28 November 2022

NSW Fair Trading announced in their latest issue of The Letterbox today that the regulator is now in consultation with the community regarding residential tenancy laws. The main topics of discussion include:

• a review of the 2019 reforms made to the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 surrounding tenants experiencing domestic violence, and

• whether laws around keeping pets in a rental property should change.

NSW Fair Trading reports on the issues as follows:

Have your say on domestic violence rental laws

The NSW Government is reviewing the laws that allow tenants to end their tenancy, without penalty, if they or their children are experiencing domestic violence.

The NSW Government introduced changes to the NSW Residential Tenancies Act 2010 in 2019 to allow tenants to do this.

Have your say by 5 pm (AEST), Friday 2 December 2022.

The review will look at how these laws are working. Your feedback will help make sure the laws are still appropriate, or if they need to be changed to make them work better for those who use or are affected by them.

We want to hear from tenants, property managers, landlords and people who provide advocacy, support or legal services for victims of domestic violence.

You can have your say by answering a quick poll, completing a survey, or uploading or emailing a submission. Your feedback will help make sure the laws are still suitable for tenants, or their children, if they are victims of domestic violence.

Have your say on keeping pets in rental homes

The NSW Government is seeking feedback on current laws for keeping pets in rental homes.

In NSW, landlords can refuse to allow a tenant to keep an animal, without providing any reason (unless it’s an assistance animal, for example, a guide dog).

The rules about keeping pets in rental homes have recently changed in some other Australian states and territories, to make it easier for tenants to keep pets.

We’d like your feedback on the current rules about keeping pets in rental homes in NSW and whether they should also be changed.

Have your say by 5 pm (AEST), Friday 2 December 2022.

We want to hear from tenants, property managers, landlords, and the general public.

You can have your say by answering a quick poll, completing a survey or writing a submission. Your feedback will help us understand how changing these rules will affect property owners and their tenants.