More control for tenants BY LAURA SUCKLING 29 May, 2010 10:45 AM LANDLORDS will have less say in who lives in their investment properties and what small changes tenants can make to them under radical changes to NSW residential tenancy laws.
The proposed changes to the Draft Residential Tenancies Bill 2009 are yet to be introduced into the NSW Parliment but are scheduled to occur some time this year.
One of the most significant proposed changes is to allow tenants to break a lease, without any special grounds, by giving just 14 days notice to the landlord and paying a breaking fee.
There is also a push for tenants to be able to make "an alteration, or renovation that is of a minor or cosmetic nature" to the property with no interference from the landlord.
A landlord's right to decide who inhabits their property may be challenged as well.
Landlords, Thelma Fitzgerald and her husband Pat own three units in Wagga and believe these changes give the tenants too much control.
"They want to take away the rights of a landholder and let the tenants do what they like," Mrs Fitzgerald said.
"The way things are at the moment landlords have the say in what gets done to the flat, but this is giving the tenants too big a favor.
"They haven't bought the property, it is very unfair to the landlords."
Greg Brown has lived in the same unit for almost a year, and said the changes would be warmly welcomed by many tenants.
"I think they are good ideas, I'm all for it," he said.
"I always look after my place like it's my own but some people will take advantage of it."
"Tenants should be able to do what they want, they pay the rent, so it's all good as long as they don't wreck the place."
Lyn Kimball, Fitzpatricks director of property management and a member of the Real Estate Institute of NSW said these changes will make dramatic changes in the real estate market and will cause the landlords to lose all control.
"There will be less investors, so people will have nowhere to live, it will push the rents up causing a big rent demand," she said.
"Landholders will lose control of who lives on their property, there are really significant negatives on behalf of the landholders."
