

CHOICE, the National Association of Tenants’ Organisations and National Shelter are calling for governments to prioritise rental security and quality issues, not just housing affordability, as a national study reveals widespread fear and discrimination faced by thousands of Australians.
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Latest Rent Tracker release

rent tracker cover image - a house with eyes.
Latest Rent Tracker report available now
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Long fixed-terms submission

Word cloud of Tenants' Union submission on long fixed terms
Word cloud of Tenants' Union submission on long fixed terms
Tenants' Union of NSW submission on long fixed term tenancies
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Water Metering Win

Jen Ringold and Lorraine Devere of MRAG
Jen and Lorraine saving water.
Pay only for what you use. MRAG and TU win for social housing residents.
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