Contact Consumer Protection
Tel: 1300 30 40 54
consumer@demirs.wa.gov.au
See all Consumer Protection office locations
Tenancy laws in WA are under review as part of the Government’s family violence reform plan and community feedback is now invited. The purpose of this options paper is to seek stakeholder feedback into preferred drafting options to amend the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 so that victims of family violence are able to achieve better outcomes from the justice system in relation to their tenancy agreements.
Status: CLOSED 16 December 2016
Family violence is a significant issue affecting the WA community and the Government is committed to taking decisive action to address this problem aimed at improving the safety of victims and holding perpetrators of violence accountable. When a victim of family violence is forced to leave the home, the ramifications for the victim and their children that may be affected are far ranging. There is a risk of homelessness and having to move out can lead to loss of employment, disruption to education for children as well as impacts to physical and mental health. The aim of the options canvassed in the paper is to support a victim of family violence to remain in the home, wherever it is appropriate and safe to do so, rather than forcing them to leave.
The Residential Tenancies Act 1987 needs to be amended to produce better outcomes for victims of domestic violence. Key stakeholders have an important role to play in assisting to address this very complex community issue by working with the Government to shape the required reforms to achieve the best possible outcomes in a manner that works consistently and coherently with other laws, and at the same time, do not unreasonably burden landlords.
Full details of the recommendations are in the report, however, the main changes being considered include:
Improving the interaction between residential tenancy laws and family violence restraining orders
Opportunity for submissions have now closed.
Enquiries can be made by calling Consumer Protection Advice Line on 1300 304 054 or by email.
Last modified: