The Current Laws

WA renters now have the least secure tenancies in Australia:

• Tenants can be evicted without any reason, at any point during a periodic tenancy provided 60 days’ notice is given by the landlord.
• Tenants can be evicted without any reason at the end of any fixed term tenancy provided with 30 days’ notice.
• The threat of eviction makes life extremely insecure for tenants, who are unlikely to assert their rights for repairs and maintenance, for fear of eviction.

How would this change if "no grounds" evictions are removed? 

• Landlords already have seven clear grounds for ending a tenancy, and so will still be able to end a tenancy at any time using these grounds. For example, if tenants breach their agreement by not paying rent, causing nuisance to neighbours, damaging the property, or even if the owner finds themselves in undue hardhsip and requires the property back for another purpose, the landord can end the tenancy by following the correct process.
• Under the proposed reforms “no reason” evictions would be removed for periodic tenancies and limited to the first fixed term tenancy, after which landlords would need to give a reason, the tenant has breached the tenancy agreement.

WA renters have almost the weakest protections from unfair rent increases in the country.

• In WA, until the changes announced in May 2023 are legislated, rents can be raised every six months, even on a fixed term lease, with no limit on the amount increased!
• Landlords only need to provide 60 days’ notice to increase the rent.

How would this change? 

• Under the proposed reforms rent increases would be restricted to once per year, but we are calling for a form of stabilisation mechanism to limit the amount by which rents can increase, like they do in the ACT.