Redfern Legal Centre's International Student Guide to Share Housing

Renting Matters is a series of podcasts produced by the Tenants’ Union of NSW and Legal Aid NSW. The series is part of Legal Aid NSW's Law for Community Workers on the go – which keeps community workers up-to-date with legal topics and changes to the law – and has clocked up over 69 episodes with 23,000 downloads and counting. Renting Matters features tenants and workers from across the Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service Network, the Tenants' Union and the community sector. In a relaxed, conversational style, guests share anecdotes, information and tips designed for busy people. We would love you to listen and subscribe via your preferred podcast platform, and share the podcast with friends and colleagues!

International students have faced incredible hardship throughout the COVID-19 epidemic. At the peak of the pandemic, six international students began regular International student support sessions for isolated students. These zoom sessions sparked an idea for a physical hub where international students could support one another, share stories and build skills. The Tenants’ Union worked as part of a Sydney Alliance organising committee to develop the idea.

The Public Health Orders so far have continued to allow landlords and their agents to force a range of entries into residential premises against the wishes of the occupants and their attempts to follow health advice. We want to hear from renters about any requests for access they've received - e.g. routine inspection, viewing appointments, repairs or maintenance, other - you have received since the start of the NSW lockdown period. We will be using information collected to advocate for tougher restrictions on access to rental housing during lockdown.

A new report by the Tenants’ Union of NSW and Youth Action digs into issues facing renters under 30. Young people’s voices feature, with quotes taken from the 304 responses to our survey of young renters, as well as observations from the 15 young renters who engaged in our young renter roundtable discussions.

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 identifying housing need? Originally published in Council to Homeless Persons' publication Parity.

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 protections for all people who rent their homes, whether they live in boarding houses, shared accommodation or lodgings, or other renting arrangements.