Login
iscover
Steven Cross
Property managers in South Australia are waiting up to 120 days to have some hearings scheduled at the Residential Tenancy Tribunal (RTT), the Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA) has claimed.
REISA president Greg Moulton said that the delays, which were reported to him by the state’s Liberal Opposition, were causing major housing issues which simply couldn’t be ignored by the government.
“For months, property managers around the state have been venting their frustration with the Institute about time delays in securing hearings at the Residential Tenancies Tribunal, and it’s not fair to the tenant, landlord or local real estate agency.”
In the circumstances of a hearing to resolve a matter not related to rental arrears such as a bond dispute, REISA said the delays are even worse, with recent anecdotal evidence suggesting it can take up to 120 days for a hearing to be scheduled.
The delays in securing a hearing can make it harder for tenants to resolve issues and secure accommodation in the future. According to Mr Moulton, landlords can be left out-of pocket and property managers are “stressed and frustrated by the excessive delays.”
REISA have appealed to the Deputy Premier, the Treasurer, the Commissioner for Consumer and Business Affairs and local members of Parliament about the delays.
Mr Moulton has ben assured that the RTT is working to the best of their ability.
“The staff at the RTT has been keen to work through the issues and are genuinely hard-working people so our frustrations are not with them,” he said. “But what is clear, is that there simply isn’t enough staff to carry the load so phones are ringing-out daily and time delays are increasing excessively.”
“It’s time to sort out these delays and ensure that this important body is properly resourced to do the job they need to do in supporting the tenancy process in SA,” Mr Moulton said.
Real Estate Business attempted to contact the RTT for comment on this issue.
Newsletter
