Victoria’s eviction ban, and other support measures for tenants and landlords in coronavirus-related hardship, could be extended into 2021.
New Consumer Affairs Minister Melissa Horne introduced a Bill to parliament on Thursday, which will prolong the state government’s residential tenancy support measures to March 28 with an option to further extend to April 26.
The Bill also seeks to extend measures to protect commercial tenants to April 26, but it still needs to pass parliament to come into effect.
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Government support for struggling tenants and landlords could be extended well into next year. Picture: Josie Hayden
The government’s rental support package was first unveiled in April and two weeks ago Treasurer Tim Pallas announced it would be extended to December 31.
The measures include a moratorium on evictions, except in specified circumstances, and rent hikes.
They also allow for rent reduction agreements to be struck, for formal dispute resolution between tenants and landlords, and for land tax relief for landlords who discount rents for struggling tenants.
In her speech to parliament, Ms Horne said: “Unfortunately, we are not yet out of the woods.
“Victoria and the world continue to grapple with the challenges of the pandemic, and we continue to need many of (these) emergency measures.”
Tenants Victoria has welcomed a possible extension.
Tenants Victoria chief executive Jennifer Beveridge labelled the Bill “welcome recognition by the state government of the great pressures tenants are facing in our state, with the challenges of a national recession and the impact of a hard lockdown in Melbourne”.
“We know renters who have lost jobs and hours are over-represented in sectors such as tourism, retail and hospitality,” Ms Beveridge said.
“They need these continued protections to shield them at a time when home is a sanctuary.”
Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Leah Calnan said any extension to these measures needed to be accompanied by a requirement for tenants to “provide supporting documentation to show they’re in financial hardship” and “an allowance for landlords to end tenancies when rent is not being paid at all”.
More resources also needed to be added to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, she said.
The Bill will also delay the remainder of Victoria’s rental law reforms from coming into effect until well into 2021.
All 130 amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act — which included introducing minimum standards for properties, allowing renters to make minor modifications to their homes, and banning no-reason evictions — were initially due to have come into force by July 1, which was later postponed to January 1.
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