New Australian research shows that the majority of renters are concerned about requesting repairs. Disadvantaged groups are especially vulnerable to retaliation. Renters require greater government support to maintain housing safety.

The National Shelter and the National Association of Renter Organisations (NARO) have published their research report, Rights at Risk: Rising Rents and Repercussions. They surveyed 1019 people who rent in the private sector across Australia. Three-quarters of the renters surveyed (74%) had experienced a repair issue in their current tenancies, and half (50%) currently need a repair, with 10% of renters needing urgent repairs. Over two-thirds of renters (68%) are worried that a request for repairs could result in a rent increase, and over half fear eviction (56%) or blacklisting (52%).

Concerns about rental increase is highest in Tasmania (80%), in comparison to the national average (69%). Concerns about eviction is highest in the Northern Territory (64%), Victoria (64%) and South Australia (59%), in comparison to the national average (56%). Concerns about blacklisting is highest in the Northern Territory (64%) and Victoria (58%), in comparison to the national average (52%).

One third of renters would find a 5% rent increase difficult to afford.

The report also finds that disadvantaged groups are most vulnerable:

‘Across most of the issues we asked about, renters in disadvantaged groups are doing worse – especially renters who are unemployed, renters with low education and, to a lesser extent, renters with disability. These renters have been hit with more rent increases, are more worried about the prospect of rent increases, move more, feel less secure and are more worried about asserting their rights’ (p.64).

The report suggests that states and territories must address these concerns, by taking the following actions:

• Limiting rental increases to 3%
• Stopping retaliatory evictions
• Taking the burden of enforcing tenancy rights off renters
• Better resourcing tenants advice and advocacy services, to provide greater assistance and information to renters about their legal rights
• Increasing the rate of income support payments, especially Jobseeker, to take economic strain off vulnerable renters
• More social housing, with affordable rent, ‘and an ethos of customer services’ to better support vulnerable renters
• An education campaign to dispel concerns about blacklisting, which is prohibited by all states and territories. There are few exceptions to these laws, and even these do not allow blacklisting due to repair requests.

This research aligns with recent UK research on social housing and my own research on improving services for vulnerable people.