An expected influx of new health staff to run the Howard Springs international quarantine facility will put additional pressure on Darwin and Palmerston’s already tight rental market, industry experts warn.

Territory renters have recently reported large rental increases and termination notices – with some landlords evicting people to hike up the rent – as renters swarm to home inspections that 12 months ago were scarcely attended.

And that was before an expected 400 new residents are expected to arrive as part of the NT Government’s plan to expand international repatriation flights to the NT that will require new staff.

A Darwin real estate agent said the property market in the Top End is currently heated and might become “overheated” with additional migration.

Raine & Horne Darwin general manager Glenn Grantham said a shortage of rental properties will put upward pressure on pricing.

“Investors, especially a lot of them being down south there, will take that opportunity to raise rents that have been absolutely smashed over the last five years,” Mr Grantham told ABC Radio.

“The market currently is superheated, you would think that if there is going to be additional migration into the Territory that it will have to overheat, but I mean that’s just an addition to what’s already been happening.”

Renters do have rights: Consumer Affairs Commissioner

NT Consumer Affairs Commissioner Sandy Otto said landlords can impose a rental increase, but are bound by certain legal parameters.

“For example, if you’ve got a fixed term lease, and there’s a provision in that to increase the rent, it’s usually around CPI [Consumer Price Index] or it could say $1 or a percentage or something like that,” she said. “But the landlord can only do that if it’s in the lease, and then they can only do it once every six months.”

She added that landlords will have to give 30 days’ written notice with a fixed term tenancy to increase the rent.

“They can’t just knock on your door and say look, the rents going up tomorrow, cough up.

“There’s a lot of rules around that at the moment. We suggest to people if they’re not sure, if they think the landlord’s trying to, you know, pull the wool over their eyes – give us a call at this number: 1800 019 319.

“There’s a lot of variables and one of the big things up here is we don’t have a Central Bond Holding Authority; if someone pays a bond it goes to the landlord or the property manager to be held in trust for them.

“People just need to be aware that if they’re moving up here, there is a different legislation.”

Renters not given enough time to find new accommodation: Tenant’s Advice Service

As the NT government kicks off the recruitment process later this month for an additional 400 staff at the Howard Springs facility, Tenant’s Advice Service Darwin’s community legal service spokeswoman Caroline Deane agreed it will increase pressure on the NT’s rental market.

“If these new workers are going to be coming from interstate that will put additional pressure on our rental market that is already very tight,” Ms Deane said.

“At the moment, Territory renters have been receiving large rent increases and termination notices where landlords are wanting to re-advertise the property at higher rents, so the influx of new people moving into the Territory will certainly put additional pressure on that.”

Under the NT government’s COVID-19 legislation, tenants are entitled to 60 days’ notice before getting evicted, but Ms Deane said tenants are telling them that it’s a struggle to find a place to live within that 60-day period.

“We still have the shortest termination notice periods in Australia, so people are not having enough time to find a new property and not enough time to save for a new property,” she said.

“What we need is to bring the Northern Territory into line with the rest of Australia. Other states in Australia have allowed tenants up to 180 days to find somewhere else to live.

“Tenants who are Territorians, who rent property, who are doing the right thing and paying their rent, they should be entitled to some protection to allow them to stay in their homes.

“We do need legislation in the NT that supports Territorians to stay in their homes even with the extended notice periods under the COVID [19] legislation, which is up to 60 days now.”