ACT Government, Better Renting: renters praise draft bill

Tenant advocates have praised a draft bill before the ACT Legislative Assembly which aims to give renters greater rights. Find out what’s proposed.

Tenant advocates have praised a draft bill that would give renters greater rights in the ACT.

If passed, the draft bill would ban no-cause evictions, prohibit landlords and real estate agents from rent bidding, establish minimum standards for rental properties and ensure renters have the right to grow their own food and compost.

Currently in the ACT a landlord can evict a tenant for no reason by giving them 26 days notice.

The draft bill was brought to the ACT Legislative Assembly by ACT Greens leader and Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury.

“With growing pressure on rental affordability and availability, the ACT Government is modernising tenancy laws to create more secure housing and a fairer rental system for all Canberrans,” he said.

The ACT Greens will table a bill to ban no-cause evictions when Assembly sits next week.

“The bottom line is people deserve a home to live in and shouldn’t be evicted without a legitimate reason.

“The ACT Government has committed to end no-cause evictions to help address the power imbalance that currently exists between landlords and a tenant.

“During our community consultation on tenancy reforms later last year, we heard from tenants that removing no-cause evictions will give them better security of tenure and greater confidence to assert other tenancy rights without fearing eviction.”

Better Renting executive director Joel Dignam welcomed the draft bill and said ending no-cause evictions was long overdue and would protect tenants.

Better Renting is a community organisation formed by Canberran tenants in 2018 with the aim to ensure people can access “stable affordable and healthy homes” in the nation’s capital.

“The abolition of no-cause terminations is long overdue and very welcome,” Mr Dignam said.

“The existence of no-cause terminations makes people worry about exercising their rights and leads to retaliatory evictions and forced moves.

Joel Dignam from Better Renting has welcomed the draft bill. Picture: Supplied

“It will make a big difference for the growing number of people renting in Canberra, over 50,000 in the last census.

“People will have more confidence to exercise their rights and feel secure in their homes.”

Mr Dignam said the next priority for the ACT government to tackle was rent increases.

“Particularly recently we’ve been hearing from so many people struggling to deal with huge rent increases that are making it impossible to balance the budget, and sometimes forcing people to move,” he said.

“Changes to no-cause terminations will help here, because it will be easier for people to stand up against unfair rent increases.

“On the other hand, unethical landlords may use rent increases to try to force tenants out.

“So this area will need attention and we think a simple cap on rent increases is the best solution.”

Canberrans can have their say on the draft bill via the ACT Government’s YourSay website.

The bill is expected to be tabled when Assembly sits next week.