Housing News Digest
Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
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Archive
‘No-fault evictions’ to be banned in England – but it won’t solve private renters’ problems
Helen Carr & Edward Kirton-Darling The Conversation (No paywall)It appears that the UK government is going to ban “no-fault” evictions by private landlords in England. It promised to abolish these notices immediately after the election, and the king’s speech in July indicated this was a priority. Of course, this is not the first time this reform has been promised. It was a manifesto commitment for the Conservatives and prime minister Boris Johnson in 2019. But progress was slow, with arguments about the overburdened court system and the length of time it was taking to process repossession cases used to put the change on hold.
https://theconversation.com/no-fault-evictions-to-be-banned-in-e…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Rent.‘What if we built our own?’: young Amsterdammers fight housing crisis with cooperative build
Jon Henley The Guardian (No paywall)De Torteltuin, or “Dove Garden”, was born from an existential, if depressingly common, question. A group of young Amsterdammers, most still at university, looked into their futures and asked how they would ever afford to live in their own city. “It was 2020, we were 22 or 23 years old,” said Iris Luden. “It was a dream. We were fantasising. What if we built our own place? We imagined a kindergarten, growing our own food … We got together every month to talk about it. But slowly, it happened.”
https://www.theguardian.com/news/article/2024/may/14/what-if-we-…
# Must read International, Rent.More than 50% of Americans opting for 'rent-first' lifestyle, survey finds
Austin Williams Yahoo News (No paywall)LOS ANGELES - As the concept of renting continues to expand beyond housing, a new study by Credit Karma reveals that a significant number of Americans are choosing to rent goods and services as a lifestyle preference rather than out of necessity. The study, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that nearly 3 in 5 Americans (58%) who rent or lease goods and services say they live a rent-first lifestyle, driven by personal choice rather than affordability concerns.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/more-50-americans-opting-rent-2248252…
# Hot topic International, Rent.New Zealand’s 2024 Tenancy Reforms and Key Changes for Landlords and Tenants
Paul Chambers & Luke Simperingham Hamilton & Locke (No paywall)The Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act) governs residential tenancies in New Zealand as a code. From 2018 to 2020 the previous Labour-led government made a number of changes to the Act to tilt the balance in favour of tenants. With the change of government to the National Party-led coalition, many of these changes are now being reversed. The stated aim of these changes is to “remove barriers to rental supply and incentivise property owners to rent their properties via the private rental market.” Key changes included in the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024 (the Bill) which is currently before Parliament are...
https://hamiltonlocke.com.au/new-zealands-2024-tenancy-reforms-a…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Rent.What You Need to Know Before Subletting Your Apartment
Geoff Williams U.S News (No paywall)Maybe you have an opportunity for a change of scenery, a chance to get away for a long while, but you’re a renter and it would break the bank to send that monthly payment to your landlord while you're not actually living in your place. And that, folks, is how subletting came into being. Subletting is the act of renting out your own apartment while you live elsewhere. Traveling isn't the only reason to sublease your apartment.
https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/what-to-know-…
# Hot topic International, Rent.It's not a house. It's a home.
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)In an amazing victory following a long-fought legal battle, Tenants' Union client Mr Charles Joseph Warren has secured his ability to stay in his family's home of more than 100 years through a Fair Rent Determination. Mr Warren, or 'Joey' as his friends and family know him, has been in and out of court for years with his landlord, including fighting for his right to stay. An ex-miner, he has lived his whole life in the former mining town of Catherine Hill Bay. Now an elderly man 80 years in age, with declining health, Joey wished to stay and enjoy the serenity of his home for his remaining years. Unfortunately, his developer landlord, Wallalong Land Developments have taken action which could have resulted in him being evicted from his home.
# Must read, TUNSW in the media NSW, Eviction, Rent.Joey’s home is his castle. He pays $50 a month in rent
Michaela Whitbourn The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)It was a case that “appears to have been lifted from the script of the classic Australian film The Castle”, a NSW magistrate said. Charles Joseph “Joey” Warren, 80, has lived in a miner’s cottage at Catherine Hill Bay, about 30 kilometres south of Newcastle, for 57 years. His grandparents lived there before him. And for as long as he can remember, his rent has been $50 a month. Things changed in 2017. A property developer, Wallalong Land Developments, bought the land from Coal & Allied, then owned by Rio Tinto.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/joey-s-home-is-his-castle-he…
# Must read, TUNSW in the media NSW, Eviction.New data shows hardest hit areas for rental price rises as ‘desperate’ renters struggle to stay afloat
Sarah Kester 7 News (No paywall)There are fears skyrocketing rental prices could be “plunging” renters into homelessness as new data shows the areas hardest hit by NSW’s ongoing housing crisis New rental data has highlighted the areas most affected by rising rental costs over the past 12 months, urging welfare agencies to call on state government to help “desperate” people find a home. “NSW is entrenched in a severe housing crisis which is causing severe distress and harm across the state,” Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe said.
https://7news.com.au/news/new-data-shows-hardest-hit-areas-for-r…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent.