- Undercover officers monitoring home opens for breaches of rent bidding ban
- Inspections kick off in regions, starting in Goldfields, after successful metro roll-out
- Perth results indicate agents and landlords are not encouraging higher rent offers
The Cook Labor Government's ban on rent bidding is now being actively monitored in regional Western Australia with inspections commencing in the Goldfields.
It follows a successful campaign in the Perth metro area that confirmed widespread compliance by the real estate industry during the early stages of the ban.
Since 16 May 2024, landlords and agents have been banned from asking or inviting tenants to pay more money to secure an available rental property, following reforms to WA's tenancy laws. Failure to comply with these laws may attract penalties of up to $10,000 for individuals or $50,000 for a corporation.
To ensure the new rules are being followed, investigation officers from Consumer Protection are openly attending home opens to educate property managers and private landlords on what constitutes rent bidding and the penalties. Late last year, the officers went incognito at numerous locations around Perth to observe whether any discussions were initiated regarding higher rent offers, which could only be accepted if they were offered freely.
Pleasingly, the officers observed no instances of rent bidding among property managers or landlords across 28 property inspections, spanning from Baldivis in the south to Yanchep in the north.
Building on this success, Consumer Protection's investigators are now extending these inspections to regional WA, beginning in the Goldfields, to ensure all tenants across the State benefit from the protections of the rent bidding ban.
Further information about the WA rent reforms, which also require properties to be advertised at a set amount, is available on Consumer Protection's website .
As stated by Commerce Minister Dr Tony Buti:
"We want all Western Australians - no matter if they live in our suburbs, regional centres, towns, or remote communities - to have access to secure housing.
"Our rent bidding ban ensures a level playing field for all tenants across WA, and that's why we are expanding inspections into regional areas, starting with the Goldfields.
"The high level of compliance we've observed during our Perth inspections is very encouraging and demonstrates that our ban on rent bidding is working effectively.
As stated by Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent:
"I am delighted to see tenants in the Goldfields will now benefit from these vital protections, ensuring they are not unfairly disadvantaged in a competitive rental market.
"Through a range of innovative reforms, the Cook Labor Government is doing everything we can to bolster housing in our region."
