National housing boss Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz wants more protection for life-long renters

Renters not locked into limited contracts with increases capped at once a year and the ability to redecorate without landlord permission - this could be the future for tenants.

That’s the vision put forward by the federal government’s housing affordability council head, who has called for an overhaul of the system for renters.

In an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, National Housing Supply and Affordability Council chair Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz said more protections were needed for the 30 per cent of Australians who are renters, with the number set to rise in coming years.

“Those who are renting are doing so for longer. Renting is the only viable housing option for an increasing share of the population, but in so many ways, our system doesn’t work for renters,” she said.

“Housing quality and maintenance are variable, ranging from excellent to utterly inadequate. Security of tenure can be fragile. We need regulatory frameworks that better support renters.”

Ms Lloyd-Hurwitz said increased protections such as renters being able to live at a property for as long as they like, limits of one increase in rent per year, free repairs or not needing permission to paint walls were among suggestions to make renting easier.

However, she said a freeze in rents for tenants would not be helpful in the long run.

The comments coincide with the federal government’s proposal to increase the amount of affordable rental properties facing an uncertain future of passing parliament.

Under Labor’s build-to-rent scheme, investors would receive tax incentives to build new homes that would only be available to renters.

While a Senate report into the proposal released on Wednesday recommended laws setting up the scheme being passed, the coalition said it only entrenched a “rent forever agenda”.

“This bill seeks to entrench tax advantage for institutional investors, in a thinly veiled attempt to corporatise the Australian housing market,” coalition senators Andrew Bragg and Dean Smith said in the report.

The government would need the support of either the coalition or the Greens to get the build-to-rent scheme to pass parliament.

The Greens also raised concerns with the plan, saying it would not lead to any affordable rental properties being built.

Greens senator Nick McKim said the party would only support the proposal if the government agreed to phase out negative gearing and implement a national rent freeze.