Residential tenancy eviction freeze to finish at the end of the month
While the eviction freeze for Queensland residential renters is about to finish, the State Government has promised that a number of other protections will stay in place through to the end of the year. This is what you need to know.
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The eviction freeze for Queensland residential renters will finish at the end of the month, as the government moves to extend protections for commercial leaseholders.
The State Government confirmed on Wednesday that the residential eviction moratorium will wind up on September 30 – as had been planned – but promised that a number of other protections will stay in place through to the end of the year.
They include protections for tenants from being listed on tenancy databases for unpaid rent caused by the pandemic, as well as ensuring entry requirements into the property support social distancing.
Lessors will also continue to have relaxed repair and maintenance obligations until December 31, but they must ensure the property remains safe for tenants.
The government claims the number of calls to the Residential Tenancies Authority has dropped “significantly” since the start of the year, with Housing Minister Mick de Brenni promising that the free conciliation service would continue.
“We‘ve seen 70 per cent of all conciliated tenancy disputes successfully resolved within an average of just over eight days,” he said.
“I want to congratulate property owners, managers and tenants for working together at what has been a difficult time for all Queenslanders.
“With the Australian property market expected to continue to change over the next period, we‘re asking all parties to continue to work together.”
The Queensland Council of Social Service slammed the end of the eviction freeze, with the organisation’s chief executive Aimee McVeigh warning it would threaten housing security.
“The eviction moratorium was introduced because people need a place to live if they are required to self-isolate or stay at home. We are not through this pandemic and people still need that security,” she said.
“QCOSS is deeply concerned about the potential for hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders to be forced into poverty, with their housing now also more at risk.”
Meanwhile, the eviction moratorium for commercial leaseholders has been extended through to December 31, after it was set to expire in September.
“This extended moratorium will be a shot in the arm for Queensland jobs and the economy,” Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said.
“It means that to the end of 2020 commercial leaseholders under affected leases can’t have their lease terminated if they fall into arrears as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”