Renters in the ACT need to be able to transfer their bond from one property to the next in a government-run system without having to stump up thousands of dollars while waiting for their old bond to be returned, the ACT Greens say.
Rebecca Vassarotti, the Greens' housing spokeswoman, said the territory needed to introduce a portable bond scheme to ease the burden on renters moving between tenancies, who often needed to find the money for an entire new bond while waiting for their last bond to be returned.
"In a market this unaffordable, moving house shouldn't require emptying your savings just to secure a roof over your head. That's why we need to dismantle the upfront cost of transferring bonds so that finding a secure, affordable home is as easy as possible," Ms Vassarotti said.
A portable bond scheme started in NSW earlier this month, available to renters in the Parramatta, Penrith and Central Coast local government areas for a $25 fee.
Landlords can make claims against the bond and renters then have 28 days to top up their bond to cover the bond at the new property under the system managed by NSW Fair Trading.
Renters can also top up the bond if they move to a property with a higher bond and receive a refund if they move somewhere with a smaller bond.
Victoria's portable rental bond scheme began in July, which allows renters in the state to transfer a bond held by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority to a new tenancy for a $25 fee, paying any increase to the bond as required.
The ACT Greens pointed to the growth of online bond loan schemes as a symptom of governments abandoning their duty to protect people from destructive market forces.
Ms Vassarotti said having to cover the cost of two full bonds while moving was cost prohibitive for renters and the fact this issue had not been solved sooner was a symptom of "the bureaucratic malaise that has taken over our politics".
"I am calling on the government to adopt this straightforward reform to improve the lives of thousands of renters across Canberra. And pending any public commitments from the government, I commit to bringing it to debate in the Assembly next sitting," she said.
ACT Labor members will on Saturday debate a proposed general resolution at the party's annual conference calling on the government to design a portable bond scheme.
"Introducing a portable bond scheme in the ACT would improve housing mobility, reduce cost-of-living pressures, modernise the ACT's rental bond system and demonstrate the ACT government's continued commitment to making renting fairer and more affordable," a proposed general resolution seen by The Canberra Times said.
The ACT government held $116 million in bonds, information provided to the Legislative Assembly earlier this year showed.
The average bond lodged in 2024-25 was $2407 and the average refund was $2292. More than 20,300 bonds were lodged and just over 19,000 were refunded in the same period.
