Make Renting Fair made a submission to the Federal Inquiry of the Community Affairs References Committee into the worsening rental crisis in Australia.
The submission analyses the current impacts being felt in Western Australia and includes a number of statistics and case studies from the rolling Make Renting Fair survey.
You can read our submission on page 17 (Submission 334) on the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs website.
As a topline, these were our findings:
In a snapshot:
The Make Renting Fair Alliance has found that renters are stressed and hurting: living in poorly
regulated homes, and experiencing cost of living pressures and frequent rent increases. Historically
low vacancy rates makes them feel trapped in their current place and fearful of asserting their
rights.
There are actions the government can take to limit rental rises and to massively improve the
standards of rental homes and circumstances for renters. There are examples of successful policies
across Australian jurisdictions as well as internationally. There is also a need for evidence-based
government policy, programs and funding to boost the supply of social and affordable rental
homes.
Recommendations
- We recommend and support a nationally harmonised approach to rental standards, with
world’s leading practice laws using the Tenancy Ten as a guide. - We support and recommend the examination and introduction of a rent stabilisation
mechanism, such as linking rent rises to the CPI as occurs in the ACT and requiring landlords
to justify any increase above the CPI. - We support longer and more consistent notice periods for rent increases.
- We recommend that “without grounds” termination powers be abolished in all jurisdictions,
and replaced with prescribed grounds for termination to make renting fairer. - We recommend permanent, adequate, rolling funding and financing mechanisms from
government, to deliver a pipeline of affordable rental housing in line with evidence-based
need. - We recommend introduction of minimum standards for all rental housing, with: 1) detailed,
express minimum requirements; 2) standards to protect renter health and thermal comfort;
3) all residential tenancy agreements to include a term requiring minimum standards to be
complied with by the lessor; and 4) clear, simple processes to resolve disputes and enforce
requirements. - We recommend that after the initial inspection at three months, rental inspections should be
no more than twice a year, to avoid unnecessary stress and imposition on tenants. - We recommend legislated privacy protections that apply to tenants’ personal possessions,
tenancy documentation and personal files and photos taken in the course of inspections
and maintenance issues: - We recommend training and regulation for property managers to standardise practices and
ensure fair and consistent treatment of tenants.