The Minns Labor Government is making renting fairer by cracking down on unlawful evictions using purpose-built data-matching technology to enforce re-letting exclusion periods.
It has been almost one year since NSW rental laws introduced re-letting exclusion periods as part of its ban on no-grounds evictions. Under the Minns Labor Government's reforms, landlords who evict a renter cannot re-let their property within a certain time period, ranging from four weeks to 12 months, depending on the reason for eviction.
Using a bespoke new data-matching tool, the NSW Rental Taskforce identified around 600 properties for potential breaches of exclusion periods, which resulted in 13 formal warnings and 12 fines totalling $50,050. Only four per cent of the identified properties have required further investigation or disciplinary action to date, demonstrating the effectiveness of these new laws.
One case in September 2025 saw an agency fined $35,750 after a property was re-let during an exclusion period without seeking an exemption from NSW Fair Trading.
These breaches were detected through the Taskforce's use of sophisticated technology that continuously scans all major online rental advertising platforms to find properties being advertised for re-letting during exclusion periods.
This specialized compliance technology reflects the Rental Taskforce's proactive enforcement approach and is supported by an $8.4 million investment across four years to strengthen compliance in the rental market.
Mandating re-letting exclusion periods helps create a fairer rental market by ensuring that there are genuine reasons for eviction. This is especially important because potential breaches of exclusion periods can be indicative of possible unlawful evictions.
These results are part of the Government's reforms to make renting fairer. The Government has:
- Banned no-grounds evictions.
- Limited rent increases to once a year.
- Ensured renters have fee-free ways to pay rent.
- Banned fees for background checks.
- Made it easier to have pets in rentals.
- Invested $6.6 million to build Smart Rental Bonds, an initiative due to be launched in mid-2026 and will help renters save thousands of dollars when moving home.
Renters, landlords and agents are encouraged to report misconduct to NSW Fair Trading by visiting https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/fair-trading/complaints-and-enquiries/housing-and-property
