Government urged to act on rental crisis

07/12/2023

Everybody’s Home is urging the Albanese government to act on the rental crisis by listening to the people on the frontline who continue to bear an unaffordable, unfair housing market. 

In the final report from the inquiry into the worsening rental crisis, the majority of Senators have ignored evidence on the need to limit rent increases, protect renters’ rights, and reduce Australia’s reliance on private landlords.

But Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize says the government still has the power to act.

“The housing system in Australia is broken and renters are paying the price. Unaffordable rents, insecure tenancies, inadequate rights – everything is working against a cohort of Australians who are growing in number and increasingly finding themselves renting for life,” Ms Azize said.

“The experts, advocates and ordinary Australians who came before the committee were clear – rentals must be affordable, decent and safe. Tenants shouldn’t be forced to pay huge rent increases year after year or live in unsafe conditions because there’s no better alternative.

“Yet the Senators would not agree to do the things that need to be done to fix the system.

“The Albanese government has the power to end the rental crisis. We need an end to Australia’s social housing shortfall. We need limits to unfair rent increases, an end to no-cause evictions, minimum rental standards, and real enforcement of rental rules. And we need a fairer tax system for housing.

“The federal government can’t just head into the new year hoping the housing crisis will fix itself – sticking to the status quo will only make the situation worse.”