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Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
For factsheets and sample letters, please see Tenancy info.

 

Renting & transphobia: NSW renting laws that need to change to support transgender renters

A placard with the transgender flag on it reads "TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS". Rainbow pride flags wave in the background.
Discrimination pervades many areas of trans people’s lives, including in relation to housing. All people need and deserve a safe, secure, affordable place to call home, but all too often trans people have significant barriers placed in their way which prevent that from being a reality.
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Cost of living in NSW survey 2023

NCOSS logo
The NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS) has launched their Cost of Living in NSW 2023 survey. The Cost of Living in NSW project seeks to get a better understanding of the impact of cost-of-living changes on low-income households – including those living below the poverty line. 

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Tenants' Union joins May Day rally – workers rights and housing justice go hand in hand

Tenants' Union members stand behind a banner with the Tenants' Union logo. People are smiling and wearing Make Renting Fair shirts with the purple and blue logo on them. There are trees and lots of people in the background.
May Day (International Workers’ Day) is an important tradition established in the 1800s. In many countries it is a public holiday and allows workers to rally around issues they are facing. 
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New sample letters

Typewriter
We have published 7 new sample letters for residents of land lease communities, covering some of the most common scenarios faced by residents.
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Tenant advocates to National Cabinet: no time for half-measures on renters’ rights

Small paper houses in a semi-circle.
As housing ministers meet today, national housing and tenancy organisations have called upon the National Cabinet to seize the opportunity to boost renters’ rights in response to rising housing affordability challenges across the country.
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Tenants' Union photo competition winner captures anxiety for pets and renters alike

Dylan is smiling with his certificate. In the background there is a sign that says Make Renting Fair and a window looking over buildings.
Dylan Young is the winner of the Pets category in the Through a Renters' Lens photography competition run by the Tenants' Union. We had a chat with Dylan about taking part in the competition.
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Zoom forum: Opportunities to Make Renting Fair in NSW after the #RentersElection23

Screenshot from a Zoom forum showing 30 tiles of people's faces
Join the Opportunities to Make Renting Fair in NSW after the #RentersElection23 Zoom forum at 6pm on Thursday, 4 May, to celebrate the wins achieved by and for renters over the past few months, and join the conversation about what the NSW election outcome means for renters and the types of reforms we hope to see swiftly implemented by a new Labor government.
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In case of emergency break glass: rental reforms needed urgently

Graphic image depicting red box reading: In case of emergency break glass. Make Renting Fair logo behind glass.
Almost everyday for the last few months the Tenants’ Union has received calls or emails from journalists asking us to talk about the rental crisis and its impact on people’s lives. They ask, “How bad is it? Is this the worst you’ve seen?” The rental housing crisis in NSW is an emergency, we need to ‘break glass’ and act immediately.
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Tenants' Union at the Community Sector Blueprint launch

Main text says Webinar: Community Sector Blueprint for Minimum Energy Efficiency Rental Standards. In the background there is a building with blue and white. The front door is yellow.
Recently, the Tenants' Union of NSW attended the Community Sector Blueprint launch hosted by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS). The event focused on how the Blueprint is a necessary resource for providing a clear idea of what a good national framework for renters could look like.
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Through a Renter's Lens: "We make our own homes"

Close up of Rod Smith, city in the background. He is smiling and has a blue shirt on.
Rod Smith is the winner of the People category in the Tenants' Union’s recent photography competition. This week he dropped into our offices to pick up his framed winning photograph and we had a chat with him about taking part.
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