Tesch welcomes new rental laws
Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch has welcomed new renting laws which aim to make renting fairer for around 5600 renters on the Peninsula.
The rental reforms include ending no grounds evictions.
"Owners will now be required to provide a valid reason to end all lease types, increasing security and transparency for renters," she said.
"Tenants will be able to apply to keep a pet in their rental home, with owners only able to refuse for specific reasons, such as the owner living at the property or failure to comply with local council laws.
"Owners and agents must enable renters to pay their rent using certain fee-free rent payment methods such as direct bank transfer."
She said the new laws complemented other measures including limiting rent increases to once per year and ending tenants having to pay for their own background checks.
A portable Rental Bonds Scheme and a Rent Check website that compares rentals to other similar homes have also been introduced.
Ms Tesch said: "The legislation, which was passed the NSW Parliament in October, followed a comprehensive consultation and engagement process to inform and communicate these new reforms.
"Since taking office, the NSW Government has been focused on building a rental system that gets the balance right between renters and owners.
"During my childhood we moved 13 times to various rental properties, so I understand the importance of having security and fairness in the rental market."
Penalties are now in place for agents or owners who do the wrong thing, with the changes to be enforced by a Rental Taskforce, she said.
More information was available on the NSW Fair Trading website.
SOURCE:
Media release, 19 May 2025
Joely Langmaid, Office of the Member for Gosford