Housing News Digest
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
Portable rental bond system on the way
Coast Community News (No paywall)Eligible tenants moving from one rental property to another will soon be able to digitally take their bond with them, under a portable rental bonds system being undertaken by the NSW Government. The move is part of a package of rental law reforms designed to deliver a fairer rental system. Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said the state’s first ever portable rental bonds scheme will be a welcome development for NSW’s rental community, which is nearly one in every three members of the NSW population. “More people are renting than ever before, and the number of people renting is up 17.6 per cent since 2016,” Tesch said. “Renters are already burdened with the double whammy of increasing rents and low vacancy rates.
https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2024/08/por…
# Hot topic NSW, Bond.‘Get with the program’: The issue holding back Sydney’s new homes
Michael Koziol The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The state government has begun a shake-up of Sydney Water’s board and ordered it to “get with the program” on solving the housing crisis, amid escalating tension over the state-owned corporation’s approach to enabling infrastructure for new homes. Water Minister Rose Jackson branded the company “a big problem” when it came to releasing land for greenfield development, accusing it and the previous government of hugely underinvesting in capital works, though that was now being remedied.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/get-with-the-program-the-iss…
# Hot topic NSW, Utilities water energy internet.Renter union vents frustration at Federal rent assistance increase
Sarah Petty realestate.com.au (No paywall)A tenant’s union has called out the federal government for increasing rental assistance by about $20, believing they were offering “crumbs disguised as cakes”. The Albanese government announced on the weekend it was raising Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 10 per cent from September 20, which gives renters up to $23 extra a fortnight to put towards their lease commitments. It comes after the federal government also increased rent assistance by 10 per cent in its May budget.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/renter-union-vents-frustratio…
# Must read Australia, Rent.Four Steps To Stop Your Landlord Stealing Your Bond
Listnr Newsroom (No paywall)Complete the condition report carefully at the start and end of your tenancy, ensuring it accurately reflects the property’s state. This helps avoid disputes over any damages. In this two-part feature, The Briefing looks into the messy world of rental bonds. In Part One, CEO of the New South Wales Tenants’ Union Leo Patterson Ross explains how to stop your landlord stealing your bond, and whether there’s a way to run this system that’s better for everyone.
https://articles.listnr.com/news/four-steps-to-stop-your-landlor…
# TUNSW in the media, Audio Australia, Bond, Rent, You want to leave.Rental advocates warn heat-related deaths will increase if Queensland regulations aren't tightened
Shari Hams ABC (No paywall)Air con full blast, office sleepovers and hats in the freezer. Queensland renters say their homes are unfit for a summer scorcher, as parts of the state see out winter with a predicted 36-degree day. Advocates warn predicted record-breaking temperatures in the months ahead could be fatal for some, and renters and public housing tenants with inadequate cooling are especially vulnerable. Bailey Wemyss lives in public housing on the Sunshine Coast. They have Ehler Danlos Syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that makes them unable to regulate their body temperature.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-30/calls-for-better-regulati…
# Hot topic Australia, Utilities water energy internet.Would a landlord watchdog make a difference to Australian renters?
ABC (No paywall)As the rental crisis worsens across the country, the Greens have proposed a suite of federal reforms to better protect renters. Proposed changes include a national landlord watchdog, rent control and minimum living standards. But how realistic are the measures when states and territories play such a key role in regulation? Guests: Dr Michael Fotheringham, managing director, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute; Leo Patterson Ross, CEO, Tenants' Union of NSW; Amy Bosdorf, tenant.
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/proposed-chan…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media, Audio Australia, Rent.New Greens 'renters authority' plan to fine dodgy agents $78k and freeze rents
Sara Tomevska SBS (No paywall)On-the-spot fines and taking dodgy real estate agents to police are among the proposed powers of a National Renters Protection Authority (NRPA) the Greens will push in the lead-up to the next federal election. Along with a 1,000-strong workforce to investigate rental breaches, the authority would have sweeping powers to strip agents of their licences and fine dodgy landlords up to $15,650, and real estate agencies $78,250. "Across this country, there are 7 million renters who are powerless in their own homes, unable to push back against unfair rent hikes, dodgy agents, and landlords who never do basic repairs," Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said in a statement.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/new-greens-renters-authority…
# Must read Australia, Rent.The Greens have added a 'landlord watchdog' to a growing housing policy wish list
Tom Crowley ABC ()The Greens will push for permanent rent control and a national landlord watchdog if they hold the balance of power in the next parliament. In a new proposal, the minor party wants to fine landlords thousands of dollars if they breach strict rules including minimum kitchen and bathroom sizes and rent hikes of no more than 2 per cent every two years. The policy would be difficult to implement since it exceeds the legal powers of the federal government and would require major concessions from states and territories. But the framing reflects the minor party's belief it can woo renters squeezed by a historically tight rental market.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-02/greens-call-for-landlord-…
# Must read Australia, Rent.