Highlights
- 17,000 people have signed up for Australia's COVID-19 rent strike
- Federal Government finalised a code of conduct for commercial tenancies
- Residential tenancies are the responsibility of individual states and territories.
- New South Wales and Victoria are expected to offer land tax discounts for landlords in exchange for rental relief.
Some renters around Australia are saying they've had enough.
There are thousands of renters who have signed a pledge to stop paying their landlords this month after government-enforced shutdowns led to hundreds of thousands of employees either stood down or working fewer hours.
Union group Industrial Workers of the World is behind Australia's COVID-19 rent strike.
Each day it's gained hundreds of signatures, which Leo Patterson Ross from Tenants' Union New South Wales says can only mean one thing.
"These rent strikes are really an indication that people are feeling unsupported by the government. They've tried to negotiate with landlords and agents and have got nowhere and they're really, really scared about what's going to happen to their homes."
While the Federal Government finalised a code of conduct for commercial tenancies, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said residential tenancies were the responsibility of individual states and territories.
Adrian Kelly, President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia, says a blanket rule across the country would have been ideal.
"It would have been good to have something that was reasonably uniform across the country. We might have a property owner who lives in Perth but the property is in Melbourne and the tenant is in Melbourne so the messaging is quite convoluted. But my message for the state governments would be, 'whatever it is you want us to do, get it to us quickly because we need it now.'"
Follow SBS Hindi’s special coverage of COVID-19 outbreak
Gerard Hill, Director of her real estate agency Raine and Horne, says it's a win-win for the tenants and the landlord.
"You know, this is really new and it's created a lot of extra workload for every real estate agent, and for landlords and for tenants, so please be patient, be kind to each other - we're all in this together. We want to get through it at the end of the day and we want to get through it with a roof over our heads."
States and territories could announce further measures in the coming days - with New South Wales and Victoria expected to offer land tax discounts for landlords in exchange for rental relief.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
