We are delighted to announce the launch of the Residential Tenancy Law and Practice Manual, the first resource of its kind in Western Australia which will provide a foundation in the practice of residential tenancy law. It is our cornerstone initiative supporting the people in the sector who are continually facing the most pressing housing challenges in society today.
Written by legal practitioners at Tenancy WA, this residential tenancy text is accessible online via the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII) website. It is freely available for all tenant advocates, community workers, legal practitioners, property managers and landlords as well as the wider community such as self-represented tenants or those simply needing a more detailed understanding of residential tenancy law in Western Australia. In this online resource, Tenancy WA has taken a user-friendly approach of arranging materials by subject matter rather than creating an "Annotated Residential Tenancies Act". The manual incorporates tenancy matters which are not subjects of sections in the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA) itself but are nevertheless very important to practice in the area. For example, the subject of limitation periods and calculating time periods are explained in detail. The manual also contains practical resources, such as templates for agreements to terminate in writing. These materials aim to significantly increase efficiency as practitioners no longer need to 'reinvent the wheel' or carry out research for similar matters afresh. Tenancy WA also hopes that the resource may also be of assistance to the Court. As a result, the community legal sector can continue to deliver high-quality tenant advocacy services across Western Australia and strengthen expertise over time, ensuring the knowledge of experienced advocates is shared and not lost to the sector.