The NSW Liberal and National Parties have committed to replacing no-grounds evictions with a set of reasonable grounds for terminating periodic leases. No-grounds evictions allow the landlord to evict a tenant during an existing lease or at the end of a fixed-term lease, without giving any reason. Australia is one of the few OECD countries that allows no-ground evictions. This has resulted in many tenants living in fear of eviction, some putting up with poor living conditions rather than asking for repairs.
Renters and tenant advocacy groups have called for this policy reform for many years. It is recognised as one of the single most important law reforms for renters.
According to REINSW, the vacancy rate in Sydney in January 2023 was just 1.5%. Vacancies across the state remain extremely tight in rural and regional areas, which means that some tenants are evicted with nowhere to go. Forced eviction is a gross violation of human rights and governments across Australia, at every level, are responsible for ensuring that it only ever occurs as a last resort and never result in homelessness.
Currently, the commitment does not apply to renters on fixed term leases. The sector is calling for the replacement of no-grounds evictions with a range of specified reasonable grounds, for all types of leases.
