ABOUT

Tenants' Union news

Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
For factsheets and sample letters, please see Tenancy info.

 

COVID-19 Financial Incentives for Landlords

Group of people in a house with cartoons of covid outside
The NSW Government has introduced financial incentives that can be claimed by landlords who provide a rent reduction to tenants impacted by COVID-19 during this period. If you are an ‘impacted tenant’, you can advise your landlord that if they provide you with a rent reduction, then they can claim one of the following two types of government payments.
Read more

WESTS lockdown service update

WESTS - here to help
The Western Sydney Tenants' Service (WESTS) is operating remotely during the COVID-19 Lockdown period. We will continue to deliver our excellent service to the Western Sydney community whilst in lockdown. Our offices are currently closed, but we strongly encourage our clients to continue contacting us online or via phone. As a tenant, you are entitled to exercise your rights within the scope of the current Public Health Orders and landlords are still to be held accountable to their general obligations under the rental agreement and residential tenancies law.
Read more

Vale John Mant – supporter of TAAS

John Mant
VALE JOHN MANT, 1936-2021: The tenants of New South Wales owe a big thankyou to John Mant who died on 10 July, aged 84. He left a legacy still in the making, especially in the field of urban planning. He also made a big contribution to the creation and ongoing support for tenants advice and advocacy services in NSW
Read more

Support for International Students: Pilot Hub Launched

OISH launch
International students have faced incredible hardship throughout the COVID-19 epidemic. At the peak of the pandemic, six international students began regular International student support sessions for isolated students. These zoom sessions sparked an idea for a physical hub where international students could support one another, share stories and build skills. The Tenants’ Union worked as part of a Sydney Alliance organising committee to develop the idea.
Read more

Lockdown safety net: our analysis

Lockdown safety net: our analysis
This week NSW heads into a tougher lockdown. For many renting households, especially renters who are casual workers, this is going to have a significant impact on their income and ability to make rent and cover other essentials. In this blog, we run through in more detail the support package for renting households that was announced last week.
Read more

Stop on evictions and financial supports for impacted renters

Breaking news 60 day stop on evictions & income support for impacted renters announced
The Tenants’ Union of NSW welcomes this afternoon’s announcement from the Federal and NSW Governments recognising the need to support renting households who might be struggling as a result of the lockdown. Supports include financial support, incentives for landlords to reduce rent and a stop on evictions for some tenants.
Read more

NSW Peaks push for measures to support households struggling during current lockdown.

Household wearing masks, virus in background
The Tenants Union of NSW, with the NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS) and Homelessness NSW, have written to Premier Berejiklian and Treasurer Perrottet, asking them to ensure measures are in place to support the most vulnerable during the current lockdown. “It’s really important that the restriction on forcing people to move is seen as part of the health response. It is entirely avoidable. We can and should be preventing people from being evicted or made financially desperate and forced by that to move during lockdown.”

Read more

Call for systemic change amid Northern Rivers housing crisis

Sally
The Northern Rivers region is beset by soaring rental prices, social housing issues, a crisis of housing instability and homelessness. In this article Sally Latter, Coordinator of the Northern Rivers Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service, shows why it's time to end no-grounds evictions and transform the housing system.
Read more

Young Renters: We hear you!

Vanessa
A new report by the Tenants’ Union of NSW and Youth Action digs into issues facing renters under 30. Young people’s voices feature, with quotes taken from the 304 responses to our survey of young renters, as well as observations from the 15 young renters who engaged in our young renter roundtable discussions.
Read more

Fees to pay rent? Third party rent payment services: an explainer

flying paper money
There’s been a little bit of buzz lately around third party rent payment services, especially across social media. So, what exactly are these services, and are they a good idea?

Third party rent payment services (3PRPS) are services that will take money out of your bank account and put it in your rent account at the real estate agency. Many of you are probably familiar with these services – I know I’ve used them myself in quite a few of the rentals I’ve lived in. These services can be helpful for some renters, for a variety of reasons, but we know there are significant drawbacks.
Read more