Queensland Government set to ratchet back COVID-19 rental rules

Queensland Government set to ratchet back COVID-19 rental rules
Staff reporterDecember 8, 2020

There are signs that the Queensland Government's proposed legislation proposed on rental protections is being reviewed.

The Real Estate Institute of Queensland has launched a campaign against laws set to be put to parliament next Wednesday which will effect 600,000 landlords.

The Palaszczuk Government has promised to consult more widely on its proposed rental protections after thousands of angry letters to the Premier’s office in just one day.

The government and REIQ will meet today.

REIQ chief executive Antonia Mercorella said her organisation was not opposed to a six-month moratorium protecting people from eviction, or from entitled tenants getting a rent reduction.

But she said landlords wanted rent deferrals on the discounted portion of rent, rather than permanent rent waivers.

The REIQ want tenants to provide proof of financial difficulty.

They want a threshold as to how much a tenant must be financially impacted before protection.

“It’s not their fault they can’t make their payments if they’ve lost their job. But it goes too far.

“It throws the property owners to the wolves .... this will break many property investors”.

Ms Mercorella said banks weren’t giving out mortgage pauses as easily as the Government seemed to believe.

Housing Minister Mick de Benni has advised the laws would not be a blanket rent waiver, but allowed property owners and tenants to renegotiate rental agreements for the short term.

“No Queenslander should have to end this lockdown period with no job and an insurmountable debt, through no fault of their own,” he said.

“All of us have a role to play to get through this, including the banks who need to provide mortgage relief for landlords.”

 

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