The Greens welcome news that a law which gives renters the right to keep a pet in their home will soon commence. This is a significant change for which the Greens have long-been fighting.
Pets are part of the family and they shouldn’t impact the ability of Tasmanians to find a safe and affordable rental home. But for too long, renters with pets have been unnecessarily disadvantaged.
Too many Tasmanian renters have had to make the difficult decision to give up their family pet to be eligible to rent a place to call home. It’s already hard enough to find an affordable home in this state, this reform will make it easier and fairer.
This change is long overdue and it’s a welcome step forward. Without continued pressure from the Greens and advocates in the community, like the Tenants Union of Tasmania and the Dogs Homes of Tasmania, the Liberals would never have taken up this policy at the 2024 election.
While reforms which give renters the right to own a pet are welcome, more needs to be done to improve life for renters by giving them options and the rights they deserve. The Liberal Government should give renters legal protections from unfair rent hikes and eviction, reign in the loss of rental homes to Airbnb, and build more public homes.
