As a young Australian it is a common experience to be showered with cheery sentiments like “your generation is screwed,” “good luck ever owning a getting your foot in the door,” or the more blunt, “you’ll never own a home.” With that reality settling in, you turn to the rental market, only to wonder how you’ll ever manage to survive there. You hear of friends whose leases were cancelled just weeks before renewal. Who endured the uncertainty of 6-month lease after 6-month lease, or, worse, rolling leases. Friends who for years have tolerated mould, broken appliances, chipped doorframes, pests, and dismissive real estate agents, because they fear that if they complain too much, eviction will follow.
I’ve had my fair share of bad rental experiences: a house that flooded almost every time it rained; a landlord who believed ownership entitled them to barge in unannounced. Mould has destroyed more than one item of my clothing, thanks to a wall leak that had been ignored for years, hidden behind layers of chipped paint.
It was during one of these challenging times that I first encountered the Tenants Union. We weren’t informed until the day before that our rental’s roof would be replaced, and when the work began, fine dust filled our home. All we asked for was the bare minimum – an asbestos report to assure us that it was safe to breathe in our own home. The real estate agent claimed one existed but refused to provide it when we asked. In the midst of this ordeal, we were referred by a friend to the Tenants Union. Although my housemates and I ultimately didn’t need their direct assistance, just knowing they were there – ready to offer advice and advocate on our behalf – was a tremendous source of reassurance.
The Tenants Union have been there for renters, borders, lodgers, the owners of mobile homes, the sick, tired and elderly for 48 years. Throughout their history they have partaken in protests, supported rent-strikes, helped win legal battles, and proved proficient in the political manoeuvring needed to garner support for the passage of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, updating the previous, (appallingly outdated), 1899 legislation.
Additionally, the Tenants Union is the cornerstone of the NSW Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Services (TAAS), which provide 15 generalist services and 4 specialist services focused on Indigenous and elderly tenants across the state. These services allow for tenants to receive free quality advice to help fight battles against dodgy real estate agents and greedy landlords.
Their history is one that is increasingly important in Australia; as generational wealth threatens to create unbreachable class boundaries, and stable living becomes a luxury to all but a few, their work towards fighting for the rights of tenants across NSW is both inspiring and energising, serving as a light in what can, at times, seem like a darkening world.
If you need assistance or advice on your rights as a renter, visit the Tenants Union of NSW at https://www.tenants.org.au/ .