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COVID-19 factsheet in 7 community languages

Covid-19 community language factsheet
The Tenants' Union has published a basic factsheet in 7 community languages summarising renters rights under COVID-19 regulations. The factsheet has information on paying rent, evictions, the rules on access to rented properties for getting repairs done, inspections for sale of premises, and other issues that renters are facing.
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Tenants need to be listened to: community support – not heavy-handed policing

Tall apartment building with 'Our home' on the side
On the weekend over 3,000 public housing tenants in Melbourne were put into an immediate enforced lockdown by the VIC government due to a spike in COVID-19 in the area. Others in the community are not facing the same level of restriction because their housing and community infrastructure is of a higher standard. This is punishment simply for the crime of being poor in a society that places the blame for poverty on the people experiencing it.
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Changes are coming

Heart
When we last published Outasite Lite at the beginning of April the COVID-19 pandemic was in its early stages and the NSW Government had just issued the first Public Health Order restricting the gathering and movement of people. In May and June those restrictions were eased slightly and from 1 July they will be eased further.
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Recently at NCAT

NCAT
Getting back to site fee increases, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal has recently heard and determined an interesting case where the operator issued two notices of increase, claiming the second notice cancelled the first.
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Economic stimulus proposal: Healthy & affordable homes

Economic Stimulus image
The Tenants' Union, together with over 50 other organisations, is calling for governments to invest in energy efficiency and solar PV for low income homes to stimulate tens of thousands of jobs, cut energy bills and emissions.
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Reflections on 10 years of Tenant Advocacy

Maz at Tweed Heads
After 10 and a half years, Maralyn Schofield is leaving her role as Coordinator of the Northern Rivers Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service. We took the opportunity to ask her for some of her reflections on the changes she's seen in the world of tenancy – and the things she'd like to see change in future...
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60 day stop on COVID-19 evictions ends, restrictions on evictions continue

Covid19 graphic
From 14 June the initial 60 day stop on evictions for rent arrears where the household is in financial hardship due to COVID-19 ended. However, there are still restrictions on the eviction of impacted tenants for rent arrears. After 14 June, the landlord may only give a termination notice or apply to the Tribunal if the landlord has participated in the NSW Fair Trading formal rent negotiations process in good faith and only if it is fair and reasonable in the circumstances of the case. Only the Tribunal can determine if the eviction order should be made.
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Pursuing a mountain of debt: Landlords’ Insurance

Coronavirus and economic impacts graphic image. Design photo created by Freepik
This blog explores two aspects of landlords’ insurance and asks whether the practices of insurance companies will change during the COVID-19 crisis. The first is when a tenant falls into rent arrears, in order to make a successful claim, the landlord is required to mitigate their loss by commencing eviction action against the tenant. The second is, where an insurance company has paid out a claim, it can step into the shoes of the landlord and commence action to recover rent arrears through the court system.
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International student COVID-19 crisis accommodation

buildings with covid shapes hovering in the sky
The NSW Government is funding temporary crisis accommodation for vulnerable international students in NSW during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme will be delivered through approved student accommodation and homestay providers. Service NSW is administering the application process and will allocate the accommodation. Applicants will not be able to self-select their accommodation.
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Avoiding the spring of carnage: NSW Government rental assistance during the COVID-19 crisis

Graphic image, housingscape in relief with COVID19 stylised virus image in blue background.
This blog outlines what rental assistance programs are available to tenants in the private rental market in New South Wales. Further, it asks whether this assistance is adequate to ensure ‘impacted’ tenants have the support required, so their rent does not accrue as a debt ... and become a rent ‘time bomb’ at the end of the COVID-19 crisis.
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