The Residential tenancy support package applied to eligible COVID-19 impacted tenants and landlords.
The support package included:
- a freeze on evictions until 11 November 2021,
- financial assistance for landlords and tenants when rent was reduced, and
- a transitional period until 12 February 2022 to prevent evictions for rental arrears accrued during the moratorium.
Applications for financial assistance closed on 31 December 2021
Up to $4500 per tenancy agreement was available for landlords who agreed to reduce rent for COVID-19 impacted tenants. Applications closed on 31 December 2021.
Protection from evictions – transitional period
From 13 February 2022, the transitional period protecting COVID-19 impacted tenants from eviction no longer applies. This was in place for eligible COVID-19 impacted tenants to protect them from eviction for arrears that accrued during the moratorium period (14 July - 11 November 2021).
Eligible COVID-19 impacted tenants who could not meet their residential rent payments were protected from eviction during the moratorium period from 14 July 2021 until the end of 11 November 2021.
The protection against eviction for rental arrears applied to all residential tenancy agreements within the meaning of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (the Act), including verbal agreements.
Following the end of the freeze on evictions, a transitional period will run from 12 November 2021 until the end of 12 February 2022.
From 13 February 2022, landlords will be able to terminate a tenancy using the standard termination provisions for arrears accrued during the moratorium period.
Exclusions
The freeze on evictions does not apply to social housing tenancies as these have their own processes for dealing with arrears.
Information in community languages
A range of frequently asked questions is available in Arabic, Assyrian, Chinese simplified, Korean and Vietnamese.
An English version of these frequently asked questions is also available.