Great news to all the renters in New South Wales with four-legged friends — soon you won’t have to worry about having to choose between your pet or your rental thanks to new legislation proposed by the NSW Government.
In a move that is sure to earn tonnes of complaints from real estate agents and property owners in the state, NSW landlords will no longer be able to deny tenants from owning pets without a valid reason.
Honestly, this is a huge change made better late than never.
The reform is being introduced in an attempt to “modernise” the state’s housing market, and make things fairer for the third of NSW residents who rent.
It comes after NSW Premier Chris Minns promised in his 2023 pre-election campaign to make pet ownership easier for renters, among other improvements to the rental market like banning no-grounds evictions.
“We are building a fairer rental market for both tenants and owners,” said Minns in a statement.
“We believe this bill make things a bit less stressful for renters, while getting the balance right.”
According to the RSPCA, one in five animals the organisation receives in NSW is a result of renters being concerned about future tenancy applications.
Additionally, domestic violence support organisations report that a major barrier for victims vacating dangerous homes is due to fears they cannot secure residence with their pets.
With Minns’ Labor Government set to propose the legislation in NSW Parliament next month, here’s everything you need to know about the new pet rental laws for tenants in NSW!
Changes to NSW renters pet-keeping rules
Under the current laws, NSW landlords do not need to provide any reason for rejecting a renter’s request to have a pet on their property. The only exception is that assistance animals cannot be refused under any circumstances.
The new legislation, on the other hand, will shift a small piece of power to the renter’s advantage, and require that a landlord in NSW provide a proper reason for rejecting a tenant’s request to keep a pet.
Two “valid” reasons for landlords to reject pet requests under the proposed reform would be:
- If owning that pet breaks another law, such as local government regulations.
- If the owner lives at the property and does not want to live with the pet.
Kinda wild that this change doesn’t look like much on paper, and yet it could provide millions of tenants around the state with the freedom to keep a furry friend.
The change has been welcomed by tenant advocacy groups as a “necessary first step” to improving the state of the rental market in NSW.
Bundled in the legislation are other improvements for NSW renters, including the banning of no-grounds evictions, and the mandatory provision of fee-free methods to pay rent.
Anyway, tune in next month when all the landlords start having a whinge on Q+A or whatever.
Lead Image: Getty
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