The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly:
Tenants are particularly vulnerable to social pressures exacerbated by the pandemic. They face increased rents, uncertain employment opportunities, financial exploitation, and the threat of homelessness.
Landlords and agencies are not obliged to consider the well-being of tenants. Current protections for those renting, as shown during COVID-19, do not adequately protect the dignity and life opportunities of tenants.
Owners and agencies need to consider the well-being of their tenants. The ACT should have laws which safeguard the dignity, life opportunities and carer responsibilities of tenants.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to:
Amend the Residential Tenancies Act to include the “Well being clause”:
The actions of lessors or agencies may not:
- place their tenant/s at reasonable risk of homelessness;
- disrupt the employment opportunities of the tenants;
- impose unreasonable and/or avoidable moving costs on their tenant/s;
- negatively impact on any carer responsibilities that a tenant may have; or unreasonably disrupt the education of dependent children
Without:
- providing compensation to the tenant/s equal to four weeks’ rent for heightened risk of homelessness due to lessor actions;
- providing compensation to the tenant/s equal to two weeks’ rent for disruption of employment (or income) due to lessor actions;
- providing compensation to the tenant/s equal to two weeks’ rent for tenant/s reasonable moving costs;
- providing compensation to the tenants/s equal to four weeks’ rent if carer responsibilities and/or the education of dependent children are unreasonably impacted by lessor actions.