SUPPORT EXTENDED FOR COVID-IMPACTED TENANTS AND LANDLORDS IN ALBURY

Member for Albury Justin Clancy today welcomed the announcement of a six-month extension to the measures put in place to help residential tenants and landlords financially disadvantaged by COVID-19.

Mr Clancy said the existing measures have provided much needed support to Albury renters since they were introduced in April this year.

“The Government acted quickly and compassionately to support every tenant and landlord doing it tough due to COVID-19 by introducing a series of successful and effective measures,” Mr Clancy said.

“This has given many families in Albury stability and security by helping tenancies continue, keeping a roof over people’s heads and giving landlords the security of continued rental payments.”

The measures the NSW Government have extended are:

• Preventing landlords from evicting COVID-19 impacted tenants for rental arrears unless they have attempted to negotiate a rent reduction in good faith;
• Allowing tenants impacted by COVID-19 to apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to end fixed term agreements in certain circumstances;
• Stopping landlords or agents from listing a COVID-19 impacted tenant on a tenancy database if they go into rental arrears;
• Extending the 90 day minimum period of notice landlords must give tenants for certain other evictions not related to rental arrears; and,
• Extending boarding house eviction notice periods where the landlord has not attempted to negotiate in good faith.

Minister for Better Regulation, Kevin Anderson said since the measures were introduced in April, over 50,000 people have accessed Fair Trading’s website information on the tenancy moratorium, while Fair Trading has received over 5,000 direct enquiries from landlords, tenants and agents about the new arrangements.

“There’s no doubt that the pandemic has resulted in financial difficulty for so many people in NSW, so it’s heartening to see tenants, landlords and agents taking advantage of this support,” Mr Anderson said.

“As the impacts of COVID are ongoing, we intend to extend the measures until March next year which will allow more time to return to normal.”

Tenants, landlords and agents can find up to date information and resources at https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/publications/coronavirus-covid-19/property/moratorium.