Dear Premier,

As one of Queensland’s investment property owners, I am signing to express my serious concerns in respect of your Government’s proposed Special COVID-19 Protections for Residential Tenants and Owners (“Renter Protection Package”).

I implore you to reconsider aspects of the Renter Protection Package and to create a more balanced and fairer framework that provides better protection measures for both renters and property owners like myself.

While I support the protection of tenants who are in financial distress due to this pandemic, the scope of the Renter Protection Package is too broad in its application.

I am calling on your Government to amend the following aspects of the Renter Protection Package:

• Introduce rent deferrals rather than permanent rent waiver rights for tenants. This aligns with the Federal Government model and framework adopted/being adopted in other jurisdictions;
• Introduce a minimum income reduction threshold for tenants to meet before they qualify for the protection measures. In New South Wales, a 25% income reduction requirement applies;
• Introduce a standard requirement for tenants to substantiate a rent reduction request to allow landlords to make properly informed and fair decisions about rent reductions;
• Introduce clear guidelines on property entry requirements, and broaden the range of activities allowed to continue, subject to applicable safety and hygiene protocols;
• Remove the proposed break lease right that allows tenants to simply walk away from tenancy agreements with only 1 weeks’ notice notwithstanding that those tenants are afforded all the other protections provided under the Renter Protection Package; and,
• Remove the proposed automatic right to a 6-month tenancy agreement extension which in effect introduces a 12-month moratorium in Queensland with the consequential imposition of permanent rent waivers that would be extended over this additional period.

As a property owner, I am also entitled to be supported by special regulatory protections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your Government’s proposed protections ignore my rights, take away my ability to derive critical income and take away control over an asset I’ve worked so hard to acquire.

I strongly urge your Government to reconsider these damaging amendments, in favour of protections that offer a better balance of security and stability to property owners and tenants alike.