WA government says changes to rental laws will help the battle between landlords and tenants
The state government says changes to WA's rental laws will help balance the power battle between landlords and tenants. Rent increase will now be limited to once a year, and most tenants will be able to keep pets and make minor modifications. But with tight vacancy rates, not everyone is seeing the benefits.
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00:00As changes to WA's rental laws took effect last week, mother and daughter Alison and
00:06Amelia Clarke hardly noticed.
00:11On top of dealing with Alison's health issues, they were too busy packing.
00:14We're running out of time and then we are looking at being homeless.
00:22Six years ago they drove across the country to find cheaper housing and escape homelessness
00:26in Queensland.
00:28It's really taken, you know, almost six years to really get to the point of even kind of
00:32feeling like a person again, you know, like, because it is so dehumanising to be homeless.
00:40Three months ago they were devastated to be told their landlord was selling up.
00:44I just want four walls and a door.
00:47But there's very few rentals that are affordable to us and obviously it's the same for everyone
00:54else who has lower incomes or who are single incomes and so that we all have to apply
01:01for the same places.
01:02The reforms will limit rent increases to once a year and mean most tenants will be able
01:07to keep pets and make minor modifications.
01:10But if you're like Alison and you can't find anywhere to live, it's not going to be much
01:14help.
01:15Thank you for contacting Circle Green.
01:20It's an issue staff at community legal centre Circle Green see often.
01:24They're all kind of coloured with this threat of eviction that people face and advice we
01:28give people is often, you know, here's what your rights are and they don't want to do
01:32anything to enforce them because they know what the alternative is.
01:36Ms Pennycott is also the spokesperson for the Make Renting Fair campaign which wants
01:40further changes like capping rent increases, especially in the current market.
01:46But others say the balance is right and there's hope ahead for the market.
01:50Investor lending has increased so, you know, and they're aware of the reforms coming in
01:54so that's really positive signs that investors, you know, aren't too spooked about the reforms
01:59that are coming in and they're still willing to invest.
02:02That will take time to make a difference though, time the clerks don't have.
02:06I've never lived anywhere for six years so never had to pack up six years worth of stuff.
02:12Six years ago when we came here it was because this place, you know, WA, had a bunch of affordable
02:20available housing and now even here has the same issues as places like the Gold Coast in Sydney.
02:29So the question becomes, where do you go?
02:32Their next hope, saving up for a caravan and finding somewhere to park it.