New legislation makes it easier for Tasmanian tenants to keep their furry friends

ABC NEWS (Australia)

New laws forcing landlords to allow tenants to keep pets unless they have a reasonable reason to refuse have passed Tasmania’s parliament.  With fewer than one-in-five rental properties currently allowing pets, the law shift represents a big change for Tasmanian renters and landlords.

Transcript

00:00At their battery point rental, David and Janet love watching their terriers run amok.

00:08Oh, they're both just great little dogs. They're full of beans and personality.

00:13But back when they were house hunting in Hobart, their furry friends briefly became burdens.

00:19There were quite a few properties that we looked at that would have been absolutely perfect,

00:23but then the very last line was, oh, pets not considered or no pets allowed.

00:28Now, laws have passed in Tasmania's parliament that prevent landlords from having no pets policies.

00:35So how does it all work?

00:37Well, importantly, renters still have to tell their landlord if they're planning to get a pet.

00:42The property owner then has two weeks to respond. Otherwise, it'll be automatically approved.

00:47If the landlord says no, they have to provide a written reason.

00:51And it has to be reasonable, something which will be determined by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

00:58So what's a reasonable reason to reject a pet?

01:02Tazcat will consider a variety of factors, like whether the pet could cause significant damage or poses an unacceptable safety risk.

01:11The new rules won't affect apartment blocks and unit complexes where pets are banned.

01:16The law change states that landlords can't reject applications on the basis that a tenant might get a pet.

01:23But they can still pick and choose their tenant from rental applications.

01:27The Real Estate Institute says most of Tasmania's landlords accept the changes.

01:32The Tenants Union and the RSPCA say the new rules will help keep families and pets connected.

01:39It takes a massive weight off.

01:41You know, knowing that the first position is yes just opens up a plethora of options and opportunity.

01:50Hoping pets in rentals will no longer be a bone of contention.

01:55How?

01:56The Tenant commercials.

01:57The Tenantian Civil Tribunal is a good gift.

01:58The Tenantian Civil Tribunal is also the one who walks under the

02:09residence, and the one who walks under the residence, and it's the two who walks under the residence.

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