The New South Wales Residential Tenancies Act 2010 must accept that technology is changing the way tenants and landlords may communicated. The residential property industry of the state, according to Domain, is looking to persuade residential tenancy laws to recognize email as a communication means between tenant and landlord.
Real Estate Institute of NSW chief executive Tim McKibbin said, "We have to accept that SMS and emails and those sort sorts of things are gaining every day in part of our work of communication. The traditional postal service and facsimile and these sorts of things are losing ground. Our legislation needs to keep pace with contemporary technology."
According to Domain, there are over 800,000 households living in rented properties according to 2011 statistics, in both private and public or community housing. The states growing population has already changed the strata community laws to adapt to the growing use of apartments and now allows the use of emails to service documents. On the other hand, property and planning laws don't easily go with innovation and changes in culture, which hampers the progress in the housing sector.
REINSW said in its submission, "Tenants and landlords frequently request email as the preferred method of communication." Then added that the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) directs service of notice via email.
According to Domain, Mr McKibbin said, "Greater email use would help estate agents boost the value-added services they already offer beyond the immediate property ones, such as connecting utilities for tenants." However he notes that there are limits to what is acceptable as a change.
"Social media's probably a bridge too far," Mr McKibbin added. "It's a very powerful tool in communication, but I'm not sure that social media is lending itself to be able to service documents."
