Review of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008

To date the Queensland Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) has received 111 submissions from a range of stakeholders including government departments, tenants, lessors, agents, industry representatives, peak bodies and community groups, which they are in the process of analysing. A report on the consultation feedback will be prepared and forwarded to the RTA Board for its meeting in February and following that, a formal report with recommendations for policy and legislative changes will be submitted to the Minister for Housing and Public Works, the Hon. Tim Mander by March. 

It is anticipated that following the minister’s consideration and depending on the government’s decision to act on any/all of the recommendations, a copy of the final report may be made available to a wider audience by April or May.

Q Shelter submitted a response to the review of the Act in consultation with the Tenants Union of Queensland and the Queensland Council of Social Services. In addition to our responses to numerous options proposed within the discussion paper, Q Shelter strongly recommended the review of residential tenancies legislation should:

·     Promote rental as a viable long term tenure option by removing provisions for “without grounds” evictions

·     Facilitate practices to support high needs social housing tenants to stabilise and maintain tenure

·     Direct a proportion of bond interest and the whole of unclaimed bonds (after seven years) towards funding of tenancy advice and advocacy services

·     Align with the National Affordable Housing Agreement and National Partnership agreement on Homelessness by mitigating rather than adding to homelessness.

Cedric McIntyre, Q Shelter Policy Officer