On Thursday the eviction moratorium in place for NSW tenants officially comes to an end.

This means tenants who fall into rental arrears are no longer protected by the eviction moratorium and can be evicted by their landlord as per their tenancy agreement.

The state government implemented a new 60 day moratorium on 14 July 2021, which was then extended to 11 November, to protect tenants impacted by COVID-19.

To be considered an impacted household, tenants had to prove that they were affected by the pandemic, and that the household's weekly income had reduced by at least 25%.

Shannyn Laird, Head of Customer Experience at property management agency :Different, said the eviction moratorium was a 'necessary step' to support renters who were impacted by the pandemic financially.

"The state does appear to be getting back to some kind of normality but there will still be renters that might need additional support, and will no longer have the same protection that the moratorium provided," Ms Laird said.

"In these instances, it is important to speak with your property manager and be transparent about your situation."

Ms Laird said that property managers can help settle upon an agreement that suits both the tenant and the landlord, and that in her experience, tenants have been very 'transparent' and 'reasonable' with their requests for rent reductions.

From 11 November onwards, the eviction moratorium ends for NSW tenants; however, there is still a transitional period starting from 12 November that ends on 12 February 2022.

This means that tenants that accrued rental arrears from 14 July to 11 November can still be exempt from provisions that would mean they could now be evicted in some situations.

"The main additional consideration here is the current rental market, which is tightening in NSW, and resulting in prices rising," Ms Laird said.

"Owners are firmly in the driver’s seat now so do have more power over the end decisions, but a good property manager will help work with owners to provide fair solutions for both parties."

Rent prices in Sydney alone have risen 7.2% over the past 12 months - sitting at a median weekly rent of $595 - as rents rise at the fastest annual pace in over 13 years. 

Image by Soheb Zaidi on Unsplash