The Inner West Council and inner west advocacy groups have expressed support for tenancy reforms proposed by regulation minister Matt Kean but say landlords should not be able to evict tenants without a reason.
The reforms that were introduced include the ability for tenants to make minor alterations to their house, minimum standards to make a home habitable and provisions allowing domestic violence victims to end a lease immediately. However, whilst the government has taken a step in the right direction, the changes mean little if renters aren't protected from unreasonable and unfair evictions.
Nicole Kennedy from the Redfern Legal Centre said that the laws create “a power imbalance where tenants are forced to live in substandard conditions rather than risk asking for repairs.
“No grounds evictions can affect any renter; however, these provisions have an even greater impact on people living in social and community housing,” Nicole Kennedy says.
“Social housing is designed as a safety net for the most vulnerable tenants in our society, including people with disabilities, the elderly and low-income families. When renters in these properties face sudden eviction, inevitably they are ejected straight into homelessness."
Read the full article here. (Lanie Tindale, City Hub, October 9 2018)
