In a big leap forward for renters, Parliament finally banned no-ground evictions – something I have pushed for since I was elected. Rental security could not exist while tenants could be evicted for no reason because it could be used to punish tenants challenging rent rises or property maintenance. New laws require a reason for eviction from a comprehensive list. In response to tenant advocate concerns that some of the reasons could provide new loopholes for retaliation evictions, I amended the bill to require the government to collect and publish data on how reasons for eviction are used so that any alarming trends can be identified.

New laws also attempt to encourage more ‘pet friendly’ rentals by limiting the reasons a landlord can lawfully refuse a companion animal. I am concerned that the list of lawful reasons allows too much subjectivity for landlords and puts the onus on tenants to contest unlawful refusals. This is something we will have to monitor. With blanket companion animal bans in place, I successfully moved amendments to prohibit advertising a property with a ban.

The new laws are expected to commence early next year.

My speech > HERE.