Though well-intentioned, the Greens’ open letter to the Prime Minister fails to offer real solutions. Instead, it risks deepening divisions within the rental sector and keeping tenants in a perpetual state of disempowerment.

The timing is no coincidence. Hearings are underway at the Social Services and Community Select Committee on the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill. The bill introduces measures to increase tenant access to private rental supply, with the most controversial policy being the restoration of the 90-day no-fault termination (colloquially mischaracterised as the ‘no-cause eviction).

The Green Party’s proposals show a lack of understanding of the current tenancy laws and mechanisms already in place to protect tenants. For instance, Section 54 of the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) provides significant protections for tenants against retaliatory termination. This powerful tool enables tenants to challenge and overturn any termination notice given in bad faith. It’s surprising that such an essential safeguard is ignored in the Green Party’s narrative.

Sarina Gibbon, APIA’s general manager, says, “It is baffling that landlord groups are the only ones talking about Section 54 when it literally is a tenant’s trump card against bad faith landlords. I, for one, would love to work with the Green Party to bring better awareness and utility of Section 54 to renters.”

Related Item: APIA Press Release – Greens’ Open Letter Offers No Real Solutions

The Green Party’s letter also overlooks existing regulations that address many of their concerns:

  1. Limiting Rent Increases: The Residential Tenancies Act already restricts rent increases to once a year and caps them at market rate. Rather than rehashing this issue, the focus should be on increasing the supply of private rental housing. This is a real solution to rental affordability.
  2. Rental Warrant...