No-fault evictions in NSW pushing ‘more people into homelessness’ but little movement on law change

Abstract

When businesswoman Eman Soliman was texted her eviction notice, she assumed it was a mistake. “There wasn’t even a phone call to explain why it had happened,” she said.

Data from the government’s End of Tenancy Survey published in 2022, indicates one renter is issued a no-grounds eviction every 18 minutes — leaving more than 28,000 renters looking for new homes every year. Results from the most recent survey are expected to be released later this year.

Under current law, landlords in NSW are able to terminate rolling leases at any time without reason. The only requirement is that they give the tenant 90 days’ notice.

Both Labor and the Coalition went into the 2023 state election promising to ban this type of eviction. Fifteen months later, the government has yet to put forward new legislation.