Consultation resources for renters and community supporters: submission template

The NSW Government has now opened a consultation on Improving NSW renting laws. Now’s your chance to have your say on the changes needed to make renting fair! You can have your say through completing the consultation survey, or sending in your renting experience and views as a written submission. We have developed resources to help you contribute in both of these ways.

You can download or copy & paste our submission template below. Or click here for our survey guide.

You can contribute a written submission about your own renting experiences and views. You don't need to write a formal submission answering all of the questions in the consultation paper. Sharing your story as a renter in NSW is valuable.

Have you experienced an unfair 'no grounds' eviction? Lost out on a rental because you have a pet? Been hit with an unaffordable rent increase? Had to hand over loads of your private data in an automated rental application?

Share your stories as a submission so that your voice is heard and your experience can help shape change.

We have developed a submission template which outlines the campaign’s positions on some of the issues raised in the consultation, and gives prompts for elements of your renting experiences to share. 

You can download the template, or simply copy and paste the text below.

Replace the sections in [square brackets and italics] with your own experiences, or delete them if not applicable. Then, email your submission to residentialtenancy@customerservice.nsw.gov.au. You can choose to submit anonymously if you prefer.

Submission template

Submission: Improving NSW Renting Laws

All renters need and deserve homes that are affordable, secure, safe, and feel like home. NSW renting laws should be reformed in order to make renting fair for the 1 in 3 people in NSW who rent our homes.

[Sentence introducing yourself, e.g. “I am a renter in Sydney’s Inner West. I’ve been renting for my whole adult life, and now live in an apartment with my partner and our dog”.]

Ending unfair evictions

Renters need homes that are stable and secure. Renters deserve to live without fear of unfair 'no grounds' evictions from our homes.

All renters should be provided with a valid reason for ending a tenancy. Landlords should be required to provide a reason to end a rolling (periodic) lease, and a fixed term lease after the end date. 

‘The property will soon be sold’ should not be added as a ground for eviction.

[Share your experience related to unfair evictions. Have you ever been given a ‘no grounds’ termination notice? Worried about asking for repairs or maintenance because you could be evicted in retaliation? Have you ever been evicted because the landlord said they were selling, or moving in, only to see your home advertised back on the private rental market after you move out? Share your story here.]

Keeping pets in rental homes

Renters need homes that feel like home. Renters should be allowed to make simple choices to make the houses we live in homes, including whether or not to keep pets.

Landlords should only be able to refuse a pet by obtaining a Tribunal order allowing them to do so. This is a model similar to those that apply in Victoria, the ACT and the NT.

NSW should go further and make sure people aren't penalised for applying for a property with a pet. This could be by providing a standard application form with only questions that are relevant. 

[Share your experience related to keeping pets in rental homes. Have you ever struggled to find a pet-friendly rental? Had to keep a pet secret from your landlord or agent? Needed to give up a beloved pet because your landlord said you couldn’t keep them? Share your story here.]

Rental affordability

Renters need homes that are affordable. Renters need to be able to afford to pay our rent without worrying that it will mean we go without other life essentials.

There should be fair limits on rent increases in NSW tenancy law.

Housing is an essential service. Having a secure, safe, affordable home is vital to ensure a decent life. There are other essential services – energy, health, education and more – where cost is regulated to ensure the service is accessible for everyone. Fair limits on rent increases and rent setting should apply in rental housing too. 

[Share your experience of rental affordability. Have you ever struggled with unaffordable rent? Had a rent increase that made your home too expensive for you? Been unable to find a new rental within your price range? Share your experience here.]

My renting story

[Share your experience as a renter. Feel free to highlight other issues or problems you have faced as a renter, or other things you’d like to see changed about renting in NSW.]
 

You can also contribute through filling out the survey. Click here for our survey guide.