Thank you for your patience during these times as we try to sort through each individual tenant and owner’s needs.
We have been updating tenant and owners as soon as we get more information from the Government on what they are doing. We have also included all tenant communications relating to Covid-19 on our website which can be viewed here.
Our biggest issues is all the assumption and fake news that people are seeing. This update is the latest information from relevant sources to help everyone understand where we are as of today.
Emergency Rental Assistance Payments
Last night, QLD Treasurer Jackie Trad announced in a live Q&A streamed on Facebook that the State Government had set up a grant program that offers an emergency rental assistance payment of up to $500 a week, for up to four weeks, for Queenslanders who have financial hardship due to COVID-19.
We have provided this link on how to apply for the payments to all tenants.
Eviction Moratorium
Jackie Trad provided further information regarding Queensland legislation around the eviction moratorium. The below is an extract from the Courier Mail article reporting on Trad’s Q&A:
Ms Trad also acknowledged the state government would be writing the eviction moratorium into law “for tenants who can’t make rent because they’ve lost their job due to coronavirus or the impacts, either directly or indirectly, of coronavirus”.
“There will be an absolute moratorium, prohibition, written into law around evicting renters because they can’t pay their rent and that will be backdated to the day the Prime Minister announced that out of the national cabinet,” she said.
However, she said the eviction moratorium is for people who have been “genuinely impacted” by a coronavirus.
“For tenants that do the things that would ordinarily see them evicted – if they significantly damage the property or the owners themselves move in because of financial distress – then that will still occur, this isn’t a blanket prohibition,” Ms Trad said.
“But where you have lost your job, your hours have been cut, and where you genuinely can not make your rent, you will not be evicted and we will guarantee that by law and we will also help you make up the shortfall in terms of your rent payments until you start getting some income support, or hopefully get another job.”
JobKeeper Payments
The Prime Minister announced a wage subsidy package this week which is being called the JobKeeper payment. This is available to full-time and part-time workers, Sole traders and casual workers who have been with their employer for 12 months or more. This will allow businesses to keep employees on the books to distribute this payment during this downtime.
For anyone who has lost their job due to COVID-19, please visit Treasury’s Jobkeeper Information, so that you can review your eligibility with your employer/previous employer as you may be eligible even if you have been stood down due to the pandemic response. We hope this will help ease the pressure for so many people across Australia.
Pure Real Estate Office closure to the public
Just a reminder that the office is closed to the public. All staff are now working from home and we remain prepared to continue our services to you with minimal impact while we work from home.
Working as a Team
Our highest priority is the health and wellbeing of our communities.
We will provide additional information when we have further direction from the Government. We look forward to working together to support you through this time.
Kind regards
Russell Peter | Principal