This includes changes that put the onus on landlords to have a valid reason for refusing pets in their rental property.
The ABC News summarised key changes under the Housing Legislation Amendment Bill which passed Queensland Parliament this month:
- Tenants can have pets unless landlords provide a valid reason to refuse
- Tenants experiencing domestic violence can end a lease with just seven days’ notice
- No without grounds evictions
- Added reasons for landlords and tenants to end tenancies
- Strengthened requirements for maintenance to meet minimum housing standards.
One in three Queensland households are renting and the Queensland Government is calling the changes a big win for renters, modernising rental laws at a time when tenants are renting for longer.
The Real Estate Institute of Queensland has called out some wins for landlords, namely they will still be able to end a fixed-term tenancy at the end of the agreement – a point which was debated in earlier drafts.
But the REIQ is concerned about other provisions that reduce landlord rights, including the loss of a landlord’s ability to end a periodic tenancy by providing notice. The REIQ believes this move is likely to end periodic tenancies in Queensland.
The legislation is still hot off the press. As landlords and tenants work together to understand how it will be implemented in practice the key to any successful rental love match will be – as always – good communication. That’s where a good local agent is worth their weight in gold.
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