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Tenants' Union news

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

 

Long fixed-terms submission

Word cloud of Tenants' Union submission on long fixed terms
Tenants' Union of NSW submission on long fixed term tenancies
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Water Metering Win

Jen Ringold and Lorraine Devere of MRAG
Pay only for what you use. MRAG and TU win for social housing residents.
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Take our Share Housing Survey now!

a typical share house scene - the side of the house has fallen off
Take our 5 minute survey for share house residents
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It's tough being a 'protected tenant'

Broken roof
We spoke with John, a protected tenant who has been living in his home in Randwick since 1978. We asked him about his experience in a protected tenancy and the ongoing issues he has faced around repairs. Recently the original landlord who John had entered into his tenancy with sold the building. The new owner tried unsuccessfully to evict John. John attributes his success in fighting the eviction in large part to the excellent support he received from a local tenant advocate from the Eastern Area Tenants Advice Service.
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Vale Ross Smith - tireless advocate and TU member

Ross Smith
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Ross Smith – a tireless advocate for fairness in the housing system, and member of the Tenants’ Union of NSW. Ross was always willing to say what many others would not regarding social housing policy - or as he would say 'public and community housing' policy. He strongly disliked the term social housing.
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Land Lease Community residents get their day in the Supreme Court

Hastings Point Residents
Paul Smyth (Tenants' Union Residential Parks Legal Officer) has been working with the residents of Hasting Point for the past five years on their court case for compensation for eviction. On 14th November, they had their day in the Supreme Court.
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Out now! Outasite issue 2

Outasite 2016 cover
Outasite issue 2 is hot off the presses and finding its way into mailboxes in land lease communities all over NSW. This issue contains articles including: The Act: one year on; Community education project report; Mary Preston - this is my community; Christina Steel - a hard working advocate; Introduction to NCAT; Emma McGuire - LLC Tenant Advocate; Electricity charges; Age discrimination; NSW Fair Trading's role in residential communities; Recently at NCAT; and Fair market value.
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A day in the life of Brett Webb: Aboriginal Tenant Advocate

Brett Webb, Aboriginal Tenant Advocate
Brett Webb is an Aboriginal Tenant Advocate at the Northern Aboriginal Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service. In this interview he speaks about his experiences and day-to-day work.
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Report: NORTAAS Info Session for Residential Communities

Sarah from NORTAAS speaking at Gateway Lifestyle Residential Community
On 27th October 2016, Sarah Drury and Mary Flowers from Northern Rivers Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service (NORTAAS) attended Casino Gateway Lifestyles Residential Community to conduct an information session about the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013. The session was organised in in collaboration with community residents and the community operator, who advertised the event in the community newsletter.
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Fair market value: challenging site fee increases in new agreements

Outasite article
The Tenants’ Union was one of the stakeholders in the consultation with the Government on the review of residential parks legislation during 2011 and 2012. A key area of difference between the industry and those of us representing the rights of residents was site fee increases.
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