The headlines have been non-stop. Rent increases through the roof leaving people with nothing left for other essentials. The number of rental homes plummeting with massive competition for anything available. And if you have a pet, its even harder to find a place that allows animals.

The system is stacked against tenants.

Once considered a transitional phase on the road to homeownership, the modern rental market is fast breaking this stereotype, with many people now renting for much longer.

Thanks to housing prices continuing to rise out of sync with incomes, there are now approximately 700,000 people living in rental properties across Western Australia.

This means more vulnerable people – including those on low-incomes, students, migrants, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and those living with a disability or mental illness – depend on the rental market for a safe and secure home.

Rental disputes, insecure housing, rental stress, unfair evictions, and unaddressed maintenance issues can have a significant impact on people’s mental health, family and school life, productivity at work and their general wellbeing, regardless of their income or social status.  

Be part of the solution

We know happier tenants often make for happier landlords. If a tenant feels more secure and at home they are more likely to stay for longer care for and improve the property. And better and clearer regulation reduces conflict for all.

There is an opportunity to make better and fairer laws for renters in WA with parliament reviewing the Residential Tenancies Act.

Things have to change. By supporting Make Renting Fair Alliance you will be contributing to legal reform that will leave a lasting legacy of social justice for renters for many years to come.

Support the Make Renting Fair campaign because better, fairer laws for renters is good for everyone, including landlords.

How you can help:

Email or phone your local MP asking them to support the Tenancy Ten.

Use the email template to write to your local member of Parliament, include as much information as possible about your situation under as many of the Tenancy Ten topics.

The Tenancy Ten

The Make Renting Fair Alliance has identified ten key issues of concern to renters that if addressed, would make renting fairer. These changes are at the heart of the holistic reform we want to see made in the review of the Residential Tenancies Act.

1.       End unfair evictions

Stop tenants being evicted without a valid reason. Introduce reasonable grounds for ending a tenancy.

2.                   Allow reasonable modifications

Renters should be allowed to make their house a home.

3.                   Create minimum standards    

Housing should be fit for people to live in and not make you sick.

4.                   Stabilise rent increases

A mechanism to cap unfair rent increases.  

5.                   Include boarders and lodgers

Extend legal protection to boarders and lodgers.

6.                   Allow Pets

Tenants shouldn’t have to choose between a family member and a home.

7.                   Quick, fair and consistent dispute resolution

Introduce mediation and reported decisions for greater clarity.

8.                   Better deal for public housing tenants.

Remove provisions that discriminate against public housing tenants.

9.                   Increase access to Tenant Advocacy & Information

Make advocacy services & tenancy information available to all renters.

10.               Privacy

Rental inspections should be no more than twice a year, to avoid unnecessary stress and imposition on tenants.

Make Renting Fair is a coalition of Western Australian community organisations and people who rent their home.