The state government says changes to WA's rental laws will help balance the power battle between landlords and tenants. Rent increase will now be limited to once a year, and most tenants will be able to keep pets and make minor modifications. But with tight vacancy rates, not everyone is seeing the benefits.
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00:00As changes to WA's rental laws took effect last week, mother and daughter Alison and
00:06Amelia Clarke hardly noticed.
00:11On top of dealing with Alison's health issues, they were too busy packing.
00:14We're running out of time and then we are looking at being homeless.
00:22Six years ago they drove across the country to find cheaper housing and escape homelessness
00:26in Queensland.
00:28It's really taken, you know, almost six years to really get to the point of even kind of
00:32feeling like a person again, you know, like, because it is so dehumanising to be homeless.
00:40Three months ago they were devastated to be told their landlord was selling up.
00:44I just want four walls and a door.
00:47But there's very few rentals that are affordable to us and obviously it's the same for everyone
00:54else who has lower incomes or who are single incomes and so that we all have to apply
01:01for the same places.
01:02The reforms will limit rent increases to once a year and mean most tenants will be able
01:07to keep pets and make minor modifications.
01:10But if you're like Alison and you can't find anywhere to live, it's not going to be much
01:14help.
01:15Thank you for contacting Circle Green.
01:20It's an issue staff at community legal centre Circle Green see often.
01:24They're all kind of coloured with this threat of eviction that people face and advice we
01:28give people is often, you know, here's what your rights are and they don't want to do
01:32anything to enforce them because they know what the alternative is.
01:36Ms Pennycott is also the spokesperson for the Make Renting Fair campaign which wants
01:40further changes like capping rent increases, especially in the current market.
01:46But others say the balance is right and there's hope ahead for the market.
01:50Investor lending has increased so, you know, and they're aware of the reforms coming in
01:54so that's really positive signs that investors, you know, aren't too spooked about the reforms
01:59that are coming in and they're still willing to invest.
02:02That will take time to make a difference though, time the clerks don't have.
02:06I've never lived anywhere for six years so never had to pack up six years worth of stuff.
02:12Six years ago when we came here it was because this place, you know, WA, had a bunch of affordable
02:20available housing and now even here has the same issues as places like the Gold Coast in Sydney.
02:29So the question becomes, where do you go?
02:32Their next hope, saving up for a caravan and finding somewhere to park it.