The ACT government has put into law several rental reforms, including the ban on “no cause” evictions.
The ACT is the first jurisdiction to pass a law prohibiting tenancy termination without legitimate cause. With this, no cause evictions will be removed from the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 from 1 April 2023.
Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said the changes will provide tenants greater security, removing any fears of being evicted without reason.
“It’s important that people who rent feel like their house is a home. Rental conditions in the ACT are already very challenging, with rising rents and limited supply,” he said.
On top of the “no cause” eviction ban, the ACT government also passed several rental reforms, including:
- Banning rent bids
- Allowing tenants to grow food and to compost waste
- Creating a framework to support the future introduction of minimum housing standards for rental properties
The framework that sets the minimum housing standards will gives tenants the right to access the rental property if they need to upgrade it to meet the standards.
Meanwhile, it will also allow tenants to seek a rent reduction, compensation, or an end to the tenancy agreement if the property does not meet the set standard.
Better Renting advocacy coordinator Bernadette Barrett said these reforms are a “significant victory” for renters and advocates who have been lobbying these changes for years.
“These changes will also empower renters to better advocate for their rights without fear of retaliation, giving them more power to negotiate with landlords and push for necessary repairs or changes to their living arrangements and allowing them to create a better sense of home,” she said.
“The reforms are a welcome step towards ensuring that all renters in the ACT have access to stable and healthy homes.”
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Photo by Freesally from Pixabay.
