Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch has welcomed the introduction of fairer renting laws, which came into effect on May 19 and aim to make renting fairer for more than 40,000 renters across the Central Coast, along with others in the state.
The reforms include ending no grounds evictions, with owners now required to provide a valid reason to end all lease types, increasing security and transparency for renters.
Tenants will now be able to apply to keep a pet in their rental home, with owners only able to refuse for specific reasons, such as the owner living at the property or failure to comply with local council laws.
Owners and agents must now enable renters to pay their rent using certain fee-free rent payment methods such as direct bank transfer.
The latest reforms build on previous rental changes including: limiting rent increases to once per year; ending tenants having to pay for their own background checks; a portable Rental Bonds Scheme; and Rent Check, a new free website that helps renters to understand how the rent they’re paying compares to other similar homes.
The latest legislation, which was passed in NSW Parliament in October, followed a comprehensive consultation and engagement process.
“We said we’d do it and we have delivered,” Tesch said.
“These rental reforms are a huge step forward for the 11,000 renters in the Gosford electorate and the 40,000 tenants across the Central Coast.
“Since taking office, the NSW Government has been focused on building a rental system that gets the balance right between renters and owners.
“During my childhood we moved 13 times to various rental properties, so I understand the importance of having security and fairness in the rental market.”
Penalties are now in place for agents or owners who do the wrong thing, with the changes to be enforced by the Rental Taskforce.
Renters are encouraged to visit the NSW Fair Trading website for clear, up-to-date guidance on the new rental laws and their rights and obligations at www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/renting-a-place-to-live
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