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November 14th, 2018

Are new tenant laws effecting house rents to go up ?

 

From having your house rent increased again and again to being forced to give up your pet, Australians have had very undesirable experiences with their landlords. To combat these issues, a number of states in Australia including NSW and Victoria announced a new set of reforms that were aimed at giving renters more rights. When the new reforms take effect, renting families would be allowed to make some small changes to the properties they live in including nailing picture hooks into walls. On the other hand, landlords would be compelled to ensure that they maintain these properties and keep them at the minimum standards required by the law. These changes form the next step in the nationwide move towards giving tenants more rights and security. Here is a breakdown of the reforms.

• Rental pricing

Landlords will only be allowed to increase rent only once in a year unlike currently where they can increase it in every six months. They will also be required to advertise their rental properties with a fixed price attached to the advertisement, and not accept an offer at a higher price than the one advertised.

• Tenant rights

The government will also create a black list of landlords and agents which will be made available to the public. While currently landlords can include a “no pets clause” in the rental agreement, after the reforms take effect, tenants will be allowed to have pets. However, they will be responsible for all the damage to property done by their pets.

• Faster payments and rental bonds

Under the new reforms, tenants will be able to apply to the Residential Tenancy Bond Authority for release of all or part of their bond without their landlord’s agreement. They will also be allowed to apply to have their bond released up to 14 days before the end of their tenancy instead of the previous seven days.

• Rental security

While currently landlords are allowed to end a tenancy for no specified reason, they will now be required to give a reason for the termination after the laws take effect. They will also be obliged to inform their tenants of all important information related to the property.

What will be the effects of the new tenant laws?

When these common sense changes take effect, renters will have more ownership of their home and feel their rented home is a home. They will now be able to live in livable conditions with the new set of minimum standards for rentals. However, there will likely be lots of tenant movements due to evictions. But what if you are not prepared to move and furthermore, can’t afford to hire full-service movers?

While all these changes will definitely make a big difference to the tenant’s life, the proposals had left out one important factor that is likely to reduce its effectiveness. Unfair evictions will be the order of the day which will in turn undermine many of these proposed improvements. According to experts, landlords have been evicting tenants to increase the rent or retaliate when they request for repairs. This means that all these new reforms will not be meaningful because tenants will still continue being evicted for demanding for their rights.

How can you save money when moving your home?

If you ever find yourself in the circumstance that you have to move but want to save money on your move, the best thing to do would be to check out self pack moving. This is a great house moving alternative to those households who don’t want to pay for a full service moving company but also don’t fancy driving a moving truck over a long distance. Although it won’t be very easy compared to hiring full service movers, the cost savings will be worth it especially when you are moving interstate. Just ensure that you do your homework and get the best self pack container company and get a good quote.

Even though hiring a full service moving company may seem to be the most feasible option, it is normally accompanied by higher costs. The relocation process already being a tough and expensive affair, this extra expense will be extravagance for many households who would rather prefer to move their belongings by themselves. Once you decide that you want a DIY move, you can proceed and rent a self pack moving container which is sometimes referred to as storage moving units. The container gets delivered to your premises and after packing and ready to move, a professional driver will be sent to pick it up and drive it to your new location.


Are you ready to move?

Enquire today!