Abstract
This chapter focuses on the body of regulation which sets the norms and expected behaviours involved in Australia’s landlord-tenant relations. It opens by exploring the rationale for private rental regulation, especially in terms of the prevailing neo-liberal governance philosophy. Next, we present a national overview of tenancy regulation across Australia highlighting, where appropriate, particularly notable features of systems in specific jurisdictions. Drawing on this overview the chapter then discusses three key aspects of landlord-tenant relations, namely rent regulation, security of tenure and landlord repairing obligations. After briefly reviewing the distinct regulatory approaches that relate to boarding houses, we next summarise recent PRS regulatory reform debates and, in conclusion, reflect on the overall picture and future prospects for change in the balance of power between landlords and tenants.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Referred to in Victoria as ‘rooming houses’. For simplicity, the term boarding houses is used from this point onwards throughout the book.
- 2.
For example, under NSW RTA amendments in force from 2020, more specific guidance has been included on “fitness for habitation”—see S52(1)(A).
- 3.
Although the NSW RTA 2010 provides some guidance in stating that “reasonable standard of repair” means “having regard to the age of, rent payable for, and prospective life of the premises” (S63(2)). The requirement for smoke alarms is a notable exception to the general rule that RTAs stand back from explicitly defining “reasonable state of repair”.
References
Arnott, R. (1995). Time for revisionism on rent control? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(1), 99–120.
Arnott, R. (2003). Swedish economic policy review (Vol. 10, pp. 89–121). Stockholm: Ministry of Finance.
Bale, B. (2018, November 1). Ideas of home and ownership in Australia might explain the neglect of renters’ rights. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/ideas-of-home-and-ownership-in-australia-might-explain-the-neglect-of-renters-rights-104849.
Blackman, A. (2019, October 21). Berlin freezes rents in landmark plan to tackle cost spiral. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-18/berlin-government-reaches-deal-to-freeze-rents-for-5-years.
Blunden, H., & Martin, C. (2003). Leaking roofs: Australian tenancy law. A report by the National Association of Tenant Organisation. Sydney: Tenants’ Union of New South Wales.
Bradbrook, A. J. (1975). Poverty and the residential landlord-tenant relationship. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service (AGPS).
Bradbrook, A. J. (2003). Rented housing law: Past, present and future. Flinders Journal of Law Reform, 7(1), 1–14.
Burke, T. (2012). The Australian residential housing market: Institutions and actors. In R. Tomlinson (Ed.), Australia’s Unintended Cities. Melbourne: CSIRO.
Choice, National Shelter and the National Association of Tenant Organizations. (2018). Disrupted: The consumer experience of renting in Australia. Marrickville, NSW: Choice. https://www.choice.com.au/-/media/cb55695ea54d4f928802aa78b1b9c60a.ashx?la=en.
Crook, T., & Kemp, P. A. (Eds.). (2014). Private rental housing: Comparative perspectives. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Dalton, T., Pawson, H., & Hulse, K. (2015a). Rooming house futures: Governing for growth, fairness and transparency, No. 245. Melbourne: AHURI.
Dalton, T., Hulse, K., & Pawson, H. (2015b). Rooming house futures: Governing for growth, transparency and fairness—Victorian Discussion Paper. Melbourne: AHURI.
Ferré-Sadurní, L., McKinley, J., & Wang, V. (2019, June 11). Landmark deal reached on rent protections for tenants in N.Y. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/rent-protection-regulation.html.
Goodman, R., Nelson, A., Dalton, T., Cigdem, M., Gabriel, M., & Jacobs, K. (2013). The experience of marginal rental housing in Australia, No. 210. Melbourne: AHURI.
Haffner, M., Hegedüs, J., & Knorr-Siedow, T. (2018). The private rental sector in Western Europe. In J. Hegedűs, M. Lux, & V. Horváth (Eds.), Private rental housing in transition countries: An alternative to owner occupation? London: Palgrave.
Hulse, K. Milligan, V., & Easthope, H. (2011). Secure occupancy in rental housing: Conceptual foundations and comparative perspectives, No. 170. Melbourne: AHURI.
Hulse, K., & Milligan, V. (2014). Secure occupancy: A new framework for analysing security in rental housing. Housing Studies, 29(5), 638–656.
Le Grand, J., Propper, C., & Smith, S. (2008). The economics of social problems (4th ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Kofner, S. (2014). The German housing system: Fundamentally resilient? Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 29(2), 255–275.
Kofner, S. (2018). Appendix 1: Private rental housing in Germany. In C. Martin, K. Hulse, & H. Pawson (Eds.), The changing institutions of private rental housing: An international review, No. 292. Melbourne: AHURI.
Martin, C. (2012). Tenants’ rights manual. Sydney: Federation Press.
Martin, C. (2021). Australia’s incipient eviction crisis: No going back. Alternative Law Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/1037969X21990940.
Martin, C., Hulse, K., & Pawson, H. (2018). The changing institutions of private rental housing: An international review, No. 292. Melbourne: AHURI.
Metcalf, G. (2018). Sand castles before the tide? Affordable housing in expensive cities. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 32(1), 59–80.
National Shelter & NATO. (2010). A better lease on life: Improving Australian tenancy law. Canberra: National Shelter.
Pawson, H., Dalton, T., & Hulse, K. (2015). Rooming house futures: Governing for growth, transparency and fairness—New South Wales Discussion Paper. Melbourne: AHURI.
Pawson, H., Parsell, C., Saunders, P., Hill, P., & Liu, E. (2018). Australian homelessness monitor 2018. Melbourne: Launch Housing.
Pawson, H., & Martin, C. (2020). Rental property investment in disadvantaged areas: The means and motivations of Western Sydney’s new landlords. Housing Studies—Online first. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2019.1709806.
Pawson, H., Milligan, V., & Yates, J. (2020). Housing policy in Australia: A case for system reform. Singapore: Palgrave.
Productivity Commission (2019). Vulnerable private renters: Evidence and options. Canberra: Australian Government.
Robertson, D., & Young, G. (2018). An evaluation of rent regulation measures within Scotland’s private rented sector. Edinburgh: Shelter Scotland.
VCAT (Victoria Civil and Administrative Claims Tribunal). (2019). Annual Report 2018–19. Melbourne: VCAT. https://www.vcat.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/resources/annual-report-2018-19.PDF. Accessed 26 Jan 2020.
Whitehead, C. (2012). The neo-liberal legacy to housing research. In D. Clapham, W. A. V. Clark, & K. Gibb, (Eds.), The sage handbook of housing studies. London: Sage.
Whitehead, C., Monk, S., Scanlon, K., Markkanen, S., & Tang, C. (2012). The private rented sector in the new century: A comparative approach. London: LSE.
Whitehead, C., & Williams, P. (2018). Assessing the evidence on rent control: An international perspective. Manchester: Residential Landlords Association.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Morris, A., Hulse, K., Pawson, H. (2021). Private Rental in Australia: A Lightly Regulated Sector. In: The Private Rental Sector in Australia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6672-5_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6672-5_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-33-6671-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-33-6672-5
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)