Ms DONNA DAVIS (Parramatta) (12:32): My question is addressed to the Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading. Will the Minister please update the House on the Minns Labor Government's plan to build a fairer rental market for both tenants and owners?
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields—Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections) (12:32): I thank the member for Parramatta for her question and for her ongoing advocacy for the people in her electorate. After all, 56 per cent of the people in her electorate are renters. No doubt other members have a high percentage of renters too. I am proud to inform the House that the Government will today introduce a comprehensive rental reform package that will make a huge difference to the lives of renters in this State. The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024 will make the most significant reforms to the rental market in over a decade. The reforms will overhaul rental laws to benefit the more than 2.2 million people who rent in our State.
Our comprehensive package includes ending no-grounds evictions to give renters and owners more clarity by introducing sensible reasons to end a fixed or periodic lease; making it easier for renters to keep pets in their homes; ensuring renters have a free way to pay their rent, including bank transfers and the Commonwealth Government's Centrepay system; and protecting renters from having to pay for their own background checks when they apply for a property. Our bill will also deliver cost-of-living relief by capping rent increases to just once a year for all lease types. I know renters in every single electorate across the State will very much welcome the protection from frequent rent hikes.
It must be said that the reforms are only possible under a Minns Labor Government. The previous Liberal‑Nationals Government failed to act on the issue, and renters have been living with instability and uncertainty ever since. It should also be noted that those opposite had an election commitment to end no-grounds evictions but only for periodic leases, a policy they seem to be sticking with in opposition. Such a position will leave renters on fixed-term leases with greater uncertainty and instability in their rental property. Only a Minns Labor Government has the resolve to make such historic changes to the rental system by ending no-grounds evictions across all types of leases. We want renters across the State to have security of tenure in their homes. We want landlords to have the certainty that comes from clear, simple rules. [Extension of time]
We have listened to the more than 16,000 responses and submissions from the public, as well as feedback from renter advocates, industry stakeholders and tenancy experts. We have listened and we have acted. We are proud to say that this extensive consultation has been vital in shaping the legislation that the Government is introducing today to modernise the rental market. The reforms are focused on getting the balance right. For too long, landlords and renters have been pitted against each other. But we know that landlords want good tenants and tenants want good landlords. A better and fairer rental market benefits everyone. That is why we have consulted widely and thoroughly to make sure the bill gets the balance right for the people of New South Wales.
The Minns Labor Government is fulfilling its promise to make renting fairer. The reforms are needed to help families build their lives around a home so that they will not be asked to leave without a reason. They are needed to stop our young people abandoning this great State because they cannot afford another rental increase. The reforms are needed because pets are part of the family whether a person is a home owner or a renter. Under the reforms, landlords and property owners will still be able to make the decisions they need to protect their asset. We are delivering a fairer balance and greater certainty to the New South Wales rental market at a time when it is sorely needed. I urge those opposite to be on the right side of history and support the huge overhaul of the rental laws to make sure our landmark reforms help the more than 2.2 million people in our communities and more who will become renters, and make the laws contemporary, fit for purpose and meet the needs of our great State.
