Changes to rent increases will give renters “a fair go”, according to Queensland government

One state is promising that new laws will curb skyrocketing rental costs, however not everyone is convinced that it’s enough.

The Queensland parliament has passed legislation the Palaszczuk government hopes will put the brakes on rising rents as weekly costs continue to soar.

Rent rises will now be limited to just once a year from every six months in what the government promises will “give a fairer go to Queensland renters”.

The majority of other Australian jurisdictions have similar limits on how often a landlord can raise rents in the homes they lease.

Brisbane house rents have risen by 11.6 per cent in the past year to sit at a median $530 per week, while units rose 10 per cent to $440 per week, outranking every other capital city, according to PropTrack.

Public spaces in Queensland are being taken over with tent cities as rent rises push people out of housing. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

“The great majority of landlords do the right thing and look after their tenants – but for those who do not, this is a wake-up call,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said when announcing the legislation in March.

It’s a similar story outside of Brisbane, with rents in regional areas rising by 10.6 per cent to reach $520 per week.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles says the government is “supporting renters” with the move.

“The majority of landlords do the right thing, but taking immediate action will protect Queensland renters from landlords who aren’t operating fairly,” he said.

The changes to legislation were welcomed by rental advocacy organisations when they were first proposed, but the government has been urged to do more as a tightening market causes rents to continue to increase.

Young people are being pushed out onto the streets by skyrocketing rents. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

“I don’t think it goes far enough. Simply limiting the frequency of rises won’t abate the price gouging behaviour in parts of the market,” Tenants Queensland chief executive Penny Carr said in March.

The legislation also does not limit how much a landlord can increase a tenants rent by, just the frequency, according to Q Shelter executive director Fiona Caniglia.

“While the increasing costs of mortgages are impacting property investors, tenants are being pushed to the brink of homelessness by the scale of rent increases that can occur,” she said.