A constant worry: Renters confront the impact of unfair evictions

Eviction impacts lives. Moving house is generally considered one of life’s most stressful events: the financial costs, and stress involved are substantial, and these are exacerbated when a household is forced to move. This report examines this impact, and specifically for those who have been evicted without being provided a reason. It draws on and centres the experiences of renters in NSW who have directly experienced a ‘no grounds’ eviction, often more than once, as well as renters who have not directly been served a ‘no grounds’ notice, but experience them as a chronic and persistent threat throughout their tenancy.

For this report we surveyed 123 NSW renters, asking them about the impact of the eviction financially and emotionally. We asked about challenges they may have faced in securing alternative housing, and how the ‘no grounds’ eviction – or the possibility of eviction – affected them during their next tenancy.

What renters shared, draws a compelling picture of the pervasive sense of housing insecurity, financial strain, and emotional distress many experience in the private rental market. Forced to find new accommodations abruptly, many renters faced challenges in securing suitable housing. Financial burdens, including moving expenses and increased rents in their new rental, compounded their difficulties, with some facing homelessness as a result. The impact on mental health was profound, exacerbating existing conditions and triggering anxiety-related health issues. Additionally, the imbalance of power between renters and landlords left many feeling powerless and vulnerable, reluctant to report property issues or assert their rights for fear of retaliation. Renters who shared their experience, expressed the need for reforms to end 'no grounds' evictions, and alongside this, greater accountability and transparency within the system more broadly.

The NSW Government is currently considering rental reforms to remove ‘no grounds’ evictions, and introduce in their place a set of new additional reasonable grounds for ending a tenancy. Given the impacts highlighted within this report, it is clear reform can’t come soon enough.

Recommendations

1. Ensure NSW renters may only be evicted with ‘reasonable grounds’, whatever their lease type.
2. Where ‘reasonable grounds’ include evictions without fault, these should be limited to the genuine and ongoing removal of a property from the rental sector.