Better Deal for Renters – 2 years on

23 September 2025

A report card released by the National Association of Renters’ Organisations (NARO) and National Shelter shows that, 2 years after National Cabinet promised a Better Deal for Renters, most governments have failed to deliver meaningful reforms.

Millions of renters are still exposed to unfair rent hikes, arbitrary evictions and unsafe homes. For the one-third of Australians who rent, basic rights and housing stability are still dictated by postcode.

The report card assessing progress of all states and territories in implementing the Better Deal for Renters is below.

The National Association of Renters’ Organisations and National Shelter are calling for urgent, decisive action to give renters a fair go across all states and territories.

• We are urging the Federal Government to step up by committing to robust mechanisms to monitor the rollout of these reforms
• We are advocating for mechanisms to incentivise state and territory governments to implement the nine principles outlined in the Better Deal for Renters, alongside additional principles from NARO’s National Nine report
• We are calling for Federal funding for NARO to provide expert advice informed by the experience of tens of thousands of renters accessing our member services to transform the renting experience for Australians and make sure renters have a seat at the table

John Engeler, CEO of Shelter NSW and Spokesperson for National Shelter says: ‘The rental experience in Australia shouldn’t differ depending on what side of the Murray or Tweed you are renting on. The experience of renting should be consistent across all states and territories, especially as Australia’s renting population increases. We call on the Federal Government to provide leadership to harmonise rental regulations across Australia to ensure that renters have access to similar levels of security and stability as homeowners.

To achieve this goal, we call on the Federal Government to ensure that the national housing, homelessness and tenancy advocacy peak bodies are adequately resourced so that they can continue to be a partner for government in achieving better outcomes for renters nationwide.’

Leo Patterson Ross, Spokesperson for National Association of Renters’ Organisations and CEO of Tenants’ Union NSW says: ‘There is growing recognition that governments should be taking leadership to ensure renting provides safe, healthy and affordable homes. This now needs to be coupled with effective and evidence based approaches to delivering and regulating the sector. We haven’t yet seen a comprehensive approach by federal government that ensures the voices and experiences of renters are heard when decisions affecting their lives are being made.’

Alice Pennycott, Principal Lawyer for Circle Green Community Legal Centre says: ‘While no state or territory has met all the National Cabinet commitments, the situation in WA is especially grim. We continue to fall further behind the rest of the country, and renters are left exposed while the government delays action on the most basic and fundamental reforms.’

Alex Bomford, Acting Principal Solicitor with the Tenants’ Union of Tasmania says ‘Renting in Tasmania is insecure, unaffordable and unsafe. Whilst other jurisdictions have implemented extensive reforms in recent years Tasmania’s renters have been left behind, with no significant changes being made to the tenancy legislation in more than a decade. We hope that the Tasmanian government starts to take its commitments under this agreement seriously.’

Corinne Dobson, CEO, ACT Shelter says ‘The ACT has led the way on many rental reforms, but this report card shows there is no room for complacency. Renters in the ACT still face serious challenges – from inadequate minimum standards to weak privacy protections – and it’s clear all governments must do more to turn reform commitments into real change on the ground. The Better Deal for Renters is about fairness, security and consistency for the one-third of households who rent, and governments must keep pushing to ensure that promise is delivered in practice, not just on paper.’

Cameron Bloye, Acting CEO, Tenants Victoria says ‘Victoria continues to make strong progress against the Better Deal for Renters. Victorian renters will soon benefit from an end to “no cause” evictions, improvements to the rental application process, and a new minimum standard for air-conditioning. Our experience shows that a fairer housing system is possible.’

Media inquiries: media@tenantsvic.org.au