Page 538 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 23 March 2022
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When those landlords ask for information, they do it for a reason. It is so that they can make an informed decision. They want to make sure that the person that is moving in has a good record in how they treat their rental properties and that they can pay the rent that is expected of them. Similarly, those exact same benefits apply the other way. When you are a tenant you want to make sure that, when you move into a property, the person on the other end of the phone is going to pick up; that when there is urgent maintenance they are actually going to do it. You want to know that that landlord is going to respect your rights.
The stories I have heard across the ACT of landlords disrespecting tenants are absurd: from landlords randomly bursting into people’s houses at strange times to landlords refusing to do maintenance that is required. These are things that are sometimes illegal, sometimes not, and in that grey area the exploitation that can occur is deeply troubling. We have courts for a reason. When landlords or tenants do the wrong thing, there should be recourse. But let us be very clear: that recourse is often instantaneous and only applies to that circumstance. It is important that people can be aware of what has gone on so that they can make informed choices. If someone is a bad landlord then I think tenants have the right to know that so that they can avoid them.
Something that has been raised and that I think is worth pointing out is the role of property managers in this process. Property managers have a hard time. They have a lot of work. They do not get paid a lot of money and they often do not get all the support they need. I do not want to castigate property managers. But what needs to be said is that landlords, at the end of the day, are responsible. They appoint the property manager. They are responsible. You cannot subcontract out your responsibility. At the end of the day, the buck stops with the landlord.
To those in the Canberra Liberals that seek to run a protection racket for property owners’ interests, it is very clear to everyone what has occurred today. The fact that you are so ardently inclined to defend the interests of the property class is remarkable. I was somewhat surprised at what occurred today. I actually thought the Canberra Liberals were going to come in here, say a bunch of nothing and just let this one go through to the keeper. Instead they viciously came out and not only attacked me in a very strangely personal way but tried to undermine this motion—for no real reason, because, at the end of the day, references are good for both sides.
Something that I want to put on the record here is that the response to this idea when it was first put out there by a comedian over a month ago was profoundly positive. The response from renters is actually staggering, and I say that as a renter myself. I am probably one of the few politicians in this country that rents. I know what it is like. For all of the renters, they know exactly what this motion does. It gives them the slightest semblance of power. It gives them the ability to tell their story, to say, “This landlord treated me badly and you should be aware of this.” To me, it is shocking what I have seen here today. I look forward to the coming year, as the ACT government investigates and considers this motion.
As much as Mr Parton would like to describe this as some concrete proposal right here today that is going to send the ACT housing market crashing, that is not what this
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