COVID-19 tenancy support and information

The tenancy and rent relief measures introduced in response to COVID-19 vary across the country. A lot of these measures aren’t exactly straightforward and what they mean for you will depend heavily upon your personal circumstances.

We’ve brought together some information about tenancy measures and where to seek help in each State and Territory.

**If you’re a homeowner with mortgage repayments affected by COVID-19, we recommend you contact your lender ASAP to request a pause on, or reduced rate of, repayments.**

New South Wales

New South Wales has introduced some measures that prevent tenants from being evicted during the coronavirus pandemic, among other things.

The Marrickville Legal Centre has created a fantastic FAQ webpage about what the COVID19 tenancy measures are, and what they mean for you. Check it out here.

The NSW Government Fair Trading has created a flowchart to help you determine what applies to your situation, and what steps are involved in the relief measures.

Have questions or problems? Contact the Tenants’ Union of NSW.

Victoria

The Victorian Government has recently announced rent relief grants for Victorians experiencing rental hardship as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The package provides a one-off grant to help Victorian renters maintain safe, secure and stable accommodation.

For information about the rental relief grants, see here.

Consumer Affairs Victoria has put together an explainer of your rights during COVID-19, not only for tenants, but also homeowners, and everyone as consumers.

Have questions or problems? Contact Tenants Victoria.

Australian Capital Territory

The ACT Government is making changes to help private tenants who have lost their jobs or have had their income significantly reduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and cannot afford to pay their rent.

See the factsheet about those measures here.

Have questions or problems? Contact Tenancy Advice Service ACT.

Northern Territory

There does not seem to be clear information available about what is going to be introduced in NT. As at the time of publishing this article, it seems NT has not yet introduced any rent relief measures.

Have questions or problems? Contact the Tenants’ Advice Service.

Queensland

Queensland has signalled the intention to introduce rent relief measures, including evictions freezes, although it is unclear when these commence. It appears there was an intention to begin discussing these measures in Parliament last week.

The Queensland COVID-19 Hub has information for renters here.

Have questions or problems? Contact Tenants Queensland.

South Australia

Temporary changes have been made to the residential tenancy legislation in SA, including rent increase and eviction freezes.

The South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has a great factsheet here.

Consumer and Business Affairs have some FAQs on their website also.

Have questions or problems? Contact the Tenants Information and Advisory Service.

Tasmania

Tasmania has introduced a number of measures to support those in residential tenancy affected by COVID-19, including eviction freezes, options for those in severe hardship.

For a full breakdown of the changes, see the information from Consumer, Building and Occupation Services.

Have questions or problems? Contact the Tenants’ Union of Tasmania.

Western Australia

Western Australia has introduced temporary tenancy changes to support those affected by COVID-19, including eviction freezes, limitations on inspections and more.

The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has more information about the specifics, including some guidance on asking for rent reductions and deferrals.

Have questions or problems? Contact Tenancy WA.

How Advocacy & Welfare can help you:

Here at Advocacy & Welfare, we sometimes help students with tenancy issues. If you would like to get in touch with us, we’ll be happy to chat with you. During this time of great change, we might not have all the answers, but we often know where to look for the answers. The tenancy support and advocacy services mentioned will be more familiar with the measures in each State and Territory.

If you have concerns about how COVID-19 is affecting your studies, get in touch. We can let you know what options are available to you. We also help students with a range of other issues too. You can contact us on (02) 6773 3116 or advocacy@une.edu.au.

Craving connection with other students?

Join the UNE Bunker Down Facebook group. UNE Life has also created a webpage with a bunch of helpful information for UNE students during COVID-19. Check it out here.

You are never alone at UNE.