Better Renting

Public housing helps all renters, even the ones who aren't living in it. The current supply of public housing is nowhere near enough; tearing down buildings to replace them with fewer units and community housing—while displacing active tenants—only makes the problem worse.

🏙 We're proud to have stood with @rahunion.bsky.social, public housing residents, and other housing advocacy organisations this weekend to protest the demolition of 44 public housing towers in Melbourne!

If short-term rentals like AirBnb have affected your housing, ability to rent, or homes in your community, Everybody's Home wants to hear from you! Take their quick survey on the effects of short-term rental housing here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/CHN7W2C

Rent bidding is now illegal, but tenants say it's still happening | CHOICE Agents and landlords exploiting loopholes in legislation meant to outlaw the practice of leasing a home to the highest bidder

For renters to be protected, we need full bans on soliciting AND accepting rent bids, in every state. Rents are high enough—we shouldn't be doing our landlord's job by offering to make them even higher!

Read the full article here or at the link in our bio: www.choice.com.au/money/proper...

Our deputy director Bernie talked to CHOICE about rent-bidding this week: real estate agents continue to solicit bids for rents above the asking price, even in states where that's against the law.

Everyone should get the comfort and financial benefits of green energy—but that only happens if policymakers remember that renters exist in the first place.

Powerless: Report reveals renters have no control over energy efficiency Renters are feeling the chill, with 56% saying they had no control over the energy efficiency of their homes.

Last week's Renter Reality Report from PropTrack found that only 13% of renters have energy-efficient appliances in their homes, and more than half of renters have "no control" over their homes energy efficiency. (Read their full report here: buff.ly/STC5xvp )

Because they're renting, a whole third of Australian households don't usually get the benefits of energy upgrades like solar power and heat pumps, and they're frequently left out of the conversation around improving energy efficiency entirely.

One of our frequent volunteers, the incredible Andrea, was on ABC News last week to talk about how renters bear the brunt of energy inefficient homes!

Help protect against renovictions! The NSW government has significantly weakened the rules surrounding evictions for renovations/repairs. Take action to demand they bring back and strengthen protections from 'renovictions.'

We're asking the NSW govt to just do what they already said they would do: reinstate the evidence requirements for landlords issuing notices of termination for significant repairs/renovations.

Read the statement, message your MP, or sign a petition from TUNSW at: www.tenants.org.au/news/help-pr...

The NSW govt wants to walk back rental reforms after introducing them just a few weeks ago, now allowing landlords to evict tenants on the grounds of major renovations to the home without providing any evidence that renovations are actually happening, providing an easy loophole for unfair evictions.

Out Of Reach: Australia's Rental Crisis and the Decline of Social Housing - Everybody's Home Out Of Reach: Australia's Rental Crisis and the Decline of Social Housing

Reaching the National Housing Supply & Affordability Council's goal (6% of all housing stock being social or affordable housing will require serious govt investment—more than 5x the current Housing Australia Future Fund commitments.

Read the full report at everybodyshome.com.au/resources/ou...

Everybody's Home released a new report today on the relationship between the decline of our social housing system and the broader rental crisis. They find that while, over the past decade, rents in capital cities have increased by nearly 57%, social housing stock is disappearing.

We're happy to see the NSW government has introduced a bill that would require REAs to disclose when their listing photos are AI-generated! Our CEO Angela spoke to The Daily Aus to voice our support for similar measures nationwide—read the full article at buff.ly/S0Yv9Zu!

If you're a fan of our work and would like to see it continue, head to bit.ly/BR-donations... to chip in what you can before Monday 30 June. Every dollar goes to helping renting be, you know, better!

Time's running out to make your much-appreciated donation to Better Renting before the financial year runs out!

Listen to the interview to learn more, or go here to read the statement: buff.ly/CAFyVvk

While we applaud the ACT's investment in housing so far, we're very disappointed to see the fund dismantled—that's why we've signed a joint statement with Care, ACTCOSS, ACT Shelter, and other housing organisations in the state.

Our CEO Angela spoke to ABC News Canberra about why the Rent Relief Fund is so important: it provides crucial stability for renters so they can think about something other than whether they can keep a roof over their head.

We even have cute merch for donations $10 and over, so you can be reminded that you chipped in for renters!

Go to bit.ly/BR-donations... to donate before 30 June!

But we can't do the work that we do without funds, and things are getting tight. We would love any support you can offer—donating if you can, and sharing our donation ask with your community.

Now, we're ready to dial up the pressure. We want to entrench renters as the powerful constituency they should be and put their right to an affordable, stable, comfortable home above the vested interests who benefit from keeping the system broken.

We've had an epic (financial) year mobilising renters:

🏛️ we took 20 renters to APH to influence MPs

🗳️ we ran our first ever election campaign & turned out volunteers across the country

🤝 we got commitments to improving rental policies from members of the new Parliament!

(Skip the pitch by going straight to bit.ly/BR-donations..., or read on to be convinced!)

Yes—it's another EOFY fundraising ask—and Better Renting wouldn't be asking if we didn't really need to.

What do renters need to see action on right now? Made with Tally, the simplest way to create forms.

Tell us below or go to tally.so/r/mRlGW4 to have your say!

What do renters need to see action on right now? Made with Tally, the simplest way to create forms.

⚖️ Rental laws: nationally unified laws & minimum standards to protect renters
🏘️ Social housing: investment in government housing to boost supply
💰 Tax reform: ending policies like negative gearing to increase affordability
⛑️ Rent assistance & income support: financial aid payments to offset rent

We asked our email subscribers what renters most need action from their new government—and renter justice orgs like us—on now that federal election season is over. Their answer? Rental laws!

Want to weigh in on what you think is most important? Here's a little bit more about each option:

Victorian tenants thrive five years after laws enable many to get a pet Renters mark five years since Victorian legislation changed to allow tenants, including those in public housing, to keep pets with their landlord's permission.

Read the full story here: buff.ly/LPWPxRD

Every renter anecdote featured in the piece shows just how important & life-affirming it is for renters to have this kind of control over their lives, and how much healthier and happier it makes them, their homes, and our society. Looking forward to the NSW version of this story in 5 years!