TENANTS' ADVICE AND ADVOCACY SERVICE

The Inner West Tenants' Service is part of Marrickville Legal Centre, and is one of 20 independent tenants advice and advocacy services in NSW.

We operate a telephone advice line on 02 9559 2899.

If you need an interpreter call 131450 and ask them to call us.

We work with tenants in the areas covered by postcodes 2042 (shared with Inner Sydney service) 2044-2050, 2129 - 2141, 2190, 2191, 2193, 2203 and 2204. Generally these include the local government areas of

• Ashfield

• Burwood

• Concord

• Drummoyne

• Marrickville

• Strathfield

The Tenants' Service provides telephone advice to tenants:

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9.30am to 1pm

• Tuesday from 10am to 5pm

• Friday from 9am to 1pm

Messages can be taken for the tenants' service outside these hours or when our workers are taking other calls. The service endeavours to return all calls within 24 hours. Calls from boarders and lodgers will be taken immediately wherever possible.

If required, face to face appointments can be arranged. Let us know if you need an interpreter for your appointment.

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The Tenants Service exists to make sure that tenants know their rights and how to use them.

We give advice to tenants and residents of boarding houses and can sometimes act on their behalf.

We advise on issues like

• lock outs and evictions

• residential tenancy agreements

• repairs

• rent increases

• locks and security

• right to privacy

• bond disputes

• going to the residential tribunal

We can also send out written information to tenants and can help with sample documents and letters.

The Inner West Tenants Service is active in lobbying for law reform to help tenants. In particular we are seeking greater protection for people who live as boarders or lodgers.

We provide the following education sessions for community groups, community workers and organisations on request:

Introduction to Tenants' Rights

• The Residential Tenancies Act 1987

• starting a tenancy;

• bond and rent;

• privacy and quiet enjoyment.

• locks and security;

• getting repairs done;

• ending a tenancy; and

• the Tenancy Tribunal.

Compensation Claims and Rent Reduction

• the right to a clean and habitable premises;

• how to request repairs and/or adequate security;

• when can you claim compensation and/or rent reduction;

• the Tenancy Tribunal.

What to do about a Rent Increase

• notice of a rent increase

• challenging an excessive rent increase

• the Tenancy Tribunal.

We provide materials for participants to take away, including brochures and tenancy factsheets on various topics, which are also available in a variety of community languages. The sessions can be tailored to the level and needs of the participants in the group.

Please call 02 9559 2899 if you are interested.

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