Western Australian dad evicted without reason after agreeing to rent increase

When Troy agreed to pay extra in his rent every week, he thought it was the end of the negotiations. Then he was handed an eviction notice. 

A father-of-two has been evicted from his rental property in Western Australia despite agreeing to pay an extra $250 per week.

Pro boxer Troy Humberston has been paying rent to his landlord for some time. He’s never missed a payment and keeps the house looking its best. 

Then, out of the blue, he got handed an eviction notice. 

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RELATED: ‘The landlord told me I had to pay $200 before I even inspected the property’

Troy was evicted despite agreeing to a rent increase. Picture: 9News

Dad-of-two evicted for no apparent reason

“I'd agreed to the $900 a week,” Troy told 9News. 

“But then I took exception to [the landlord] wanting us to pay the increased rent starting 30 days early.”

Following this discussion, Tory was horrified to be handed an eviction notice, kicking him and his entire family out on the street. 

The reason? There wasn’t one, Troy claimed.

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A “no-grounds” eviction allows a landlord to kick a tenant out of the rental without reason, even if the renter has paid all bills on time, lived there for several years or kept the property in good condition. 

It's also perfectly legal in Western Australia, the only state in the country that allows such expulsions from a property. 

In 2021 the Victorian government announced it would be phasing out no-grounds evictions, followed by NSW and South Australia in 2023.

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The dad-of-two has slammed the "no-grounds" eviction law. Picture: 9News

“It's pretty obvious who the no grounds for eviction laws benefit…” 

Speaking to 9News, Housing Minister John Carey said “landlords aren’t the baddies here” and are an important part of the accommodation economy. 

“We need them to be investing in rental accommodation, so it adds to supply,” he said. 

But Troy disagrees, arguing the laws aren’t out to benefit anyone but the property owners.

“It's pretty obvious who the no grounds for eviction laws benefit and it's certainly not the majority,” he said. 

Alice Pennycott, principal lawyer at Circle Green Community Legal said the “no-grounds” eviction law “creates this fear or this threat of uncertainty that people have.” 

She added that the law essentially means that people aren’t standing up for their rights. 

“They're not taking steps to try and negotiate a rent increase or asking for repairs and maintenance,” she said. 

Originally published as Western Australian dad evicted without reason after agreeing to rent increase