More rental reforms have been introduced to the ACT Legislative Assembly.
The reforms are centered on occupancy agreements, which are used in student accommodation, boarding houses, emergency housing and caravan parks.
Better clarifications of the rights and obligations of "grantors" - the owner of the room or premise - and "occupants" are among the proposed changes.
There would be mandatory minimum protections for "occupants" such as protections against unreasonable evictions and access to communal areas.
A proposed reform also slated changes to share housing to "reflect modern community behaviours" as it "becomes an increasingly common living arrangement".
The ACT government floated the reforms when it released the draft laws for public consultation in December.
In the consultation, the proposed share house change outlined would make it is easier for a tenant to exit a share house. At present, a rental agreement could cease on a share house if one of the tenants leaves.
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But under the proposed changes the remaining tenants would be able to grant permission for them to exit.
Attorney General Gordon Ramsay introduced the reforms to the assembly on Thursday.
This is the final suite of reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act that Mr Ramsay will introduce, after the changes were outlined in a 2016 review of the act.
Last year, reforms passed that made it easier or tenants to have pets, make minor modifications and made it harder for landlords to increase rent beyond CPI.
These reforms apply to leases signed after November 1, 2019.
"The old system of tenancy laws was outdated, often skewed in the favour of one party and lacked legal clarity around process, conditions, sustainability and fairness," Mr Ramsay said.
"These changes will provide basic parameters for both tenants and landlords to understand what is and what is not acceptable when entering into a tenancy or occupancy agreement.
"I am confident this package of reforms will help ensure that both tenants and landlords understand their obligations through a simplified and streamlined system that will benefit our entire community."
Proposed amendments to Residential Tenancies Act:
- Clearer definitions to give greater certainty about the rights and obligations of grantors and occupants.
- Mandatory minimum protections for occupants, including protections against unreasonable evictions, protection for access to communal areas, notice periods for a grantor to enter the premises and limitations on penalties that may be charged.
- Grantors to ensure that occupants have information about dispute resolution mechanisms.
- New obligation for grantors who are not education providers to lodge security deposits with the office for rental bonds.
- Reflect modern community behaviours and expectations as share housing becomes an increasingly common living arrangement for students and young professionals saving up to buy their first home.
