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Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
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COVID Eviction Moratorium ends; Transition Period begins

Renters Guide to COVID-19
The COVID eviction Moratorium Period which began in April 2020 is coming to an end on 26 March. However a six-month Transition Period will follow, during which there will be limited protections against eviction for tenants with COVID-induced arrears. 
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The long road

Home owners from Rivergum holiday retreat with Tenant Advocates
Rivergum Holiday Park at Corowa is a small community with about 45 residents including Bob Myles who was one of the first home owners to take an electricity dispute to the Tribunal under the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act (the Act). In February 2017 the Tribunal made an order that the operator was to provide Mr Myles with copies of their electricity accounts so that he could check whether or not he was being overcharged. It was this decision that was later cited by a number of other home owners who were seeking access to their operator’s accounts under section 83 of the Act.
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Kincumber Nautical Village Appeal update

Outasite Lite logo
On 13 November 2020, Liesl Tesch, MP and Member for Gosford made a Private Members Statement in the NSW Parliament regarding Kincumber Nautical Village (KNV). Ms Tesch had become aware of the dispute regarding the fixed method site fee increase which she said “appears as a disappointing abuse of power and disrespect of residents and the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal [NCAT] by the owner”. Ms Tesch commended the action of the residents, Bob Morris (who is representing the residents), the residents’ committee and the Tenants’ Union for supporting residents through their disputes.
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Submission: Land Lease Communities Act Review

The Tenants’ Union welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Discussion Paper on the Statutory Review of the Residential Land Lease Communities Act (2013).
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40 organisations publish open letter calling for stronger protections during COVID transition

Text reads Regional NSW in rental crisis - Extend the eviction moratorium
40 community organisations sign on today to Open Letter calling for stronger protections and additional financial support for COVID impacted renters through transition 
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Open Justice and the Tribunal (NCAT)

Court doors, door open with light streaming through
The Tenants' Union NSW recently provided a short submission to the NSW Law Reform Commission's Open Justice Review currently underway. We focused on two key issues. First, the importance of publishing reasons for decisions in tenancy law matters. Second, the need to make available more statistical data about tenancy law matters heard by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
We recommended NCAT increase the number of decisions with reasons being published, and the quantity, range and regularity of the statistical data it currently shares about tenancy matters heard at NCAT.
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Can I have a pet and be housed, too? It all depends...

cartoon image excerpts from the visual article
Trying to find housing can be a nightmare for pet owners, especially those who need it in a crisis. The inconsistencies from state to state and between different forms of housing demand reform. A recent report is presented in beautiful visual form.
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Getting your LL plates?

Hands signing a contract and offering L plates
There is currently a petition in NSW Parliament for the creation of a “Landlord non-compliance register”. It speaks to some of the most frustrating aspects of renting in Australia.
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Responses to Homelessness, January 2021

Line drawing of a blue house
Check out our submission to the NSW Audit Office's Audit of the NSW Government's responses to homelessness. Everyone deserves a safe, secure, affordable home, and the NSW Government is failing to meet its commitments to ensure our communities' well-being.
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New housing news service launched

News Icon Image by Memed_Nurrohmad from Pixabay
Read all about it! Check out our Housing News Digest … starting 4 January 2021, the Housing News Digest has an exciting new look and you can subscribe now! 
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