Last night, Scott Morrison got up and gave yet another address to the nation about what we’re doing to keep coronavirus at bay. Public gatherings have now been taken down to a limit of two people, and elderly people have been urged to stay home. The biggest update to come out of that press conference was that Scott Morrison announced a major boost to renters rights – a six-month moratorium on evictions if tenants can’t pay their rent in the middle of the coronavirus shutdown.
We’ve seen lines snaking around city blocks made up of people trying to access Centrelink, and it’s no secret that thousands of people have lost their sources of income as the country bunkers down to flatten the curve. So what are your rights if the spread of coronavirus has you facing eviction?
First of all, rules are currently being put in place that will stop you being kicked out. “States and territories will be moving to put a moratorium on evictions of persons as a result of financial distress… for the next six months,” Scott Morrison said last night.
He didn’t mention anything about rent freezes or bailouts at this point, because tenancy laws fall to the states and territories, but there will be another announcement with more details on Friday night.
If you’re struggling financially at the moment, getting in contact with your landlord or real estate agent now is better than getting in contact with them in a few weeks time when you can’t pay any rent whatsoever.
At this stage, we don’t know when the coronavirus pandemic will be over. We don’t know if tenants will have to make back payments when things go back to normal or not, and we don’t know what will happen after this six month moratorium is over.
As for right now, you have the right to housing and to not be evicted during this crisis because coronavirus cost you your job. It’s a good start.
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