Since its establishment by the NSW Government in February 2025, the NSW Rental Taskforce has recovered more than $166,000 in unlawful fees for more than 2,000 renters, issued more than 200 penalty notices totalling just shy of $240,000, and conducted 300 property inspections to check compliance with minimum standards.

During that time, the Taskforce also commenced more than 300 investigations, with more than 80 currently ongoing and three court proceedings resulting in the successful prosecution of two people for rental bond fraud. 

To mark the six months since its inception, the NSW Rental Taskforce is unveiling a new automated compliance monitoring tool which detects unlawful re-letting in near real time.

The system began operating in July and uses advanced data-matching to track more than 950,000 rental properties across NSW, cross-referencing landlord reports, rental listings, bond lodgements and tenant complaints.

In its first two months, the tool flagged 21 potential breaches of re-letting exclusion periods, which were escalated for further investigation, while more than 2000 properties were added to a watchlist for ongoing compliance monitoring.

The intelligence-led approach ensures resources are focused on the highest-risk cases while reducing the burden on compliant landlords and agents, forming part of a broader suite of data-driven initiatives introduced by NSW Fair Trading to strengthen transparency and accountability in the rental market.

This includes mandatory landlord reporting on reasons they have ended a lease, end-of-tenancy surveys integrated into the bond claim process, and the popular Rent Check website, which has attracted more than 330,000 visits since launching in September 2024.

Education has also been a key focus, with renter awareness of their rights and new laws rising from 33 per cent to 80 per cent during the corresponding education campaign period, bolstered by almost 60 stakeholder events, targeted outreach to Aboriginal and multicultural communities and a surge in website traffic from 35,000 to 330,000 monthly visits.

The Government has invested $8.4 million across four years to strengthen compliance and enforcement in the rental market through the Rental Taskforce in NSW Fair Trading.

Led by the NSW Rental Commissioner, the 21-person multidisciplinary team includes 14 frontline inspectors dedicated to monitoring and enforcing rental laws, improving transparency, and protecting renters.

NSW Fair Trading is committed to protecting renters and ensuring a fair, transparent rental market through strong enforcement and education. To learn more about its compliance and enforcement priorities, please visit: www.nsw.gov.au/fair-trading/compliance-priorities.

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said, “The Taskforce’s results in the first six months speak for themselves – from refunding over $166,000 in illegal fees, to issuing nearly $240,000 in fines, to driving 99 per cent compliance on rent bidding and pet advertising, it is delivering real benefits for renters across the state.

“We’re using data and innovation to make compliance easier for honest operators while cracking down on those who break the rules. This is about creating a fairer, more transparent rental market for everyone in NSW.

“This new automated tool ensures landlords and agents follow the law by harnessing technology to detect unlawful re-letting in real time so swift action can be taken to protect renters from unfair practices.”

NSW Rental Commissioner Trina Jones said, “NSW Fair Trading’s intelligence-led approach means the highest-risk breaches are targeted quickly and effectively, rather than relying on complaints alone. This is smarter regulation in action.

“We’ve seen renter awareness jump from 33 to 80 per cent, and that’s critical to making sure people know their rights and where to access help when they need it.

“With more than 2200 properties under active monitoring and only 1.1 per cent requiring investigation, instruments like the re-letting tool mean as regulators we can have a greater focus on problem areas without burdening compliant landlords and agents.”