NSW Fair Trading has invited public comment on the State’s boarding house laws as part of a review now under way.
A discussion paper on the Boarding Houses Act 2012 has been released to invite residents, proprietors, stakeholders and NSW communities to comment on how the laws are working, and if any improvements are needed.
Fair Trading said the Boarding Houses Act 2012 was introduced to protect the rights of residents living in all boarding houses.
“This includes general boarding houses and assisted boarding houses for people with a disability and who need support with daily tasks,” it said.
The discussion paper says the current legislation includes a centralised registration system for boarding houses; clear accommodation standards for boarding houses; and a strong inspection and penalties regime for non-compliance with the Act’s requirements.
According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are almost 7,000 people living in boarding houses in NSW.
Fair Trading said it received a total of 75 complaints about boarding houses from January 2014 to April 2019.
It said complaints related to concerns of eviction, return of bonds and no occupancy agreements.
The 40-page discussion paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
