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Report Private rental Housing assistance and policy

Regulation of residential tenancies and impacts on investment

Final Report No. 391

Date Published: 28 Nov 2022

Authors: Chris Martin Kath Hulse Milad Ghasri Liss Ralston Laura Crommelin Zoë Goodall Sharon Parkinson Eileen Webb

This research reviews the evidence-base about factors impacting and shaping rental investment; reviews the state of residential tenancies laws across Australia; and presents options for a renewed reform agenda.

The regulation of the Australian private rental sector (PRS) directly affects about 40 per cent of Australian households: the 26 per cent who live in private rental housing as tenants, and the 14 per cent who own it as landlords. Reform of regulation of residential tenancies processes are underway or have recently concluded in different jurisdictions. These processes, however, have mostly been uncoordinated at a national level and significant divergences and gaps have opened up in the laws.

The research finds little evidence that Australian residential tenancies law has impacted investment in private rental housing. On the contrary, Australian residential tenancies law has accommodated, even facilitated, the long-term growth of the PRS and of its particular structure and dynamic character. However, the small-holding, frequently-transferring character of the PRS presents basic problems for tenants trying to make homes in it.

The research also presents a number of issues that could be considered as part of a  national agenda for residential tenancy law reform.

DOI: 10.18408/ahuri7124801

Published by: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited

ISSN: 1834-7223

ISBN: 978-1-922498-58-8

 

Martin, C., Hulse, K., Ghasri, M., Ralston, L., Crommelin, L., Goodall, Z., Parkinson, S. and O’Brien Webb, E. (2022) Regulation of residential tenancies and impacts on investment, AHURI Final Report No. 391, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited, Melbourne, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/finalreports/391, doi: 10.18408/ahuri7124801.

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