Fair Trading conducted a pilot end of tenancy survey which ran from 2 December 2019 to 30 March 2020 and from 27 April to 11 May 2020.
The findings of this pilot survey were used to develop and inform the ongoing end of tenancy survey that commenced on 2 August 2021.
The Pilot survey process
The pilot survey asked every principal tenant and landlord or nominated agent to complete a survey when a bond claim was finalised through the NSW online bonds system.
Survey invitations were sent by email and participation was voluntary. Individual responses were kept anonymous. To mitigate re-identification risks, postcode information was removed and response dates grouped into months.
It should be noted that the representativeness of the survey data is limited, including because:
- participation is voluntary
- the survey only includes respondents who used Rental Bonds Online to lodge and claim their rental bond, so the sample does not extend to all terminated tenancies
- no demographic information is collected
- some tenancies had duplicate responses
- domestic violence victims may also self-select out of completing such a survey, given their vulnerability and the difficult circumstances they may experience after ending a tenancy.
Available for download:
- Pilot end of tenancy survey questions
- End of tenancy pilot survey data (Connects to Data NSW Portal)
Results of the pilot end of tenancy survey – why tenancies ended
The following tables show what respondents reported as the reason why the tenancy ended for each category of response on how the tenancy was terminated (i.e. termination notice from agent/landlord, termination notice from tenant, termination by order of the Tribunal, or Other)
Table 1: Termination notice from agent or landlord
Survey response option – why the tenancy ended | Number | % of landlord/ agent notices |
|---|---|---|
Breach of tenancy agreement - other | 106 | 3.5% |
Breach of tenancy agreement - rent was in arrears (rent wasn't paid on time) | 251 | 8.4% |
End of fixed term agreement e.g. terminated at the end of a 3, 6 or 12-month lease | 1299 | 43.3% |
End of the periodic agreement (rolling lease) “no grounds” | 357 | 11.9% |
Other (e.g. death of a tenant, tenant moving into social housing) | 217 | 7.2% |
Sale of the premises | 686 | 22.9% |
The premises have been destroyed, are uninhabitable, unusable or have been repossessed | 66 | 2.2% |
No response | 18 | 0.6% |
Total | 3000 | 100.0% |
Table 2: Termination notice from tenant
Survey response option – why the tenancy ended | Number | Percent of tenant notices |
|---|---|---|
Breach of the tenancy agreement | 847 | 6.4% |
Domestic violence | 78 | 0.6% |
End of fixed term agreement e.g. terminated at the end of a 3, 6 or 12-month lease | 5844 | 44.4% |
End of the periodic agreement (rolling lease) | 5031 | 38.2% |
Rent increase during a long term fixed agreement of 2 years or more | 53 | 0.4% |
Sale of premises | 320 | 2.4% |
The premises have been destroyed, are uninhabitable, unusable or have been repossessed | 236 | 1.8% |
The tenant accepted a place in an aged care facility | 23 | 0.2% |
The tenant moved into social housing | 192 | 1.5% |
No response | 552 | 4.2% |
Total | 13176 | 100.0% |
Table 3: Termination by order of the Tribunal
Survey response option – why the tenancy ended | Number | Percent of Tribunal orders |
|---|---|---|
Breach of tenancy agreement | 89 | 58.9% |
Domestic violence | 6 | 4.0% |
End of long-term tenancy | 2 | 1.3% |
End of the fixed term agreement e.g. terminated at the end of a 3, 6 or 12-month lease | 23 | 15.2% |
End of periodic agreement (rolling lease) | 6 | 4.0% |
Landlord hardship | 2 | 1.3% |
Other (e.g. death of a tenant, tenant moving into social housing) | 9 | 6.0% |
Sale of the premises | 2 | 1.3% |
Serious damage or injury by tenant to another occupant/s | 1 | 0.7% |
The premises have been abandoned | 2 | 1.3% |
The premises have been destroyed, are uninhabitable, unusable or have been repossessed | 3 | 2.0% |
Use of the premises for illegal purposes | 1 | 0.7% |
No response | 5 | 3.3% |
Total | 151 | 100.0% |
Table 4: Other
Survey response option – why the tenancy ended | Number | Percent of other terminations |
|---|---|---|
Mortgagee repossession orders were issued by the Supreme Court | 7 | 0.6% |
The landlord and tenant agreed to end the tenancy and no notice was served | 990 | 80.8% |
The tenant abandoned the premises | 115 | 9.4% |
No response | 113 | 9.2% |
Total | 1225 | 100.0% |