#MyRentedHome #MakeRentingFair social media week of action

Everyone needs a safe, stable, affordable place to call home.

But right now, NSW is in the midst of a rental crisis. Far too many of the 1 in 3 people in NSW who rent don’t have housing security. For too long, the people in charge have made decisions that are not fair for renters, leaving NSW with a renting system that is not set up to support and protect renters at the best of times, let alone through times of crisis.

Between the last few years of fires, floods, pandemic and more, it’s never been a more difficult and unfair time to be a renter – especially if you’re a regional renter. 

Take action now

Now, we’re officially one year out from the next NSW election and it’s vital that renting issues are squarely on the public agenda over the coming year. 

So we’re asking our community of renters: what does your rented home mean to you?

For us, rented homes are first and foremost renters’ homes, not property investors' investments, and not just four walls and a ceiling - but renters' homes. Homes are special, they have meaning and memories; they provide security, stability and community; they keep us and our families safe and healthy, and they’re essential. 

We’re inviting all NSW renters to join the #MakeRentingFair #MyRentedHome social media week of action, in the week of Monday 4 April to Saturday 9 April.

How to participate in the #MyRentedHome week of action:

Through the week, we want you to share a photo on your favourite social media platform of something from your rented home. It can be positive or negative, explaining what home means to you and what you want decision-makers to know about renting in NSW.

1. Answer the question: what does your rented home mean to you?

2. Answer the question: what do you wish decision-makers could understand about renting in NSW?

3. Share a photo of something in your rented home, and/or one of our #MyRentedHome #MakeRentingFair squares which you can download below.

4. Use the hashtags #MyRentedHome and #MakeRentingFair

5. Send us a screenshot or link to your #MyRentedHome post and we'll share through our social media channels to amplify your story. You can email us on contact@rentingfair.org.au or message us on Facebook.

Here are some example posts for inspiration:

What else are we going to be doing?

Throughout the week of action we'll be sharing blog posts and renter stories – if you have a story you'd like to see boosted on our website, get in touch. And if one of the stories we share resonates with you, share it around to boost it!

One last ask

We want to make this week as big and successful as possible, so take a moment to invite your Facebook friends to this event now and encourage them to participate. 

Questions? Get in touch

If you have questions or suggestions, get in touch on contact@rentingfair.org.au.

Download one (or all) of our social media squares to share!

All renters should be able to afford to pay their rent without worrying that it will mean they go without other life essentials.

But did you know...

• National average rents have increased significantly over the past year.
• Average weekly rent on a house has increased by 14.2%.
• Average weekly rent on a unit has increased by 9.7%.
• Two-thirds of low-income private renters in Australia pay more than 30% of their income on rent.
• Almost one-quarter of low-income private renters in Australia spend more than half of their income on rent.
• Rental vacancy rates have hit close to a 16 year low, nationally.
• Low vacancy rates put upward pressure on rent prices, and we know some landlords are capitalising on this by issuing 'no grounds' eviction notices so that they can put a property back on the market at a significantly higher rent. 
• Rental vacancy rates are especially low in regional areas.
• The national vacancy rater as of February 2022 was just 1.2%.
• Across most of regional NSW, the vacancy rate as of February 2022 was below 1%.

All renters should be able to live in safe, healthy homes that meet their accessibility needs, and minimum standards.

But did you know...

• 1 in 15 deaths in Australia are due to cold. This is largely due to poorly designed houses.
• As of right now, there are no mandatory minimum energy efficiency standards for rental homes in NSW, and it's making renters sick.
• There are 1.2 million renters with a disability in Australia. However, less than 0.5% of rental properties are affordable for a single person on the Disability Support Pension.
• People with disability are almost twice as likely to be unable to pay rent as someone without a disability.

I asked my landlord if I could pay for disability modification. He wouldn't let me get the hoist I need to get in and out of bed in my apartment, but he let me build a ramp to get into the apartment block. Then he advertised the apartments as "accessible" and increased all our rents.

- NSW renter

All renters should be secure and stable in their rental home, and free from the threat of unfair eviction.

But did you know...

• Renters move more often than other households, often not by choice.
• 'No grounds' evictions remain legal in NSW, which means landlords can evict renters from their homes for no reason. While 'no grounds' evictions remain legal, many renters are concerned about asserting their rights, because of the threat that they could be evicted in response. 'No grounds' evictions threaten all other tenancy rights.
• In the past 5 years, 80% of households in the private rental market have moved at least once.
• In the past 5 years, around 33% of households in the private rental market have moved 2-3 times.
• In the past 5 years, around 10% of households in the private rental market have moved 5+ times.

All renters should be able to make choices like whether or not to have pets, or to hang pictures on the wall, to make their houses into homes.

Did you know...

• Rental insecurity leads to poor animal welfare outcomes.
• 63% of Australian households have a pet.
• Renters with pets struggle to find pet-friendly properties, and insecure housing for renters is forcing people to give up their pets.