Tenants' Union news

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Latest news and analysis

Through a Renter's Lens: "We make our own homes"

31/03/2023
Close up of Rod Smith, city in the background. He is smiling and has a blue shirt on.
Rod Smith is the winner of the People category in the Tenants' Union’s recent photography competition. This week he dropped into our offices to pick up his framed winning photograph and we had a chat with him about taking part.
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Incoming Minns’ government needs to implement promised reforms to our renting system urgently

28/03/2023
Hand placing a piece of paper into a brown ballot box. Tenants' Union logo in the top right hand side of the image.
Tenants' Union of NSW welcomes incoming Minns Government and encourages immediate action to deliver on promised urgent reforms for renters
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Privacy, data and discrimination in renting

24/03/2023
Sign on a pole saying ‘for rent’
We recently asked renters to share with us what kinds of information had been requested from them when applying for a rental property. This is what they told us.
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Through a Renter's Lens – photo competition

08/03/2023
Cameras
Over the last few months we have been delighted to host a statewide competition and exhibition of renters' photography. We were thrilled with the number and quality of entries we received on all the three themes of People, Place and Pets. Beyond technical skill, aesthetic appeal and excellent composition, the renter photographers were able to capture the human side behind the rental crisis currently gripping NSW.
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NSW to ban ‘no grounds’ evictions for renters during periodic tenancies

03/03/2023
NSW to ban 'no grounds' evictions for renters text with party ribbons in the background
Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming election on 25 March, NSW will see an end to ‘no grounds’ evictions during periodic tenancies. Achieving cross-party support for ending ‘no grounds’ evictions during periodic agreements is a huge step forwards that will improve the security of renters all across NSW.
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A huge win for NSW renters

03/03/2023
Make Renting Fair supporters at Westmead Assembly
Today the NSW Liberals and Nationals joined NSW Labor and the NSW Greens and committed to ending 'no grounds' evictions for periodic (or rolling) tenancies. This means we really have a never-before-seen consensus on the principle that rented homes need to be stable homes, and that a modern tenancy system would support this.
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NSW Election Announcement Tracker

21/02/2023
Ballot box shaped as a house with city scape in relief, colours striking orange and blue
NSW Election Announcement Tracker: What renting policies have been announced ahead of the March 25 NSW election? What would these policies mean for NSW renters?
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The 2023 NSW election could be a renters' election #RentersElection2023

06/02/2023
Tenants' Union CEO Leo: "How parties are addressing the problems renters face may be a deciding factor come 25 March"
The 2023 NSW state election comes in the middle of a rental housing crisis. As voters head to the polls renters' issues will matter, and how parties are addressing the problems renters face may well be a deciding factor in the election. In this blog we examine the cost of living crisis in NSW, and in particular pressures facing renters in relation to housing and energy costs. Parties and politicians on all sides need to be talking about what they will do to fix our broken rental housing system.
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Pitter patter towards pet-friendly homes

11/01/2023
photograph of a young child in comfy clothes and slippers sitting on a brown couch with their hand resting on a little brown dog
New South Wales Labor has announced its plan for pets and renting in the March 2023 state election. The plan is an improvement on current laws that allow landlords to refuse requests or impose blanket 'no pets' clauses in tenancy agreements. The Tenants' Union of NSW supports an even stronger model where landlords can only refuse permission or challenge a pet's presence with a Tribunal order and that addresses the application process that works to prevent people finding a home.
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Renter's privacy and data

04/01/2023
Cartoon image of 5 people holding signs with a padlock over their face
You may have heard that the NSW Government is looking at the information that is being collected about tenants during the application process and how it is being stored. This is a great opportunity to 

We've developed this survey to capture your experiences and thoughts about the issue to help us ensure changes are fair and effective.
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