Australian Atheists Forum

QLD looks to do something worthwhile about the prying ways of property managers.

Queensland renters will be able to refuse to allow property owners and agents to keep copies of their identity documents under proposed rental law changes.

Restrictions are also set to be placed on the number of supporting documents owners and agents can request in a rental application, which would be standardised to reduce the detail asked of renters.

And the state’s rental umpire, the Residential Tenancies, will be empowered to share information with other government entities – allowing it to collaborate with the Office of Fair Trading on greater enforcement and joint investigations.

“More than 600,000 Queensland households rent. These reforms are about making renting fairer, safer and easier,” Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said in a statement.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politi ... 5fdyu.html

Perhaps the problem's toxic obesity at the landlord end.

Also, something about the folly of letting any for-profit sector loose on human services.

In short: The National Rental Affordability Scheme set up by the Rudd government in 2008 is coming to an end, leaving tens of thousands of tenants in limbo.

Those in WA are impacted particularly hard, with an extreme shortage of private rentals driving prices sky-high.
What's next? Advocates want the WA government to dip into an expected massive budget surplus to keep the scheme or build new affordable rentals.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-22/ ... /103617216

Meanwhile, in NSW...

A year into the Minns government, tenants can still be lawfully evicted for no reason or have an application refused because they have a pet, with no date in sight for NSW’s long-awaited rental reforms.

The state government has been consulting on its package, which proposes requiring landlords to give a reason for evicting their tenants and protections for renting with pets, since last July.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politi ... 5fdla.html

Pope gets all seasonal. Albo is fond of mentioning his origin story when it's convenient.

Found on web.

On Yoof Allowance? Prepare to do it hard.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-23/ ... /103754274

Irrev-Black wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2024 10:53 am On Yoof Allowance? Prepare to do it hard.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-23/ ... /103754274

This is the sort of thing I view as an example of "late capitalism". I remember our old friend 142857 created a thread about it under the conspiracy theories category, IIRC he was expressing some skepticism that the "late capitalism" was even a thing. It is, especially if you measure it by the growing sector of society which is excluded from its bounty.

Today I learned that, apart from the shitrentals.org site, there is a subreddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/shitrentals/new/ - with info and horror stories of its own.

Humanity never ceases to amaze me, and mostly not in a good way.

Oh dear, gun, bullet, foot, job done;

Landlord are up in arms over proposed changes to rental rules, with some even claiming the move could spark a “mass exodus” of investors.

Investors who buy up homes and then rent them for exorbitant rents think a decision to sell off investment homes, make homes available for people to buy and reduce the price of housing is a threat? What world are they living in? It's certainly not the same on renters are living in! Truth is though if they do sell up some giant corporation will just come in and buy the lot. All the government wants to do is provide people with comfort and energy efficiency;

The proposed changes are in line with the government’s commitment towards net zero emissions by 2045 and would ensure that tenants are provided with “comfortable and energy efficient living arrangements”.

I mean it's almost like the investors don't care at all about the renters and want as much money as they can get while making the renters live in discomfort with huge energy bills, oh lol I almost laughed at that myself!

Yes do it, have a mass exodus and put tens of thousands of homes on the market, go on, we dare you!

https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-es ... 477ae8e51c

It would include things such as installing ceiling insulation where none exists, droughtproofing with weather seals on all external doors, four-star shower heads in all showers, new electric hot water systems and three-star efficiency cooling for systems in the main living area.

If they are renting out a house that has NO ceiling insulation they need a slap upside the head IMHO. Weather seals on external doors and four star shower heads are cheap. New hot water and heating/cooling meeting a measly 3 star rating if you read the fine print is only if/when the existing unit fails (and is replaced), not to mention 3 star is a pretty low bar.

So how is this "going to send investors bankrupt" or justify huge rental jumps (or any really).

The whole article reeks of horrible people complaining they are being made to treat other human beings with a modicum of human decency.