16/09/2026
WHERE IS THE FAIRNESS FOR THE OWNER?
Here’s something that needs to be talked about.
What happens when QCAT makes a decision that a tenant is to leave a property because rent has not been paid — yet the process doesn’t actually end there?
An owner can be left with not one cent of rental income for weeks, while their mortgage, rates, insurance, body corporate, maintenance and every other property expense continue.
In this situation, the rent hasn’t been paid since 28 July.
That’s 48 days in arrears.
And I mean nothing.
Not $100 here and there.
Not a small payment to show some willingness to catch up.
Nothing.
Yet the tenant continues to occupy the property while the owner carries the entire financial burden.
And this isn’t simply a number on a rent ledger.
There is a real person behind that property.
An owner who is now experiencing extreme financial hardship.
The stress.
The sleepless nights.
The constant worry about how the next payment is going to be made.
Having to consider accessing their own superannuation just to meet their financial commitments because the rental income they were relying on simply isn’t coming in.
Think about that for a moment.
Someone has invested their money into a property. They have financial commitments attached to that property. They have done what they believed was the right thing by providing a home to someone else.
And now they are potentially having to access their retirement savings to cover the cost of a property that someone else is occupying without paying rent.
Where is the fairness in that?
And before anyone says this is about being anti-tenant — I am a tenant.
I understand what it means to rent. I understand that circumstances can change, and I absolutely believe tenants have rights and should be treated fairly.
But I also believe in doing the right thing in life.
When you sign a legally binding Residential Tenancy Agreement, you are agreeing to certain responsibilities.
You agree to pay your rent.
You agree to look after the property.
You agree to maintain the home you are living in and treat it with respect.
These aren’t unreasonable expectations.
If you live in someone else’s property, pay your rent.
Look after the home.
Treat it as though someone has entrusted you with their investment — because they have.
I don’t expect to live somewhere for nothing, and I don’t expect someone else to carry my financial responsibilities for me.
Yes, circumstances can change. Life happens. People can genuinely fall on hard times.
But there is a massive difference between experiencing genuine hardship and simply expecting to continue living in someone’s property without paying the rent that you legally agreed to pay.
You don’t simply decide that you’ll pay a little bit here and there if the owner agrees to let you stay.
And you certainly shouldn’t expect the owner to carry the financial consequences indefinitely.
This isn’t about being anti-tenant.
It’s about personal responsibility, accountability and fairness.
Owners have rights too.
And when a tenant seeks a rehearing or a stay, then continues occupying the property while no rent is being paid, the financial consequences for the owner can be enormous.
This isn’t some faceless corporation sitting behind the property.
It is an owner.
A person.
A mum.
A dad.
A retiree.
A family.
Someone who may have worked incredibly hard to build an investment for their future.
And in this case, someone who is now under extreme financial pressure and potentially having to access their superannuation simply to keep their financial commitments afloat.
So I have to ask:
How is it fair that someone can remain in a rental property for 48 days without paying a single cent, while the owner is pushed into extreme financial hardship trying to keep everything afloat?
At what point does the system recognise the damage being done to the owner?
Because a rental property is someone’s investment.
It is not free accommodation.
And rent is not optional.
If someone genuinely cannot pay their rent, there are avenues for assistance and support.
But when months of non-payment becomes the situation, there has to be accountability.
Because while everyone focuses on protecting the tenant, sometimes we forget the person on the other side of the agreement.
The owner is a person too.
And when the system allows one person’s financial hardship to become another person’s financial disaster, we have to ask whether the balance is right.
There has to be a better way to protect tenants’ rights without leaving property owners financially devastated.
Because ultimately, doing the right thing shouldn’t be an unreasonable expectation.
You sign the agreement.
You accept the responsibilities.
Pay the rent. Look after the home. Respect the owner. RESPECT THE LEGISLATION
It’s really not too much to ask.
