The talk looked at some of the relevant measures that are being implemented in so far as they relate to residential tenancies in Victoria in April 2020. The topics covered in the presentation included:
- Eviction Notices
- Inspections and Open Homes
- Loss of Income
- Insurance
- Government Protection Measures
- Landlord’s and Tenant’s rights and responsibilities
A copy of my paper is available to anyone who is interested.
After the talk, the attendees posed a large number of questions about the way the proposed legislative changes will affect both landlords and tenants, confirming that this is an area causing considerable concern in the community.
The Victorian government is proposing to introduce legislation into the Parliament on 23 April 2020.
It is expected that the legislation will:
- introduce a temporary ban on evictions (for 6 months from 29 March 2020),
- pause rental increases for the same six month period,
- provide land tax relief for landlords, and
- provide rent relief for tenants experiencing financial hardship.
Tenants and landlords who struggle to strike a deal over rent reductions will be given access to a fast-tracked dispute resolution service, with Consumer Affairs Victoria or the Victorian Small Business Commission mediating to ensure fair agreements are reached.
If a landlord provides tenants impacted by coronavirus with rent relief, they will be eligible for a 25 per cent discount on their land tax, while any remaining land tax can be deferred until March 2021.
Evictions will be banned for residential tenancies for six months, except in some limited circumstances.
The Government will also create an $80 million rental assistance fund for renters facing hardship due to coronavirus. To be eligible for up to $2,000 in rent relief, renters will need to have registered their revised agreement with Consumer Affairs Victoria or gone through mediation, have less than $5,000 in savings and still be paying at least 30 per cent of their income in rent.
I will provide a further post, if the legislation provides any surprises.
WG Stark
Hayden Starke Chambers
