Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
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Archive
Submission: Economic Reform Roundtable – Housing System Reform for Productivity and Resilience
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)The Tenants’ Union of NSW welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Economic Reform Roundtable and strongly encourages the government to consider housing system reform, particularly in relation to the rental sector, as essential to improving productivity and building long-term economic resilience.
https://www.tenants.org.au/reports/submission-economic-reform-ro…
# Hot topic, Research alert NSW, .Warrawong NAIDOC Family Fun Day 2025 – Celebrating Strength, Vision & Legacy
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)This year’s Warrawong NAIDOC Family Fun Day – held on Tuesday 8 July 2025 at Darcy Wentworth Park (in the southern suburbs of Wollongong) – was an incredible celebration of culture, community, and connection. As proud members of the Warrawong NAIDOC Organising Committee, the Illawarra Legal Centre and Illawarra and South Coast Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service were honoured to play a role in bringing this special event to life – marking 50 years of NAIDOC Week and celebrating the powerful 2025 theme: "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy."
https://www.tenants.org.au/news/warrawong-naidoc-family-fun-day-…
# NSW, Community languages.The exposed horror reality for tenants in NSW
Kaylee Cranley realestate.com.au (No paywall)A video tour of a Sydney home recently listed for rent has exposed the living conditions some tenants have been expected to endure, with the home alleged to have a trashed kitchen and leaking ceiling. Posted to Instagram by online content creator Jordan van den Lamb, who has garnered a large following from exposing less-than-desirable listings, the video casts the spotlight on a $550 a week listing in the inner west suburb of Burwood.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/the-exposed-horror-reality-fo…
# Must read, TUNSW in the media NSW, .NSW real estate agents threaten renters with fees if they are not home for tradespeople – but legally they don’t have to be
Catie McLeod The Guardian (No paywall)New South Wales real estate agents are threatening renters with fees as high as $330 if they are not at home to let maintenance workers in, despite there being no legal requirement for renters to personally allow entry. On 8 July, Lauren Gillin’s agency told her she needed to be home during a two-and-a-half-hour window seven days from that date to allow access for a smoke alarm inspector or pay a $90 fee. “Please make yourself available, this inspection is compulsory, and access must be provided,” Gillin’s property manager at Rich & Oliva said in a letter seen by Guardian Australia.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/26/nsw-rente…
# NSW, Privacy and access, Security and safety.Key workers to be offered pod housing in Byron shire amid social housing builds
Emma Rennie and Bruce MacKenzie ABC (No paywall)Teachers, police and other "key workers" looking to move into the Byron Shire will be offered accommodation in pod-style cabins originally built to house survivors of the 2022 floods. Byron Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said securing the pods at Brunswick Heads as homes for key workers and others in housing stress was "fantastic" news. "We really do need houses as soon as possible … everything just takes too long and when we have many people, as we do, that are homeless or in extreme housing stress, we need to be able to deliver as soon as possible," she said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-31/northern-rivers-social-ho…
# Hot topic NSW, Disasters, Public and community housing.New eviction laws criticised by renters’ advocates
Francisco Silva Law Society Journal (No paywall)Five weeks after ending no-grounds evictions in New South Wales, the state government amended the Residential Tenancy Act 2010 to remove additional evidence requirements in evictions due to repairs or renovations. Over two dozen tenants’ rights advocates, including Community Legal Centres NSW and the Aboriginal Legal Service, voiced their criticism of the decision. Previously, landlords who needed to evict tenants to complete significant repairs or renovations in their properties were required to provide written statements and detailed evidence of the planned work, such as quotes from licensed builders or receipts from purchasing building materials. However, without further consultation, the NSW Government removed the additional evidence requirements. Landlords are now only required to provide a written statement.
https://lsj.com.au/articles/new-eviction-laws-criticised-by-rent…
# Must read NSW, Eviction.Get rid of greedy housing investors
Coast Community News (No paywall)In the 1960s the Housing Commission built tens of thousands of homes. Who can forget Green Valley, Dundas Valley and Ermington, in Sydney alone? Housing was not considered an investment; it was for families to live in. Sure, the values rose but as a consequence of living in the house for decades. We now have short-term rentals at exorbitant rents pricing the needy out of the market. We have a greedy State Government with a vested interest in high-value property sales because they reap the stamp duty on each sale. We have a Federal Government not willing to remove the negative gearing and tax benefits afforded to property investors.
https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2025/07/get…
# Hot topic NSW, .Ku-ring-gai “electrify everything” rebates to help residents make the jump from gas to electric
Huw Bradshaw North Shore Lorikeet (No paywall)Under Ku-ring-gai council’s new “Electrify Everything” scheme, residents of the local government area will be able to claim up to $3000 in rebates when fitting out their house with electric energy. Starting from the 28th of July, new rebates can be claimed on the purchase and installation of solar panels, batteries, hot water systems, and induction cooktops. Electrifying does not always mean installing new power systems, however; the scheme also includes improvements to the existing energy efficiency of homes. As such, upgrades to the insulation and windows of houses are also able to be claimed, helping residents keep their homes warm in the winter, and cool in the summer, while using less power.
https://www.northshorelorikeet.com.au/p/ku-ring-gai-electrify-ev…
# NSW, .