Bad Housing Trust tenants hit with new anti-social crackdown with ‘three strikes you’re out’ written warning system

Bad public housing tenants will be hit with a new anti-social behaviour crackdown as the state’s biggest landlord moves to clean up taxpayer-funded homes.

A Housing Trust home at Huntfield Heights where a window was broken and furniture set alight. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Bad public housing tenants will be hit with a new anti-social behaviour crackdown as the state’s biggest landlord cleans up taxpayer-funded renters.

The state government will today announce an overhauled “clear warning system” for 33,000 Housing Trust homes.

The Hon Nick Champion MP condemned anti-social behaviour that can often result in “serious” property damage, which leaves taxpayers with a repair bill. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

A political row erupted as ministers and the opposition each claimed standards had slipped, or become lenient, under different governments.

Under the crackdown, tenants will face a “three strikes and you’re out” written policy as “lenient” verbal warnings are scrapped after instances were not officially recorded.

Authorities will then seek to evict troublemakers from their home via the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

A successful SACAT ruling bars a tenant from a Trust property for at least 12 months.

Instances of “serious or illegal behaviour” will spark immediate eviction referrals.

Housing Minister Nick Champion also wants more dispute resolution conferences to settle problems earlier.

Data shows 410 tenants have a written warning while almost 4000 complaints were recorded in the second half of 2024.

Mr Champion condemned anti-social behaviour that can often result in “serious” property damage, which leaves taxpayers with a repair bill.

“If problematic tenants continue to ignore official warnings, we will take action to remove them from their public house,” he said.

An official review last week criticised failures over the almost $1bn SA Housing Trust maintenance contract exposed after an Advertiser probe.

Opposition spokeswoman Michelle Lensink said former tenants should repay bills.

“Whether former, evicted tenants should be allowed back into the system after a twelve month ban needs to be reconsidered,” she said.

Originally published as Bad Housing Trust tenants hit with new anti-social crackdown with ‘three strikes you’re out’ written warning system