Public housing tenants in Queensland will once again face a “three strikes and you’re out” policy for bad behaviour, with bans to be imposed for serious offences.
The policy was first introduced by the former Newman government, but the new rules will be even tougher with evictions to apply to everyone in the home.
Starting July 1, tenants who receive breaches for general nuisance, such as loud parties and music or drunk and disorderly behaviour, will get two warnings before being evicted on the third breach.
For more serious offences such as aggressive and obscene language aimed at others, intimidating behaviour, deliberate damage to the property and hooning, after three warnings, tenants will not only be evicted but also banned from public housing for 12 months.
For the most severe offences, such as criminal activity, significant property damage or threatening housing department staff, evictions will be immediate and come with a two-year ban.
When there are breaches at a property, all tenants will receive a warning and ultimately face eviction.
“We think it’s only fair that we have our current tenants respect the properties that they have,” Housing Minister Sam O’Connor said.
“We want to make sure that if there are multiple tenants and one of them is doing the wrong thing, that can be raised within the household and resolved within the household.”
He said housing department staff could make exemptions in instances of domestic violence.
