When the first of two stages sailed through parliament at the end of 2021,Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch said the second stage would likely progress within months.
After last year’s housing summit and roundtable,the government will bring key stakeholders back together this month.Peter Rae
Nearly 18 months later,and with another meeting of stakeholders looming this month to address housing pressures,rental advocacy groups have questions and are reigniting calls for action.
“We had this housing summit in October and it focused really heavily on housing development and supply,and that’s a good thing,but if it’s truly a housing summit,it needs to look across the whole housing system – and rental reform is a major part of that,” Tenants Queensland chief executive Penny Carr toldBrisbane Times.
The more than one-third of Queensland households that are renting are now facing– which have climbed at nationwide – amid.
Broader cost-of-living increases and are also placing pressure on both tenants and landlords’ budgets.
The rental crisis is forcing some Queenslanders to get creative by renting caravans to keep a roof over their heads.
While acknowledging this outside parliament on Wednesday with other social service and housing organisations,Carr told reporters her organisation had fielded 160 calls during the first two months of the year from people seeking help about rent increases.
On average,these were jumps of 23 per cent,or about $100 more each week. One sharehouse of six saw their rent jump from $795 to $1500.
Carr said it was important to remember the private rental market was an “essential service”.
Jackson Hills,the policy and strategic engagement manager at Q Shelter,said:“We have to find a reasonable way to manage increases.”
The government’s 2018 roadmap lays out plans for the second stage of “positive change”,including the basics of rent and bonds,privacy and entry practices,and longer leases.
The Make Renting Fair Queensland campaign,which includes Q Shelter and Tenants Queensland,is now calling for this stage to include rules limiting rent increases to once a year and by no more than 10 per cent above inflation.
While the first stage delivered and minimum housing standards,reforms allowing tenants to make minor modifications for disability access,health,security or aesthetic reasons were pushed back to stage two.
Another stage-one reform with a view to ending no-grounds evictions resulted in a situation where renters approaching the end of fixed-term leases were handed a notice to leave alongside a new,more expensive,agreement,in what was essentially a “take it or leave it” situation,Carr said.
A recent proposal by South Brisbane Greens MP Amy MacMahon to and allow only 2 per cent increases every two years after that has been shut down by a committee inquiry.
The Real Estate Institute of Queensland said such a move would lead to a reduction in permanent rental properties as landlords sold up or looked to short-term uses.
In a statement on Wednesday,chief executive Antonia Mercorella said the “understandable” new calls for a cap on rent increases would do the same.
She said the issue ultimately needed to be addressed with the construction of more houses.
After last year’s and,the government will bring key stakeholders back together this month to check in on the actions that flowed from that.
Responding to questions fromBrisbane Times,Enoch would not be drawn on whether she supported calls for a cap on rent increases.
“We are determined to build on our record with further stage-two rental law reforms,with public consultation expected to commence on a range of proposals within months,” she said.
