NSW Fair Trading Minister, Anoulack Chanthivong says the appointment of a state Rental Commissioner will mean renters will have a strong voice to Government.
The Minister today announced sector leader and Homelessness NSW CEO, Trina Jones (pictured), as the inaugural NSW Rental Commissioner.
“Renters are almost a third of the state and they deserve secure and fair housing, Trina’s job will be to advocate and drive meaningful change,” said Minister Chanthivong.
“The housing challenge isn’t just about affordability, it’s about amenity too – and we need rules that let renters get on with their lives with the rights and security they need.
“We’re consulting now on changes to improve stability and fairness in the rental market, I’m looking forward to working with Trina to bring this work together by the end of the year.”
The Minister said the Commissioner will work with the Government to design and implement changes that rebalance the rental market, making it fairer and more modern, including:
- making it easier for renters to have pets in their homes;
- ending ‘no-grounds’ evictions;
- implementing a portable bonds scheme that allows renters to transfer bonds from one property to another;
- improving the protection of renters’ information and privacy.
Beyond these proposed changes, the Commissioner will also be responsible for identifying and investigating other issues that are impacting the NSW rental market.
The Commissioner will examine rental affordability and supply, encourage longer term rental agreements, investigate ways to improve energy efficiency for renters, develop educational resources for renters and owners, and monitor current tenancy laws.
“The government’s appointment of NSW’s first rental commissioner is an important step to addressing some of the issues facing renters and importantly giving them a voice,” said Premier, Chris Minns.
“Anyone who rents in NSW knows just how anxious and challenging the process can be to find suitable accommodation, not to mention the rent increases and cost of living pressures.
“I’m looking forward to working with the new commissioner to make our state a fairer place for both renters and owners.
“We can’t fix years of problems in the rental market overnight, but we have already made a start and we are determined to do more.”
The incoming NSW Rental Commissioner said she looked forward to working closely and productively with government, industry, renters and owners across the state.
“In taking on the role of rental commissioner, my mission is to amplify the voice of renters, help strengthen their rights and improve the fairness of the rental market,” said Ms Jones.
