18 September 2018

Guy Barnett, Minister for Building and Construction

Residential Tenancy Amendment Bill passes Lower House

Legislation to manage access and affordability to rental housing and assist victims fleeing family violence has passed the Lower House.

The Residential Tenancy Amendment Bill 2018 reflects outcomes from the Housing Summit held in March.

The reforms provide further protections for tenants experiencing family violence, by enabling a court to terminate a residential tenancy agreement without penalty when making a Family Violence Order.

There are circumstances where a victim of family violence needs to break the lease and move to a new residence, unknown to the perpetrator.

Other measures include:

• Eligible tenants will be able to make security deposits towards bond money rather than being forced to pay the full cost of a bond up front.
• The reforms also extend the timeframe for a bond to be paid to the Rental Deposit Authority while expanding the categories of organisations that may receive a bond. This will allow social housing providers to collect and retain the bond money until the full amount has been received, before depositing it with the Rental Deposit Authority.
• The bill also implements the accommodation requirements of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which will enable participants housed at a single premises to have exclusive access to bedrooms and shared access to common areas, such as kitchens and living areas.

The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to supporting our most vulnerable, this legislation is yet another example of the work we are doing every day to make a real difference in Tasmanians lives.

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