Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (10:48): Moving home is one of the most stressful experiences that someone can experience, and right now, if you are in Victoria, landlords can evict you if they want to sell their property. They can give notice to vacate at the end of a fixed term or at any time during a periodic agreement. Many renters have faced having to move because of this – like Joanne, a high-earning executive and a single mum who always paid her rent on time. She was given a notice to vacate when her landlord wanted to sell. What followed afterwards were 38 inspections, over 11 rental applications, rehoming pets and being hospitalised twice for stress. At VCAT she was even told to prepare her kids for foster care after her eviction was upheld, despite questioning whether the sale actually needed vacant possession. Luckily, at the last minute she secured a lease. But if this can happen to Joanne earning over $200,000 a year, imagine what others are facing. Many hunt for another rental, scrounge money for a new bond, pack up their lives and move out, only then to see their previous home being relisted as a rental. It just does not make sense. Unless the buyer is an owner-occupier who will move in straight after the sale, if a landlord sells, it should be with a tenancy intact like it is in many other jurisdictions around the world, because renting should be secure and fair and everyone deserves a secure, affordable home.