Australia: New South Wales to grant more rights to pet-owning tenants

The Labor government in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) plans to introduce a bill in October to reform rental laws, strengthening protections for pet-owning tenants.

While residents will still need to apply for permission to keep pets, landlords will be restricted in their ability to refuse. Refusals will only be allowed if landlords live onsite and have objections or if local laws prohibit certain breeds.

It will remain illegal for landlords to refuse tenants with registered assistance animals.

“We are working closely with renters, landlords, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), animal welfare organizations, agents, and advocates to ensure these proposed reforms are successfully implemented,” says NSW Rental Commissioner Trina Jones.

Similar to the UK’s Rental Reform Bill, the NSW reforms are expected to ban no-ground evictions.

Housing crisis

The NSW Government describes the current housing market as the most challenging renters have faced in decades, with average rent prices rising by 7% in the past year and rental availability remaining low.

The pet-related measures also address concerns raised in a report by the RSPCA, which revealed that 1 in 5 animals are surrendered due to pet-unfriendly housing.

Domestic violence organizations have also reported that a major struggle for victim-survivors getting out of dangerous homes is their concern about securing housing with their pet.

The Tenants’ Union of NSW welcomed the reforms as good news. “We are excited to see the text of the bill and hope to ensure the legislation genuinely makes it easier for renters to have pets,” a spokesperson tells GlobalPETS