Residential Tenancies Program: legislative changes
Overview of legislation changes to the Residential Tenancies Program that impact landlords and tenants.
Legislative changes to the Residential Tenancies Program. Changes come into effect 1 February 2022 and 21 March 2022.
Change | Details |
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Rent cap | Starting 1 February 2022 – A rent cap is in place until 31 December 2023. For existing tenants, rent can only increase up to 2% each year. The rent cap applies to tenants who have a residential lease, including tenants who have a fixed-term tenancy (lease) and are signing a lease for an additional fixed-term in the same rental unit. Any new or extra costs for services originally included in the lease (like parking) or removing services originally included in the lease (like electricity no longer being included in the rent) are also considered a rent increase and must be within the 2% rent cap. Landlords can only increase the rent once in a 12-month period, on the anniversary date of the tenancy (lease). Landlords need to give tenants notice of a rent increase in writing. The renting guide for tenants and landlords outlines the rules landlords need to follow when giving notice to increase the rent. The rent cap doesn’t apply to:
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Renovictions | Starting 21 March 2022 – Renoviction rules are in place to help protect tenants against evictions due to renovations. Protections include:
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Questions about the changes
Residential Tenancies can answer questions about the changes to the acts and regulations.