CORONAVIRUS —
RENTAL HOUSING
287. Hon ALISON XAMON to the minister representing the
Minister for Commerce:
On
behalf of Hon Tim Clifford, who is out of the chamber on urgent
parliamentary business, I refer to the COVID-19 crisis and the hundreds
of thousands of Western Australians who rent their homes.
(1) Are
face-to-face rental inspections permitted under current social distancing
guidelines, particularly when the tenants are in a high-risk category for
contracting COVID-19?
(2) If yes to
(1), will the government consider banning rental inspections for the duration
of the COVID-19 crisis to protect the health of Western Australian renters?
(3) When will the
government introduce legislation to give effect to the national cabinet's
decision to impose a six-month moratorium on residential and commercial
evictions?
Hon DARREN
WEST replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Agriculture and Food
representing the Minister for Commerce, I provide the following answer.
(1) Where a tenant
is self-isolating, or in quarantine, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a property
inspection should not proceed. The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and
Safety's Consumer Protection division is encouraging agents to
communicate with their client lessors to discuss the possibility of using more
flexible approaches while the current public health measures are in place.
(2) The
government is encouraging all parties to a tenancy contract to take a reasonable
approach to the issue. At this time, it is
not deemed necessary to make any legislative changes as there is no legislative
requirement for agents or lessors to physically undertake property
inspections. Consumer Protection is aware that a number of agents have adopted
innovative solutions, using video calling from mobile phones, Zoom and other
such technology, in enlisting the assistance of tenants to undertake these
inspections.
(3) The
government will introduce legislation to implement residential and commercial
tenancy reforms as a priority.