The emergency period was from 30 March 2020 to 28 March 2021.  

The Residential Tenancies (COVID-19 Response) Act 2020 put into place a moratorium on evictions and other measures relating to residential tenancies to address the financial impacts of COVID-19.

Renters could still have their leases terminated and be evicted if they were causing serious damage to the property, posing a threat to the landlord or neighbours, not paying rent when they were not in financial hardship due to COVID-19, refusing to make a rent payment agreement with their landlord or if they abandoned the property. Provisions supporting victims of family and domestic violence continued to apply.

Other elements of the laws included:

• a ban on rent increases during the moratorium period;
• fixed-term tenancies automatically converted to periodic tenancies if they expired during the period unless another fixed-term agreement was entered into;
• landlords did not have to carry out non-urgent repairs if they themselves were experiencing financial hardship or were not able to access the premises due to restrictions on movement; and
• renters experiencing COVID-19 related financial hardship who ended a fixed-term tenancy prior to its end date did not incur break lease fees, but were still liable for damage and rent arrears. 

The laws applied to all residential tenancies including those in public and government housing, park homes as well as boarders and lodgers.

Some provisions of the Residential Tenancies (COVID-19 Response) Act 2020, like the ban on rent increases, ended the day after the emergency period finished. Rent may not be increased more than each six months.

Other provisions, like repayment arrangements, could continue for months beyond the end of the emergency period.

You can contact Consumer Protection for information about your specific situation by calling 1300 304 054 or via email to consumer@dmirs.wa.gov.au.