According to the 2016 Census almost a third of people in NSW rent at 31.8 per cent and at a rate which is growing each year. 

These new reforms, introduced by the Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean, will allow tenants to make minor alterations such as installing a picture hook. 

Other alterations include restricting rent increases to periodic leases to once every 12 months, and include set fees for breaking a fix-term lease. 

However, senior tenancy manager from LJ Hooker Robyn Rossiter argued that an imbalance in landlord and tenancy rights could create conflict. 

“Minor alterations are fine, but in older heritage homes for someone to just bang a nail or hook in the wall; it will really having to depend on who is doing these minor alterations as there’s potential for a property to be damaged,” she said. 

“To me it looks like they’re diluting the breaking-lease fees even further, which I think is grossly unfair. 

“If someone signs a document for a 12 month period, this is a legally binding document, so now having to only pay one week’s worth of rent, and yet to give notice to end a lease it’s 2-3 weeks, so I don’t understand how that is going to be controlled.”

Mr Kean argued that “forcing” renters into minimum 12 month leases hurts students, workers and future home owners who need flexibility. 

Ms Rossiter said she is concerned that more responsibility will be given to Fair Trading, already a system that is “overloaded”. 

“Giving more responsibility to the tribunal takes away the ability to necessarily deal with something in a timely manner,” she said. 

“It’s my understanding that the tribunal still doesn’t have the authority to act where either party doesn’t live in the state, so they’ve given more power to the tribunal but it doesn’t cover everyone.” 

Despite the concern, Ms Rossiter said she agrees that tenants will be held responsible for water and electricity accounts. 

“While most of our tenants pay their bills on time, in the past some people have paid their rent, but they have not paid hundreds of dollars in their utility accounts and there weren’t any direct consequences,” she said. 

University student Alice Debney has been renting for about five years and said installing a picture hook is quite insignificant. 

“Putting a picture hook somewhere has not been an issue of mine, but probably if I was renting for a long time, it would be nice to make those tiny adjustments,” she said. 

Ms Debney argued that having more flexibility with pets would be preferred. 

“I would love to get a dog, but my current rental doesn’t permit this so I would have to move and it would be so hard to find a place that allows a dog,” she said. 

“I feel like there’s so much discrimination as I’m sure a pet-friendly home owner would still choose a pet-free tenant over one with a dog or cat.

“I just think that if a pet does damage to the property, then you pay to get it fixed and take responsibility.” 

However, Ms Rossiter disagreed and said even if tenants are responsible their pets can still cause “unwitting” damage. 

“I still think the owner should have a say on whether pets can be allowed or not, people need to be reasonable,” she said.  

While Victoria is still yet to pass a reform to allow pets in all properties, on the exemption of certain cases, this current policy does not involve pets. 

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