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Not in NSW? There are services across the country who can help:

• Australian Capital Territory
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

Contents:

• Can my landlord evict me during this crisis?
• Can my landlord continue with inspections, including open homes?
• I have lost income, what can I do?
• I’m trying to negotiate a rent reduction. My landlord wants a lot of personal info.
• Even if the landlord agreed to reduce rent, I can’t afford to continue renting this property. I would like to break my lease early and move out – can I do this?
• I’m having trouble with other household bills, what can I do?
• I am supposed to be at Tribunal, should I still go? What will happen to my case?
• I am an international student and affected by the travel ban. What can I do?
• I’m in public or community housing. Will my rent go up due to increasing social support payments?
• Does the COVID19 crisis change any of my rights or obligations?
• Can I move house during the current gathering/movement restrictions in NSW?
• I’m ok but I want to help my community. How can I do that?

The post Renting & Coronavirus: What you need to know appeared first on NSWATS.

Important changes to tenancy law have come into effect as of 23 March 2020. These changes affect anyone renting a property in NSW (including people who rent both home and site in residential land lease communities).

We have been working hard to update our factsheets so that you can be sure that this site is accurate and you’re reading the most up-to-date information. All 28 of our key factsheets have been thoroughly reviewed, with substantial changes made to over half of them. We will continue to make updates as needed to other resources over the coming weeks. If you have any comments or questions about this, please give us feedback here.

Some highlights from the changes

All rental properties will now have to meet seven minimum standards before they can be considered ‘habitable’. The standards include that the property is structurally sound, has natural and artificial light, adequate ventilation and plumbing and drainage.

See Factsheet 06: Repairs and maintenance.

If you need to leave a fixed-term tenancy early, the ‘break fee’ penalties you will pay are generally reduced and taper-off the further through your contract you are. These break fees will only apply to tenancy agreements entered into after the changes come in.

See Factsheet 16: Ending fixed-term tenancy early.

Now landlords can’t unreasonably refuse consent to tenants who want to make minor alterations, repairs or renovations to the rental property. Minor alterations here are fly-screens on windows, child safety features including child gates or and fixing furniture to a wall, or hand-held shower heads or lever-style taps to help elderly or tenants with a disability. Landlords and property managers will also have to make sure that smoke alarms in the property work, or face big penalties.

See Factsheet 20: Smoke alarms.

Landlords will have more information they need to disclose before you enter into an agreement, especially in strata tenancies, where they must provide you with a copy of the by-laws before you enter into the agreement and also inform you if a strata renewal committee has been established.

See Factsheet 13: Strata scheme tenants.

The post Important changes to rental laws appeared first on NSWATS.