Growing support to end controversial practice as renters live in fear
Alicia Keenan had just turned 21 when she learned they were being evicted from their rental home in Perth without cause.
Three years later, the stress of trying to find a new place to call home remains; Keenan says they live in fear that the same thing will happen again.
“It was three days after my 21st birthday, which wasn’t a very good birthday present… I can still remember how my life turned upside down,” they said.
“My home was supposed to be my safe place, my security, a place to go home, and it turned into turmoil and uncertainty.
“In the end, I had to endure a housing issue that had consequences that I am still experiencing.
“We now thankfully live in a wonderful shared house. I love my flatmates, but there is an almost daily fear that we will face an unjustified eviction.”
Keenan spoke about his experiences raising awareness and fighting for the state government to end unjustified evictions.
WA is the only jurisdiction in Australia other than the NT that does not have laws against unjustified evictions.
New polling from market research firm Painted Dog in March, commissioned by WA’s Make Renting Fair Alliance, has revealed growing support for ending unjustified evictions across the state, including support from property investors.
80 per cent of 761 respondents surveyed in metro and regional WA support ensuring tenants cannot be evicted without cause, with only 3 per cent strongly opposed.
“These changes have been on the table since 2019 and it is now time to move forward and bring our rental system into the modern age.”
Shelter WA general manager Kath Snell
More than 70 percent of investment property owners also supported it.
The majority of survey respondents also supported rent stabilization, including limiting rent increases in some way.
Alice Pennycott, spokesperson for Make Renting Fair and chief solicitor at Circle Green Community Legal, said the new survey showed clear broad-based support for strengthening protections for tenants, including ending no-justice evictions and introducing minimum standards for rental properties.
“These results should give the government real confidence to move forward, knowing that the community is firmly behind them and ready for change,” he said.
“People know that a stable and fair rental system benefits everyone.
“Opposition to any proposed reform is inevitable, and while a vocal minority sometimes dominates the conversation, these data clearly show that the wider community accepts these reforms as fair, reasonable and overdue.
“Now is the time for the government to take action and bring the rental system in line with society’s expectations.”
Shelter WA chief executive Kath Snell said removing unjustified evictions would be a huge step forward and would eventually bring WA on par with the rest of the country.
“This should not be a concern for landlords who are already doing the right thing with valid and reasonable grounds to end a lease, such as selling a property or responding to a breach of lease,” he said.
“Ending unfair evictions is one of the most meaningful changes our campaign has championed and will provide safety, security and dignity, a relief for more than 700,000 rental families in Western Australia who currently live in fear they will lose their homes through no fault of their own.
“These changes have been on the table since 2019 and it is now time to move forward and bring our rental system into the modern age.”
WA Premier Roger Cook said the state government had already introduced “significant residential tenancy law reform”.
“It was really important to continue to make sure people had confidence in operating in the rental market and their rights as tenants, and we signaled at the time that there would be more tranches of residential tenancy law reform and we continue to look at what the opportunities are,” he said.
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Holly Thompson is a journalist at WAtoday specializing in education and the environment.Connect with: X or email.
