A report from community legal centre, Anika Legal, released today found the government's new rental dispute resolution body further entrenches power imbalances between landlords and renters.
Alarmingly, the report found that renters using the service were being pressured to take a deal that wasn't in their best interest as the body was found to be prioritising speed over fairness.
The Greens say this report points to a broken rental system that can only be addressed by fixing the power imbalance between landlords and renters with rent controls.
As stated by Victorian Greens Renters Rights spokesperson, Gabrielle de Vietri:
"Labor's renting system is failing renters. Renters wouldn't be coming to RDRV in droves if renting laws in Victoria weren't so unfair. Only rent controls will give renters real rights and redress the power imbalance between renters and landlords. This should be a wake up call to Labor that renters desperately need rent controls.
"The rental dispute resolution body was set up to protect renters, not disempower them - but what's happening in RDRV is a reflection of Labor's broken rental system. Landlords should not have this kind of disproportionate power over renters and it's clear the system is set up to keep it that way.
"Renters will continue to be screwed over until we make unlimited rent rises illegal. Only rent controls will fix this unfair power imbalance."
