Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Rental reform

Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (03:38): (1551) It is 3:40 am, so it is time to talk about some recent rental wins. I know many across my electorate, across Melbourne and across Victoria are struggling with rising costs, particularly housing costs. But the housing crisis did not just appear out of thin air. It is a result of political decisions from both major parties over decades that failed to prioritise everyone’s right to a safe, secure and affordable home. Across the last year the Greens are really proud that we have secured some important reforms that will make renting a lot easier and more affordable for everyone. That includes banning fees so real estate agents cannot charge you fees to pay your rent or to get a background check when you apply for a house. It includes ending no-grounds evictions, which means you cannot get kicked out for no reason; your landlord now has to provide a proper reason to ask you to leave, no matter what lease you are on. It includes extending the notice to vacate. Now a landlord has to give you 90 days, up from 60, to move out – if they have a proper reason – or to raise your rent. It includes banning rental bidding so a real estate agent or landlord can no longer ask for or accept more than the advertised amount, which means you will no longer have to unfairly compete for a rental. If you live in an apartment, your owners corp can now vote to ban short-stays in your building, and by regulating Airbnb and introducing an effective empty homes tax, more homes are now available for renters and first home buyers.

We know there is more to be done. Renters deserve secure, affordable housing, just like everybody else. The only way to make renting truly fair is to make unlimited rent increases illegal. Across the world governments have introduced rent controls as a way to make sure that people can continue to afford to live in their home. We are calling on the Victorian government to do the same so renters do not have to worry about that next rent increase. My adjournment is to the Minister for Housing and Building, and the action I seek is for the Victorian government to make unlimited rent increases illegal.