Tenants in Australia do not have it easy. They fear eviction and rent increases, and have to put their privacy on hold for quarterly inspections by their landlord. We have heard these stories by the hundreds through our advice line, drop in service and at court.

The report Unsettled. Life in Australia’s private rental market, jointly published by CHOICE, National Shelter and the National Association of Tenants’ Organisations finds these issues are structural and are (partly) caused by weak tenancy laws and a tax system, which supports investors rather than tenants.

Of concern from a Tasmanian perspective is that the report names Tasmania as the state with the least affordable rents in relation to income, second only to Sydney.

Together with Shelter Tasmania, and to coincide with the launch of the report, we put out a Media Release, calling for law reform including greater security of tenure, and a withdrawal of the Federal Government’s recent proposal to axe the National Housing Affordability Scheme.

Find the report Unsettled. Life in Australia’s private rental market here.

Find the Shelter Tasmania and Tenants’ Union of Tasmania’s media release here.