News

This week, four years ago, a motion was debated to pause the spread of short-stay accommodation in residential zones across Tasmania. The motion was lost in part because the Government committed to “the delivery of 900 new homes by the end of June 2019”. Recently published data from the Productivity Commission shows that there was […]

Last quarter we talked about ignominious firsts – new thresholds of high rents that were reached in Tasmania, Hobart and Southern Tasmania. Whilst rents in Southern Tasmania are not exactly slowing, it is the North and the North West of the State this quarter that recorded worryingly high increases in median rents. All regions in […]

We have written to the Hobart City Council in support of the proposed amendment to the Hobart Interim Planning Scheme 2015. The proposed amendment would restrict future short-term visitor accommodation permits in residential areas. Find the text of our submission below or download the submission including references on the bottom of this page. To Kelly Grigsby, […]

Most of us cannot imagine what it would be like to be a victim survivor of family violence. Of the terror that comes with a partner who is physically, emotionally, sexually or economically abusive. And of the difficult decisions many face in leaving. As former Australian of the Year and family violence campaigner Rosie Batty […]

We recently provided a submission to the Productivity Commission’s Review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement in which we called for federal funding of social and affordable housing investment to be tied to greater security of tenure and rent controls. Find our submission here:

Yesterday we officially launched our Bond Special Factsheets. In 13 factsheets we provide explanations and case law on specific bond dispute issues. The factsheets also list documents tenants should provide to support their case when a dispute goes to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner. The project was funded by the Law Foundation of Tasmania, with the […]

Rents are rising at an increasing rate and hit new heights in the December 2021 quarter, with remote areas seeing the biggest increases. We have recorded a trifecta of infamous firsts: Tasmanian weighted median rents are over $400 for the first time; The median rent for a 3-bedroom property in Hobart City hit the $600 […]

Last week we released data that there were 563 empty homes across the Hobart, Glenorchy and Launceston municipalities and may be up to 2000 empty homes across Tasmania. In response, the Government questioned the data on the basis that it may include “vacant lots, houses under construction or in the planning phase”. TasWater have since […]

Every week it seems like there is another media story of someone crying out for a roof over their head or worried about unsustainable rent increases. Over the last five years, rents across Greater Hobart have increased by 45 per cent and the number of people waiting on our social housing waiting list has blown […]

The Tenants’ Union of Tasmania will be closed from Wednesday, 22.12.2021 COB to Tuesday, 4.1.2022. Our advice call back line will be open until midday Wednesday, 22.12.2021 and will re-open at 9:30 am on 4.1.2022. We wish everyone happy holidays!