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Tenants' Union news

Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
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Make Renting Green by Making Renting Fair

Make Renting Fair
Not being able to access energy efficient homes is just one way in which our unfair renting laws harm tenants. If tenants knew that they would be able to stay in their homes long term, they would be more likely to take steps to improve energy efficiency. This is one reason why the Tenants’ Union, together with 80 other organisations, has launched a new campaign to address unfair evictions.
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St George community housing energy efficiency strategy

Clarissa
Clarissa and other tenants at St George Community Housing are benefiting from new energy efficient, affordable homes. From retrofits to new builds St George Community Housing (SGCH) is working to help tenants save on their energy bills. Paul van Reyk, Special Projects Officer with the Tenants' Union, spoke with Patrick Ryan, Head, Innovation & Impact, SGCH.
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Tenants’ Union welcomes Labor’s flagged shift on renters’ rights

A report card asking which political parties want to end unfair evictions. A cross is placed next to the Liberal Party logo, a question mark next to the Labor party logo and a tick is next to the Greens party logo.
NSW Labor has flagged a new policy agenda that could change the game for renters, says Tenants’ Union NSW.
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NSW Housing and Homelessness peaks welcome Commonwealth funding

TUNSW has joined with other Housing and Homelessness peaks to welcome funding commitments made in the Commonwealth Government’s Budget 2017-18. 
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Out now! Outasite issue 3

Outasite 2017 cover
Outasite issue 3 is hot off the presses and finding its way into mailboxes in land lease communities all over NSW. this issue contains articles including: Park closure; Tara Steers - Tenants Advocate; Residential Parks Forum; Tales from the Tribunal; Site maintenance; Community rules; Ron McLachlan - Resident Advocate; NSW Fair Trading dispute resolution services; Benefits of assignment; Site fee increases; Resident committees; Electricity problems.
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The Granny Flat Trap

A granny flat
Over the past six months the Southern Sydney Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service at Metro Assist has seen a steady influx of problems with granny flats. There can be hidden traps when renting granny flats. Firstly, if the granny flat is on the same electricity meter as the house, or there are two granny flats that share a meter, then the electricity bill should be in the name of the landlord, not the tenant.
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CLCNSW welcomes crucial funding from NSW government

NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman today announced over $6 million over two years in additional funding for community legal centres in NSW, stepping in to fill the void created by a pending reduction in funding by the federal government of 23 per cent in NSW. 
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Tenants' Union releases results of survey of share house residents

A crowd of people below a wordcloud
Sharehouse residents have voiced their support for fair share-house rules in a new survey from the Tenants' Union of NSW. The current legal situation for share house residents is confusing, and leads to disputes which are difficult to resolve the survey found.
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Sometimes you need help to get on the right track

Raymond Morris with WESTS coordinator Franya Repolusk
Raymond Morris is a public housing tenant who's very active in his community – he's mentored and supported hundreds of people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Last year, Raymond put up a carport at his place to secure his car. However Housing NSW informed him that is was an illegal structure, ordered him to take it down, and also served him with an eviction notice. So Raymond got advice from the Western Sydney Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service (WESTS) and went to the Tribunal.
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Federal Government must not let us down - ACOSS and National Shelter release 6 point National Housing Affordability Plan

Releasing today its 6 point "Housing Australia's People: A Serious Plan'", ACOSS and National Shelter set out a comprehensive package of reforms that would deliver growth in social and affordability housing for people on low and modest incomes and take the heat out of the open housing market for all.
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