NSW Fair Trading webinar to walk agents through new domestic violence rental rules

NSW Fair Trading will run an industry webinar on Friday 23 October 2026 on the domestic and family violence rental protections that took effect on 21 September, saying the session will clarify the new legal requirements and support their consistent implementation across the rental sector.

The online session runs from 11am to midday AEDT, with the event link to be emailed the day before. Fair Trading says attendance is optional and the webinar is not eligible for continuing professional development certification.

In an invitation signed by NSW Rental Commissioner Trina Jones, Fair Trading says attendees can strengthen their understanding of the reforms now in effect, review their organisation's implementation approach and identify any areas requiring further attention, build confidence in supporting renters experiencing domestic and family violence, and ask NSW Fair Trading questions about the new requirements and their practical implementation.

What has changed for agents

Responsibility for notifying remaining co-tenants that a victim-survivor is ending a tenancy has shifted from the victim-survivor to the landlord or agent. Fair Trading's guide for landlords and agents says that on receiving a Domestic Violence Termination Notice, each remaining tenant must be notified individually using the approved form, on or after the termination date set by the tenant (not before) and no later than 7 days after the termination date.

The notice, its supporting evidence and any information in them must not be disclosed to remaining co-tenants, the alleged perpetrator or any unauthorised person. Fair Trading lists maximum penalties of $11,000 for an individual and $49,500 for a corporation for failing to comply with those information protection requirements. Rent must also be adjusted for the first 2 weeks after the tenant leaves, for remaining co-tenants who are not identified as the alleged perpetrator.

For advertising, landlords and agents must give at least 7 days' notice before taking photos or video, with a reasonable opportunity to move, cover or remove personal belongings, and must obtain the tenant's written consent if the images show the personal belongings of the tenant or their dependent child. A tenant must not unreasonably withhold consent, but may refuse where they have a reasonable fear that publishing the images may expose them or their dependent child to domestic abuse. If the tenant does not respond within 7 days, consent is taken to have been refused.

Landlords and agents are banned from listing a victim-survivor on a tenancy database where the tenant can provide evidence of domestic abuse during the tenancy, and NSW Fair Trading can order a database operator to remove a prohibited listing.

The reforms also expand the reasonable grounds for tenants to change locks or security devices without the landlord's consent, make clear that victim-survivors and other tenants who are not the alleged perpetrator are not liable for property damage where the Tribunal determines the damage was caused by domestic abuse, expand who can make a competent person declaration, including prescribed employees, and give the Tribunal power to order a co-tenant to pay a departing tenant an amount equal to their bond entitlement.

Fair Trading says the changes implement recommendations from the statutory review of the domestic violence provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010.

Registration

Registration is through NSW Fair Trading's emailed invitation. Questions about the webinar can be sent to Fair Trading at rentaldeliveryunit@customerservice.nsw.gov.au.

Fair Trading's summary of the reforms is on the NSW Government website.

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Source: NSW Fair Trading webinar invitation and NSW Government guidance pages.