Caboolture 
Leahy’s cartoon this week about Renting Reform in Queensland may seem over the top and should be taken in jest however the Property Management and Sales Teams at Professionals Caboolture/Morayfield have great concerns with regard to the proposals that are being planned for the rental market.
Our Property Management Team has more than 30 years combined experience in the industry and they have seen and heard it all! We understand there is a balancing act managing expectations of the property owners and the tenants.
We welcomed last year’s community consultation, Open Door to Renting Reform, by the Queensland Government looking into renting reform. According to the Government’s own terms of reference, “the aim of the consultation was to have an authentic conversation with Queensland tenants, rental property owners and property managers about their renting experiences”.
“The Government stated they wanted an informed conversation from all relevant parties, however we felt the initial consultation questions were very much directed at benefiting tenants. This skewed the results and now suggests reforms that on the surface appear to be potentially harmful to property owners,” Leigh Chippendale (Principal) said.
Queensland has the highest proportion of people renting in Australian states, with statistics showing that 34.2% of households in Queensland are rented (Australian Bureau of Statistics). With more Queenslanders renting, and renting for longer, we agree that it is important that tenancy laws support people to find safe and stable accommodation.
These laws also need to protect the investments of the property owners, without whom the market simply wouldn’t exist. Queenslanders invest in rental properties as a way of securing their financial future, and the private market relies on this investment to provide much-needed housing. 14% of Queensland taxpayers have an interest in a rental property and 72% of investors own just one investment property (Australian Taxation Office).
There were over 135,000 responses received during the consultation process with 3 key areas for reform identified:
- Safety and security;
- Protection against domestic violence; and
- Protections if renting with pets.
We understand tenants would love to be able to hang a picture, paint a feature wall or have a pet and for the most part our property owners are very open to all requests. However it is imperative the property be maintained to the highest possible level.
“As property managers we are extremely concerned that under these reforms, landlords will have their rights eroded, making property investment far less appealing,” Leigh said. “We want tenants to feel safe and valued and will always work with all parties to ensure the best and fairest outcome. Our team assess tenants and match them to suitable properties. We liaise with landlords regularly to ensure the safety of a property and have found the majority of our landlords are flexible and reliable, particularly when it comes to considering pets and maintenance. On the other side our tenants are reliable with rental payments and maintaining the property.”
Of major concern is the move to abolish the landlord’s right to not renew a tenancy agreement at the end of its agreed term. It is also inaccurate and misleading.
“This proposal is a little confusing as it is supposed to offer additional security for tenants however it is not necessary as the current rental laws mean landlords cannot end a fixed-term tenancy agreement before it ends, unless there has been a breach. Remain a good tenant and you cannot be evicted. Be a good landlord and just want to sell your property or change tenants then you could be penalized,” Leigh said.
Given the Government has conceded that these reforms are likely to increase weekly rent between $5 and $18 they must seriously consider the consequences of each and every change they want to make.
To ensure a balanced and equitable response please have YOUR say in this latest consultation process, which will close on 23 December 2019 https://www.yoursayhpw.engagementhq.com/give-feedback-renting-in-qld. The Government has not made the survey particularly easy to navigate but please persevere as your input is vitally important.
