Premier Chris Minns announces historic law changes for NSW renters

Massive changes for renters are set to be introduced, which NSW Premier Chris Minns says will “bring the rental market into the 21st century”.

No-grounds eviction will be banned in NSW in the hopes of improving the state’s rental laws and rebalancing the relationship between renters and landlords.

In a historic rental reform, the state government will offer more than 2.2 million renters across the state better housing security and offer landlords “more clarity” on ending a lease.

The new laws will make it harder for property owners to evict renters, and make it easier for renters to have pets at home.

The reform has also capped rental increases to once per year, to close “legal loopholes” that allowed landlords to increase rent for renters on a fixed term lease of less than two years or have changed the type of lease.

Premier Chris Minns has scrapped no-grounds evictions. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The premier said renters had been “the forgotten people in NSW for too long, and that ends now” and the changes “brings the rental market into the 21st century”.

As part of the new laws, which passed parliament on Thursday evening, renters will no longer have to pay for background checks, and will have access to no-fee payment options such as bank transfer and Commonwealth Centrepay.

“Millions of people rent in NSW, and we know how anxious and challenging it can be,” the premier said.

“These are sensible reforms to get the balance right for renters and owners.”

The reforms aim to “bring the rental market into the 21st century”. NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

The current rental market is “the toughest that renters have seen for decades” said NSW rental commissioner Trina Jones, with a 7 per cent increase in median rent prices over the last 12 months and “historically low vacancy rates”.

“These reforms will provide tenants with practical and meaningful support, which will help ease the insecurity and vulnerability of renting in challenging city and regional rental markets,” Ms Jones said.

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said the reforms will “make it easier for renters” living in NSW.

“We want a thriving rental market in NSW where landlords have certainty and tenants have security, and these reforms do just that,” Mr Chanthivong said.