Are you ready? WA’s rental reforms take effect next week
The Western Australian government’s latest wave of rental reforms will be implemented this month, aiming to give tenants “more certainty in their budgets and allow them to feel more at home in their properties”.
From the beginning of next week (29 July), rent increases in Western Australia will only be allowed to occur once every 12 months, down from every six months previously.
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As outlined in a media statement from Commerce Minister Sue Ellery, this minimum 12-month time frame was described as coming into effect immediately for periodic tendencies, and starting for fixed-term tenancies once the current terms of the lease agreement end.
Reforms around pet ownership were also outlined, with pets stated to be “mostly allowed” as long as tenants seek permission from, and follow the “reasonable conditions” imposed by their landlord.
Moreover, landlords will only be able to refuse pets in their properties if written laws, local laws or by-laws prevent them, or if a “good reason” can be provided to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection.
In outlining these guidelines for pet ownership in rental properties, the Western Australian government noted that “some conditions will require the approval of the commissioner”.
The state government additionally outlined changes around minor modifications in rental properties, with alterations such as “hanging up pictures on a wall, putting up fly screens or installing a water-saving shower head” now allowed with a landlord’s permission.
Commenting on these recent rental reforms, Minister Ellery said that “a rental will feel more like a home now that tenants are allowed to keep pets where reasonable and make their own small, personalised changes to the property”.
Under these new changes, the state government stated that any disputes around pets or house modifications will be considered by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, who will hear from both tenant and landlord before delivering an independent ruling.
“Empowering the Commissioner for Consumer Protection to handle disputes about pets and minor modifications will allow for these issues to be resolved in a fast, fair and transparent way,” Minister Ellery concluded.
These introductions come after the Western Australian government’s recent introduction of a $5,000 incentive which aims to convert vacant property owners into landlords.