In October 2024 the NSW government announced a number of changes to residential tenancies. Some were introduced in October, while others delayed until 19 May 2025.
These changes:
- require landlords to provide a reason to end a lease – ‘no grounds’ terminations for tenants are no longer valid
- make it easier to keep a pet in a rental home defining the rules and processes required by the tenant and landlord
- limit rent increases to once per year for all lease types
- prevent extra fees at the start of a tenancy, including fees for background checks and for preparing a tenancy agreement
- ensure tenants can pay rent by bank transfer or at least one method that does not incur fees
These changes required updates to the Tenancy Agreements and the Termination Notice. A number of requirements in relation to these changes were also introduced or updated.
The Landlord Information Statement and the Tenant Information Statement have also been updated to reflect the latest changes.
Tenancy Agreements
The Tenancy Terms & Conditions Rent clauses (3 – 7) were updated to reflect changes relating to no-fee payment methods, Centrepay, and other minor wording to align to the latest legislation.
A new Pets clause (53-54) was introduced to cater for new rules and processes relating to tenants keeping a pet in a rental property:
- There are now set rules around what is considered reasonable to deny an application by the tenant to keep a pet
- The tenant, and any co-tenants, must apply for consent using the approved Fair Trading application form
- The landlord must respond to the application within 21 days. No response will be deemed as consent being given
- Section 73 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 defines what is reasonable and unreasonable
Notice of Termination of Residential Tenancy
The Notice of Termination has been recreated due to changes to the reasons and notice periods required for termination:
- The no-grounds termination is no longer valid
- Notice periods have in some cases changed, with fixed term agreements greater than 6 months, and periodic agreements requiring the same notice periods
- Landlords are now obligated to provide evidence (documentation) for the reason of termination in most circumstances. The form defines these requirements and must accompany the termination notice
- Landlords are now obligated to provide the Fair Trading Termination Information Statement with the termination notice
More information on these changes can be found on the Fair Trading Changes to Rental Laws page