REINSW management, in conjunction with the REINSW Property Management Chapter and along with members who have actively enlisted the support of their landlords, has been able to force considerable changes to the Bill.

Key changes that REINSW has pressured the Government to make include:

• Abandoning a proposal to give tenants the right to break a fixed-term tenancy agreement during the fixed term in return for payment of a 'break fee'
• Scrapping the compulsory proposal to cap a landlord's damages (including loss of rent) if a tenant abandoned rented premises, and maintaining the current obligation on a landlord to mitigate their loss in such circumstances
• Providing greater certainty for landlords when terminating periodic tenancies
• Further limiting the government's proposals to allow tenants to make 'minor' changes to the landlord's property (e.g. painting is not a 'minor' change) or to sub-let the property without the landlord's consent (which are both proposals that REINSW still opposes in principle and will continue to lobby against)

REINSW previously lodged a comprehensive submission with respect to the draft Bill. It's pleasing to see that concerns and suggestions raised by REINSW have been incorporated into the amended Bill as introduced into Parliament.

While the Bill in its current form is a significant improvement, it is still subject to approval by the Upper House and REINSW will be preparing more detailed commentary once the final form of the legislation is known.

REINSW will continue to actively lobby on behalf of members.