Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024

In 2019, the State Government announced a Review of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987. Throughout the review, REIWA has been working with decision makers to strike a balance between the need for reform and the need to support private investment, which provides the majority of rental properties in Western Australia.

To help you understand how the reforms affect you we have prepared separate flyers for tenants, landlords and property managers.

We also have flowcharts to take you through the new processes for approving pets and minor modifications as well as example timelines and scenarios for the 12-month limit on rent increases.

The reforms were announced on 26 May 2023.

On 16 April 2024, the WA Parliament passed the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act, including:

• No changes to no grounds terminations;
• Prohibiting the practice of rent bidding, with landlords and property managers unable to pressure or encourage tenants to offer more than the advertised rent;
• Limiting the frequency of rent increases to once every 12 months;
• New provisions for remedy or compensation for retaliatory action;
• Tenants will be allowed to keep a pet or pets in a rental premises in most cases;
• Tenants will be able to make certain minor modifications to the rental premises and the landlord will only be able to refuse consent on certain grounds;
• The release of security bonds at the end of a tenancy will be streamlined, allowing tenants and investors to apply separately regarding how bond payments are to be disbursed; and
• Disputes over bond payments, as well as disagreements about pets and minor modifications, will be referred to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection for determination.

The reforms are coming into effect in stages.

Phase 1, which included prohibiting rent bidding and retaliatory action, came into effect on 16 May 2024.

Phase 2, which included limiting rent increases, pets, modifications and the new Commissioner determinations process came into effect on 29 July 2024.

Phase 3, which includes changes to the bonds disposal process, is expected to come into effect in early 2025. 

If you have any questions and are renting through a REIWA member or have your property managed by REIWA member, you can contact REIWA’s Information Service on 9380 8200.