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.
Our main email newsletter, Tenant News is sent once every two months. You can subscribe or update your subscription preferences for any of our email newsletters here.
See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
We love sharing the news and hope you find it informative! We're very happy to deliver it for free, but if you find it valuable, can you help cover the extra costs incurred by making a donation?
Archive
Rent-Stabiliation Survey Doubted; Manhattan Vacancies Top 10%
Suzannah Cavanaugh (Paywall)Landlord groups say the Housing and Vacancy Survey distorts the vacancy rates in New York City to maintain rent stabilization. (The Real Deal New York)
https://therealdeal.com/2021/08/18/empty-numbers-landlords-say-v…
# International, Rent, Landlords and agents.Risk v reward: Should you dive into the world of property investing?
Sue Williams Domain (No paywall)... But for all investors in residential property, it’s vital that they understand their own risk profile before they make the leap, advises property investment expert Luke Harris, author of the new book Property Fit: Get your Property Portfolio in Shape for Financial Freedom.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/risk-vs-reward-should-you-dive-in…
# Australia, Housing market, Landlords and agents.The challenge of finding a final resting place for old mattresses
Harriet Alexander The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Mattresses are one of the greediest waste items in terms of the landfill space that they occupy. Their high volume to weight ratio makes them expensive to move and, once buried, their low density compromises the civil engineering of the landfill. ... But the bedding industry is attempting to reduce the amount of landfill by creating a circular economy for mattresses, which involves consumers, retailers, manufacturers and importers in appropriately re-using them or recycling their materials.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-challenge-of-finding-a-f…
# NSW, Home.End of fixed term evictions are unfair ‘no grounds’ evictions: Part 1
Jemima Mowbray Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)If you’ve been following the news about recent reforms to Queensland tenancy laws lately you’d be forgiven for thinking there had been a big win for renters we’d somehow missed or forgotten to celebrate. The ABC reported removing ‘eviction without grounds’ was among a raft of changes to the state’s rental laws successfully passed through Queensland Parliament. Channel 7 told its viewers the Queensland reforms would ‘stop evictions without grounds’. We should be celebrating! But sadly, no.
https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/end-fixed-term-evictions-are-unf…
# Must read Australia, Eviction, Rent, Fixed-term tenancy, No-grounds evictions, State Government.Council of Europe Call for COP26
(No paywall)In view of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow (UK) from October 31 to November 12, 2021 the Committee on Environmental and Health Crisis on behalf of the Conference of INGOs published a call for solidarity and urgent action by States, economic actors, and civil society for the safeguard of the common house. Climate Change and Health: Call for solidarity and urgent action by States, economic actors and civil society for the safeguard of the common house. Check out the link at this media release. (International Union of Tenants News)
https://www.iut.nu/news-events/council-of-europe-call-for-cop26/
# Must read International, Climate change, Health.End of fixed term evictions are unfair 'no grounds' evictions: Part 2
Leo Patterson Ross Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)In the blog earlier this week, we looked at recent reforms to 'no grounds' provisions in Queensland tenancy law. Today, we continue the conversation and consider attempts to reform tenancy law to remove 'no grounds' provisions in other Australian jurisdictions. We dive even deeper into the problem of 'no grounds' in fixed term tenancies to examine why and how these reform attempts have, so far, fallen short.
https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/end-fixed-term-evictions-are-unf…
# Must read Australia, Eviction, Rent, Fixed-term tenancy, No-grounds evictions, State Government.Government’s plan to end no-fault evictions delayed until next year
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The government has written to stakeholders to inform them that the white paper, which was originally expected this autumn, will be published in 2022. The white paper is expected to set out the government’s plans to ban Section 21 evictions, which are often referred to as no-fault evictions as they allow landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason. Former prime minister Theresa May first announced plans to ban this type of eviction in April 2019. A spokesperson for Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities told Inside Housing that the government “remains committed to delivering a fairer private rented sector – this includes ending the practice of no-fault evictions”. ... Calls were repeatedly made during the coronavirus crisis for the government to bring forward the ban on Section 21 evictions as it was feared that they could be used against people who had fallen into arrears due to pandemic-related pressures.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/governments-plan-to-en…
# International, Eviction, Rent, No-grounds evictions.Aboriginal practice in western courts: meet the man striving to make justice fairer
Cameron Gooley The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Brendan Thomas has spent more than two decades in the public service, working to create a more equitable justice system for Aboriginal people in New South Wales. But the Wiradjuri man is about to take on his biggest role yet: he’s been appointed to head a new division in the state’s Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) ... Tasked with improving public housing and reducing the Aboriginal incarceration rate and the number of First Nations children being placed into state care, he’s well aware of the enormity of the task. Check the media release at: [https://www.dcj.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/aboriginal-leader-to-transform-outcomes]
https://amp-smh-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.smh.com.au/pol…
# NSW, Aboriginal renters, Public and community housing, State Government.