Uneven playing field

THERE are a number of reasons why rental housing has diminished, and only a small portion is due to the property market.

The playing field between landlords and tenants is not level, and quite a number of landlords have sold their rental properties and invested elsewhere.

Providing rental accommodation is a business and if the rules unfairly favor the tenants, landlords will invest elsewhere.

Now John Rau changed the legislation to not only favor tenants, but it financially disadvantaged landlords.

He must have thought that all landlords are rogues and all tenants are angels – clearly, he is not in the real world and I am glad he is no longer involved.

Steven Marshall could have done something about this but did nothing.

Further, the land tax laws were so inequitable that landlords had to sell some investments to remain viable.

The Federal Government also changed the laws so that landlords could not claim the cost of travel to their rental property to do inspections, repairs, show prospective tenants the property et cetera.

The Greens want to further disadvantage landlords with additional changes to the legislation, and if they get their way, the rental crisis will worsen.

So with extra compliance, additional costs and an unlevel playing field, landlords will either sell and invest elsewhere, or increase rents substantially to remain viable.

Is there a politician out there who is willing to listen?

Jack Eskenazi, Mt Barker