Greens Will Fight for Renters’ Rights in the Next Parliament

The Greens recognise the housing crisis requires more homes to be available for Tasmanians, and we are pushing to build more houses and rein in out of control Air BnB. But the problem does not stop there – renters need improvements to tenancy laws to make sure they have a secure and affordable place to call home.

Trying to find an affordable place to live has become a nightmare. Tasmanians are already struggling through a cost of living crisis, and jacked up rental prices are only making things worse. It wasn’t always so bad, but for a decade the Liberals have allowed rents to skyrocket and done nothing about it, and Labor has teamed up with them to block every attempt at reform.

Right now renters can be subjected to rent increases of hundreds of dollars a week for no good reason and can be unfairly evicted without cause at the end of their lease. And they can’t even make minor modifications like installing hand rails for disability access and safety, or locks for security. This has to change.

The Liberals were pushed to support renters’ right to have a pet at the last election, but it never passed the Parliament because of this early election that was caused by the major parties. This is a basic reform that is well overdue, as is ensuring all rentals meet minimum energy efficiency and other standards. In a cost of living crisis, this will help save people money, and improve and quality of life for tenants.

Lutruwita / Tasmania has some of the weakest rental laws in the country and the Greens want to fix them. We have tried to pass laws to help renters, but every time we’ve done so Labor has teamed up with the Liberals to block us. It’s just not good enough. Affordable and secure housing isn’t just a basic need, it’s a fundamental human right.

In the next Parliament the Greens will move legislation to:

• Protect tenants from unreasonable rent hikes
• Stop unfair end of lease evictions
• Give renters the right to own a pet
• Allow renters to make minor modifications
• Ensure rentals meet minimum standards of energy efficiency

While Liberal and Labor politicians have stood in the way of these crucial reforms so far, we won’t stop fighting for renters, and we’ll again move legislation in the next Parliament. With a new government and in the balance of power, the Greens will fight to make sure Tasmanian renters have an affordable and secure place to call home.