Landlords to take fury at new rental laws to the polls: real estate professionals

TERRITORIANS will be taking their fury over new legislation to the polls, according to some of the NT’s leading property professionals.

Territorians will be taking their fury over rental legislation changes to the polls according to NT real estate agents.

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TERRITORIANS will take their fury over the Gunner Government’s changes to rental legislation to the August election, according to some of the NT’s leading property professionals.

The Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory’s (REINT) petition to reverse the changes to the Residential Tenancies Act reached more than 7100 signatures this week, which REINT chief executive Quentin Kilian said was indicative of the community's anger.

“What it comes back to is that landlords’ rights are being taken away from them,” he said.

“To get 1000 (signatures) the day after the by-election tells me that people’s thoughts on election day are very much going to be linked to their comments to us about their rights being usurped.”

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Raine & Horne Darwin general manager Glenn Grantham said he’d received substantial feedback from clients.

“We’ve had a lot of responses from our owners in relation to it, most of it negative,” he said.

“But of course they’re owners, not tenants. We’ve equally had positive responses from tenants.

“It’s inevitable it’s going to happen, but they’ve just got to make sure the process is managed as best as possible.”

He agreed with Mr Kilian’s election thoughts.

“A lot of the owners of investment properties are locals. I would imagine they would be upset by this decision and potentially vote accordingly,” Mr Grantham said.

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Elders Darwin branch operations manager and REINT president Diane Davis said the whole industry had been rocked by the changes.

“Why the Northern Territory Government had to legislate it is beyond the realm of sensibility … I don’t ever recall a landlord saying no, people can’t have a pet in a property,” she said.

Attorney-General Natasha Fyles acknowledged Territorians may take their feelings to the polls.

“With any feedback, be it from the by-election or on legislative changes, we listen and work even harder to deliver for the Territory,” she said