Rent relief measures put in place to help NSW residential tenants and landlords suffering financial hardship because of COVID-19 will be extended.
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The NSW government on Wednesday announced a six-month extension of the measures introduced in April.
"We acted quickly and compassionately to support every tenant and landlord doing it tough due to COVID-19 by introducing a series of successful and effective measures," Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson said in a statement.
"This has meant that many tenancies have been able to continue, keeping a roof over people's heads and giving landlords the security of continued rental payments."
The measures the NSW government is seeking to extend are:
* Preventing landlords from evicting COVID-19 impacted tenants for rental arrears unless they have attempted to negotiate a rent reduction in good faith;
* Allowing tenants impacted by COVID-19 to apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to end fixed-term agreements in certain circumstances;
* Stopping landlords or agents from listing a COVID-19 impacted tenant on a tenancy database if they go into rental arrears;
* Extending the 90 day minimum period of notice landlords must give tenants for certain other evictions not related to rental arrears; and,
* Extending boarding house eviction notice periods where the landlord has not attempted to negotiate in good faith.
Since these measures were introduced in April, more than 50,000 people had accessed Fair Trading's website information on the tenancy moratorium..
Meanwhile, Fair Trading has received 5000 inquiries from landlords, tenants and agents about the new arrangements.
"As the impacts of COVID are ongoing, we intend to extend the measures until March next year which will allow more time to return to normal," Mr Anderson said
An amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act is required to extend one measure under the package.
The amendment will be introduced into the NSW Parliament this week to allow its passage before the measure expires on October 15.
Australian Associated Press