RENT CONTROLS NOW

for rent you can afford

You deserve a home you can afford. But every year, more of your wages go straight into your landlord’s pockets.

In the last 5 years rents have gone up 2.5 times faster than wages. Under Labor, property investors can put up your rent by any amount.

The rental crisis is a political choice. Rents keeps rising because Labor and the Liberals give special treatment to wealthy investors, who in return fund them to stay in power.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Unlimited rent increases should be illegal.

The Greens ended rental bidding and no grounds evictions – we can make rent controls a reality too.

We will cap rent increases so you can afford your home, and even save for the future.

Our plan for rent you can afford

 
  1. Cap rent rises so they can’t go up faster than wages.
  2. Crack down on dodgy agents and landlords with an independent regulator.
  3. Close the loopholes to make renting secure and fair.
  4. Enforce and increase the tax on empty homes to free up homes to rent and buy.

MORE ON OUR PLAN

Cap rent rises

We’ll cap rent increases to go up no more than wages.

Our plan includes an initial 2-year rent freeze, to give wages the chance to catch up to rents, and then limiting the rate of increases to the Wage Price Index or inflation, whichever is lower.

We’ll tie rent increases to the property, not the tenant, so investors can’t kick out a tenant to put up the rent.

Crack down on dodgy landlords

We’ll crack down on dodgy landlords with an independent regulator who will:

  • Require rent-worthy checks and energy efficiency disclosure for all leases on advertising.
  • Conduct independent inspections and enforce penalties for failing to meet minimum standards or carry out repairs.
  • Administer a landlord register and licensing scheme.
Close the loopholes

We’ll close loopholes to make renting secure and fair:

  • Allow renters to stay when their home is sold.
  • Guarantee right of return after renovations.
  • 3-year re-leasing ban after eviction due to landlord or family member moving in.
  • Prohibit rent increases in the first 2 years of a lease.
Tax empty homes
  • Double the vacancy tax.
  • Just 40% of eligible homes pay the vacancy tax. We will enforce it like they do in Vancouver, so 90% of homes pay.
  • Expand the tax to include commercial properties.

HOW WE'LL PAY FOR IT

Tax wealth. Cap rents.

Rent controls cost the government nothing and will save renters tens of thousands of dollars.

Introducing rent controls, closing the loopholes are legislative changes that do not require budgetary investment at the outset. For the independent regulator and licensing scheme, landlords would pay to obtain rent-worthy checks and a licence, and penalties would bring in revenue, but there would likely be operating costs for the government.

The Greens would invest $50 million to establish the regulator, including a $20 million establishment cost plus $30 million over the forward estimates.