Changes to tenancy law: what you need to know
Recent changes to WA’s Residential Tenancies Act have strengthened renters’ rights. Here’s a summary of what you need to know.
Minor modifications allowed (with permission) • Tenants can now make small changes to their rental property, such as installing picture hooks, curtains or child safety locks, to make it feel more like home. • Tenants still need landlord permission, but landlords can only refuse for valid reasons, like when the modification disturbs asbestos or is against local council regulations. • Landlords can place reasonable conditions on minor changes - for example a vegetable garden must be well maintained, or a standard hook must be used for pictures.
Change to frequency of rent increases • Landlords can now only increase rent once every 12 months, but this looks different for community housing tenants because your rent is income related.
Pets allowed in most rentals (with permission) • Tenants now have the right to keep pets, but they still need to first get permission from their landlord. • The landlord can only refuse for specific reasons related to legal restrictions, council regulations or strata by-laws. • Any other reasons would
• A rent increase in
community housing is when your rent calculation method changes. For example, you change income bands and go from paying 25% of your income as rent to 30% of your income as rent. • Another change to your rent calculation method occurs when you are paying our maximum rent, and the market rent used to calculate your rent increases. • In both of the above
need to be approved by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection on a case by case basis.
Protection against retaliatory actions • If tenants exercise their rights, such as requesting repairs, landlords cannot retaliate by breaching or evicting them. • While Housing Choices
New dispute resolution process
• A new process has been introduced to help resolve disputes between tenants and landlords more efficiently. • Disagreements over modifications or pet
cases, rent increases are limited to once every 12 months.
• If your income changes but the
would never engage in retaliatory actions, these reforms ensure all renters are protected by law and can exercising their rights without fear of losing their home.
calculation formula remains the same, it’s a rent variation, not an increase, and your rent could change more often than once a year.
permissions can be taken to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection by either party to seek a resolution.
If you have any questions about how these changes affect your tenancy, reach out to your Tenancy Officer for more information.
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