The Illawarra branch of Vinnies has backed a pledge to give renters greater stability, including removing no-fault evictions and limiting rent increases.
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This week, the state opposition promised that if it wins the 2019 state election it will end no-fault evictions.
Tenants’ rights groups and legal centres say a landlord’s ability to evict people from a property within 90 days can follow complaints to landlords or requests for maintenance.
Labor’s policy will entail developing a list of reasonable grounds on which a landlord may evict a tenant and cap rent increases at once-yearly intervals.
Once a tenant’s formal lease has expired, Labor argues there are “limitless opportunities” to increase their rent, which can be “misused to force tenants out of properties”.
Labor says it will also extend the length of tenancies by making yearly agreements the default minimum term.
The St Vincent de Paul Society has also supported the opposition’s pledge to develop templates for five-year tenancies.
The Illawarra branch of Vinnies also stressed the need to remove no-fault evictions.
Peter Quarmby, executive officer for St Vincent de Paul Society’s Wollongong Central Council said the majority who seek assistance from Vinnies in the region are renting.
“The way in which the rental market has boomed over recent years, commensurate with the growth in property market values, has had a detrimental impact on people and their incomes,” he said.
“The reality is we are moving more and more to a long-term rental environment, where people are not looking to buy homes, but see themselves as long-term renters.
“In the international sphere that is often the norm, particularly in Europe, where it’s not unusual to have five, ten-year leases.”
Mr Quarmby said operating on a six or 12-month lease gave “no certainty to people”, resulting in added costs for moving, as well as the difficulties associated with relocating such as enrolling children in new schools.
“I don’t think we can over-emphasize the impact that these things do have, particularly for people who are on a low income.
“The cost and disruption in constantly having to move and not having that level of security we think is something that needs to be addressed.
“It’s about giving certainty to the landlord and the tenant.
“We’re saying unless there is a valid reason for needing the property to be vacated, that being where people want to move back into the property themselves or the property needs to be substantially renovated… But to be looking to terminate a rental simply because of market advantage is, we believe, unfair.
“(We are also calling for a legislative change) limiting the amount of rental increases to once a year.”
However, the Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean accused Labor of hypocrisy, saying that it previously stripped tenants of the right to argue against terminations at tribunals in 2010, when it was in government.
The Minister told Fairfax Media he was considering a fairer lease-break fee for tenants, improved rights to repairs being undertaken, better disclosure requirements prior to a tenant signing a lease and protection of tenants’ rights to photos of their properties.
