New research shows NSW renters want action on eviction reform; strong backing from landlords and community
27/03/2024
NSW renters want to see action from the NSW Government on promised rental reforms to end ‘no grounds’ evictions.
New polling, undertaken by Ipsos Public Affairs for the Tenants’ Union of NSW, shows significant support from landlords for the reforms. The research also shows the community expects reforms should apply uniformly for all renters.
Key findings from polling:
- 84% of people agree if a renter is being told to leave their home they should be provided with a reason.
- 88% of renters support the NSW Government’s proposal to introduce reasonable grounds and end ‘no grounds’ evictions
- 77% of landlords and 76% within the community also support the proposed eviction reform.
- 2 out of 3 people feel eviction reforms should apply for all renters; 75% of renters agree.
- 82.5% of renters report a recent increase in their housing costs; with 84% cutting back on discretionary spending or other household costs
- 75% of people polled believe the NSW government should act to reduce unfair evictions as a cost-of-living measure.
A year on from the NSW Labor Government taking office, NSW’s million renting households are still waiting for the government to introduce eviction reform and make a real difference in the housing crisis.
‘No grounds’ evictions cause profound distress. Around 30,000 renting households each year receive a ‘no-grounds’ eviction – that’s 1 eviction every 18 minutes, or three every hour, every day in NSW. Previous research has demonstrated these evictions have a significant financial impact on households – on average the immediate costs of moving are $4000 each move. And they take a physical and mental toll on renters, causing real distress leading for some to anxiety episodes and bouts of depression.
There is strong support among renters, landlords, and the wider community for proposed eviction reform. Renters know the harm no grounds evictions cause, they overwhelmingly (88% of those polled) want to see change. The broader community (76%) supports reform to address these harms. And it is clear a majority of landlords (77%) also support the proposed reforms.
The research made clear the time to act is now. More than 70% of those polled said they felt the Government should act now to fulfil the commitment to end no grounds made at the last election, with close to 80% of renters and 67% of landlords agreeing.
The research also found rising cost of living burden continues to fall hard on NSW renters. 82.5% of renters reported they have seen a recent increase to their housing costs. In response to this, 84% are cutting back on discretionary spending or other household expenses. Over a quarter of renters (27.4%) shared they were considering moving to cope with rising housing costs. The research suggests over 60,000 renting households in NSW (over 150,000 people) may be considering moving away from NSW due to concerns about the cost of rental housing.
The cost of unfair eviction is a cost of living pressure that needs to be addressed. Given current cost of living pressures it is not surprising 87% of renters whose housing costs have recently increased said they felt the government should act to reduce the number of unfair and unnecessary evictions as a cost-of-living measure. There was broad support for this, with 75% of all people polled agreeing.
Renters are looking to the government and other political parties to demonstrate leadership on rental reform and support for renters. Almost three quarters of renters (73.6%) identify support for renters as either their most important issue or in the top three issues they consider when deciding their support for a political party. More broadly, almost half of all people polled (47.8%) told us they saw rental housing policy as a priority issue.
Leo Patterson Ross, CEO of Tenants’ Union NSW, said:
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The polling was commissioned by the Tenants’ Union of NSW and undertaken by Ipsos Public Affairs – Digital with fieldwork conducted 6 - 11 March 2024. Survey sample size: 1200 respondents, 21 questions
All results have been weighted to Census 2021 demographics to ensure that the sample accurately reflects the larger population. This is done to minimise bias and increase survey results reliability and validity of survey results.
Contact details For media enquiries and case studies contact media@tenantsunion.org.au
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