OPINION: THIS October the Victorian government announced legislative changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 which will bring a fairer balance between the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords. I support most of these changes as for far too long there has been an imbalance between the rights of both parties.
I believe that current practices need to change and keep up with the pace of the changing environment. More households choosing to rent rather than buy which indicates a shift in lifestyles and therefore these changes are warranted.
However, one element of the proposed changes I’m yet to be convinced on, is the introduction of a landlord and estate agent blacklist. I don’t think blacklists in general serve any useful purpose and could turn the industry into a blame game with both parties potentially suffering at the words of a disgruntled tenant or landlord. VCAT is there already to deal with people who don’t do the right thing and that’s where a lot of the rental disputes end up being resolved.
The benefits of such a system are increased transparency and integrity, a blacklist may ensure that those few landlords who don’t conduct their business lawfully become more accountable and this may potentially lead to a change in behaviors.
Although to strike a fair balance it would also need to include a blacklist of tenants.
The risk with that is it could provide too much opportunity for tenants or landlords to make claims that are unsubstantiated. This is where the real downside of a blacklist is apparent as it focuses too much on negativity and blame rather than building constructive relationships. There needs to be more done to enhance the reciprocal relationships for both parties, which involves honesty from the tenants on looking after the property and more trust from landlords to give flexibility and freedoms.
Renting a home should not be view as just another transaction, it’s a very important decision and renters should have the right to enjoy their home.
I’m sure with a positive approach that aims to provide more transparency within the rental relationships we would see improvements in the accountability of both parties.
At View.com.au this is what we are continually working towards, as the property insights site we empower buyers and renters with as much information as possible to make informed decisions about the properties they buy or rent and the relationships they pursue. The backbone of the real estate industry as a whole is relationships and knowledge and this needs to be at the forefront of the proposed RTA changes, where we look at ways to make the relationships fairer on both sides and ensure all parties are fully informed and a blacklist for landlords and agents will not achieve this.
By Enzo Raimondo, CEO – view.com.au
Property Reviewer on Australian Property Journal
