Rents
REFERENCE:
See https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection/rent-increases-residential-parks
Consumer Protection issued a Bulletin on rent increases in residential parks in April 2025.
Go to the Consumer Protection Bulletin
When increasing rents, operators must conform to the criteria set out in the amended Residential Parks (Long-Stay Tenants) Act 2006 & associated Regulations of January 2022. (Links above). The main purpose of the change was to give residents cost certainty over their time on the park. The method your operator intends to use for raising rent should be clearly spelt out in your lease. You will have agreed to this when you moved in and it is up to you to renegotiate if you want a change. If you signed your lease before January 2022 the provisions of the then Act still apply. The Government is unable to change agreements between two willing partners.
For leases signed after January 2022 the three rent increase criteria are:
a) They can only be based on Perth CPI
b) An increase is only allowable by a fixed percentage &
c) The increase is fixed at a pre-designated amount in your lease.
Rent Increases Due to Significant Costs
If a park operator determines that there has been significant cost increases in the park that require a special rent increase, they can ask the residents using an approved form. Each resident must approve or disapprove the increase over a 28 day period. If some disapprove, the operator must apply to the SAT for the rent increase.
Pre-2022 leases which have Market Review rent increases are however still legal. The operator “must have regard to a report obtained for the purpose from a person licensed under the Land Valuers Licensing Act 1978”. This criterion has been taken out of the Act for new leases as it lacks transparency as well as causing rents to leapfrog. Unfair rent increases can be challenged in the WA State Administrative Tribunal, something which has been successfully done in the past.
Note: the basis for increased rent based on CPI has to be Perth CPI. The following link goes to the relevant ABS web site. Make sure that at the top of the page the link is correct to the latest report available.
