Across Queensland, rents have gone up by a whopping $330 a fortnight, or 43%, since 2021. Unlimited rent increases continue to keep homeownership out of reach for many while pushing thousands into financial stress and homelessness. Right now, property investors and agents can increase rents by unlimited amounts and kick tenants out at the end of a fixed term lease for no reason. 1.7 million Queenslanders rent and they are struggling in one of the most unaffordable and insecure rental markets Queensland has ever seen.
Labor and the LNP have abandoned renters in the middle of a housing crisis. Neither of the major parties have a plan to tackle surging rents. Property investor politicians like the Premier and Opposition Leader would rather see rents continue to climb out of control than take on rich investors, big banks and private developers. Renters also know that if they raise issues about maintenance, repairs, and minimum standards, they risk retaliation in the form of huge rent increases or being denied a lease renewal at the end of their existing agreement.
The Greens will give renters breathing space by freezing rents for two years followed by a 1% cap on annual rent increases. We’ll also give renters long term security by guaranteeing the right to a lease renewal at the end of a fixed term lease unless investors have a valid reason not to offer one.
The Greens will:
- Freeze rents for two years followed by a 1% cap on rent increases.
- Implement long-term rent caps. After the two year rent freeze finishes, rent increases will be capped at 1% per year.
- Give renters a guaranteed right to a lease renewal. Agents and landlords will be required to renew all fixed term leases unless they have a good reason not to.
- Let renters make their house a home by increasing the notice period to refuse a lease renewal to 6 months.
Freeze rents
The Greens will freeze rents of all Queensland residential tenancies for two years.Rents will be frozen at no more than the weekly rent as at 1 January 2023, the same year the Australian Greens first proposed an emergency rent freeze. Rents will be frozen for two years from the date the rent freeze comes into effect. An emergency rent freeze would give renters breathing space and give wages a chance to catch up.
If the property is a new build, a new entry into the rental market or has been substantially renovated, then an investor would be able to rent the property at or below the median rent for that postcode and dwelling type (i.e. detached house, townhouse, unit).
Long-term rent caps
At the end of the rent freeze period, rent increases will be capped and will only be allowed to be raised by a maximum of 1% every year. Both the rent freeze and the long term cap on rent increases would apply to the property, not the specific tenant or lease, meaning there would be no incentive to evict tenants in order to raise the rent.
Right to lease renewal
Right now tenants who raise issues about maintenance, repairs, minimum standards or agent conduct risk being denied a lease renewal in retaliation. Without a guaranteed right to a lease renewal, renters struggle to enforce any of their other rights, including minimum standards, maintenance and notice periods for inspections. The Greens will require agents and landlords to renew all fixed term leases unless they have a valid reason not to. Valid reasons for refusing a lease renewal will include:
- unpaid rent;
- unremedied breaches such as a failure to repair damage done to the property;
- the owner or their immediate family intends to occupy the property;
- the owner intends to undertake major renovations or demolitions on the property.
Landlords and agents relying on unpaid rent or unremedied breaches as a reason to refuse a lease renewal would need to provide evidence of the breach. Landlords who rely on these other reasons to evict tenants and then fail to act in accordance with the reason given (for example, by leaving the property empty when the reason for the eviction was owner occupation) would be subject to heavy penalties. Unlike the weak reforms introduced by Labor in 2021, the Greens will genuinely end no-grounds evictions in Queensland. Agents and landlords will no longer be able to rely on fraudulent pretences and no-grounds evictions to evict tenants in the middle of a housing crisis.
Every house a home
Our plan for a guaranteed right to a lease renewal would let renters make their house a home, finally ending the cruel and wasteful roulette that forces so many to move every 12 months. The notice period for an agent or investor to refuse a lease renewal or to terminate a periodic lease (a month-to-month lease) would increase from two months to six months to let renters plan their lives. Shorter notice periods would continue to apply for unpaid rent and unremedied breaches by the tenant. Tenants will still be able to decline a lease renewal and will keep their existing rights to end a tenancy where an agent or owner is in breach of a rental agreement.