- New reforms to ensure more protections are in place for renters
- Rent relief program extended for 12 months to help tenants under pressure
- Cook Labor Government committed to ensuring every Western Australian has a home
The Cook Labor Government is improving housing security for Western Australians with legislative reforms to protect tenants from being unfairly evicted while extending the Rent Relief Program for households facing pressures.
With renting a long-term housing option for many Western Australians, the Cook Labor Government is proposing further reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 to strengthen protections and improve housing security.
These changes will deliver a fairer system that balances the rights of landlords and tenants.
A key reform is the removal of no-grounds terminations, which will be replaced with clear and reasonable grounds for terminating a tenancy.
Currently landlords can end periodic tenancies with 60 days' notice or end fixed term tenancies at the end of the term with 30 days' notice.
Ending no-grounds terminations will bring WA tenancy laws in line with most other states and territories to give tenants greater stability.
Landlords will still be able to seek evictions where necessary via the existing legal pathways and will be able to terminate a tenancy with additional grounds added to the existing list of reasonable grounds.
Additional grounds will include the owner or relative needing to occupy the premises, the property needing to be significantly renovated or demolished, or repeated serious breaches by the tenant. This is in addition to the existing grounds which include the sale of the property with vacant possession, non-payment of rent, and damage or illegal activity.
Other major reforms include the introduction of clear standards for rental properties.
There are also proposed reforms to restrict the types of information landlords, agents or third parties can request from prospective tenants. Personal information should only be collected from prospective tenants to assess a rental application and should not be shared without written consent.
As a further cost of living measure, renters must be provided one avenue to pay their rent without incurring service or other fees.
The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety will consult on the detail of these reforms during the drafting process.
The changes follow the Cook Labor Government's first stage of tenancies reforms including a ban on rent bidding, limiting rent increases to once every 12 months, and making it easier for tenants to have a pet and make minor modifications to the property
As part of State Budget 2026-27, the Cook Labor Government will also be extending the Rent Relief program as part of a $13.5 million boost.
Applications for the existing rent relief scheme were due to close on 30 June 2026, but the program will now be extended until 30 June 2027 to help more people stay in their current homes.
Since launching in November 2023, more than $18.4 million has been paid to 4,200 households with 90 percent of beneficiaries remaining in the same tenancy six months after receiving support.
Up to $5,000 is available for people who are behind in rent and facing severe financial hardship through cost of living, rising rents or other pressures. Financial counselling is also made available.
To qualify for the program, private tenants must be behind in rent and provide proof of either:
- rental stress rent more than 30 per cent of income; less than $5,000 in the bank; struggling to meet daily expenses; or
- severe financial hardship rent less than 30 per cent of income; less than $3,000 in the bank; struggling to meet expenses.
Anglicare WA and Vinnies WA will continue to identify private tenants in need of assistance through their existing networks and help them apply for relief.
Further information is available on the Cook Labor Government's Rent Relief Program site.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"My government is committed to ensuring that every Western Australian has a place to call home, and these sensible and effective law reforms help guarantee that.
"Ending no-grounds terminations and replacing them with common-sense reasons for landlords make Western Australia's rental market fairer.
"This next wave of residential tenancies reforms builds on our previous changes, which included a ban on rent bidding and limiting rent increases to once every 12 months."
As stated by Treasurer Rita Saffioti:
"The Cook Labor Government is delivering real cost of living support for Western Australian households in this year's State Budget through a range of targeted initiatives.
"This $13.5 million boost to the WA Rent Relief program is an important investment that will help vulnerable people stay in their homes and keep their lives on track.
"Every Western Australian deserves a secure home which is why we're also investing at record levels to drive housing supply and improve affordability across our State."
As stated by Commerce Minister Tony Buti:
"The Cook Labor Government is proud to extend the WA Rent Relief scheme it has supported thousands of tenants in financial hardship and extending it is crucial to keeping people housed who may otherwise face eviction.
"Our Government is committed to reform that ensures fairness and that includes making sure no Western Australian loses a private tenancy amid a rise in cost-of-living pressures. This has flow-on benefits for the community.
"At the same time, the next phase of tenancy reforms demonstrates our commitment to providing stronger protections for renters and a fairer, more secure housing system for all."
As stated by Housing and Works Minister John Carey:
"The first tranche of reforms limited rent increases to once a year, banned rent bidding and gave tenants greater rights and protections.
"These further reforms continue our staged and carefully considered modernisation of tenancy laws, improving standards and ending no-grounds evictions.
"The Rent Relief Program has already helped thousands of households avoid eviction and extending this program will provide housing security to more vulnerable Western Australian families - delivering targeted and meaningful cost-of-living relief.
"It comes as we are spending billions more in this year's State Budget on housing, with a strong focus on accelerating the supply of affordable rentals in partnership with the Federal Government via the Housing Australia Future Fund."
