00:00One afternoon, hours after paying her rent, Emma and her friend got in a dispute with
00:07their landlord over a stain in their share house.
00:11That evening, they were homeless.
00:13He was very abusive and disrespectful to us about it, and it got so bad that that evening
00:21on a Sunday he came just barging into our doors and asking us to leave.
00:26They called the police, but it had little effect.
00:29The fact that he seemed completely unfazed by police presence and despite them telling
00:34that it was wrong, it really shook us up.
00:37They aren't the only tenants evicted on a whim from the property, and it's a widespread issue.
00:42Darwin Community Legal Service currently have a four-week wait time for appointments about
00:47tenancy disputes.
00:48Because of the current crisis with housing availability at the moment, a lot of people are forced into
00:53unsafe or unsecure accommodation, such as share houses or boarding and lodging arrangements.
00:59Darwin has one of the highest average rental yields in the country, making it an attractive
01:03market for investors.
01:05For renters, however, it has a vacancy rate of less than half a percentage point, and is
01:09the second most expensive city in Australia in which to rent a house.
01:13The Northern Territory, more broadly, is one of only two Australian jurisdictions in which
01:17no-grounds evictions are still legal, and the only place where rent can be raised twice a year.
01:23The Territory's peak homelessness body says in addition to strengthening laws, the Territory
01:27needs to be smart about the types of homes it builds.
01:30We have an affordability issue, we have a supply issue, and we really need to be rapidly increasing
01:36the supply of social and affordable housing.
01:39The NC government did not respond to an inquiry about plans to reform rental legislation, but
01:44renters like Emma are hoping it happens sooner rather than later.
01:47Despite both of us now being in good places, in a safe home, we are still pretty shaken up,
01:54and it doesn't take away the fact that it has caused significant emotional and financial
02:00loss for both of us.
02:02Upending laws to reduce the number of upended lives.
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