SA Rent Cannot Go Up Faster than Inflation; Landlords Cannot Readvertise A Place To Get Higher Rent;

Residential Tenancies (Rent Control) Amendment Bill 2026

Private Member's Bill

2 Sep 2026: MPs in the first house are debating whether this bill is a good idea in principle.

Legislative Council

House of Assembly

Assent

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Previously introduced as:

Topics

housing rent control rent increases rental market rooming houses tenancy

Introduced by: Robert Simms MLC (GRN)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Landlords and rooming house proprietors cannot advertise or sign new agreements with rent higher than the indexed rent amount; this applies if the property was previously rented.
Landlords and proprietors cannot increase rent above the indexed amount unless the tenant agrees; otherwise, they must get an order from the Tribunal.
Landlords and proprietors can apply to the Tribunal to increase rent beyond the indexed amount if the tenant refuses a proposed increase.
Automatic rent increase clauses in existing agreements are capped at the indexed rent amount.
Rent caps do not apply if the landlord provides extra services or goods; they also do not apply if the property standard is substantially increased or statutory charges rise by more than 20%.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Robert Simms GRN

“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The bill I introduce today satisfies an election commitment the Greens made back in March that we would introduce a bill to freeze rents for the next two years on residential properties and to cap future rent increases in line with inflation.”

Official source →

Tung Ngo ALP

“I rise to make a brief contribution to this bill on behalf of government members. South Australians are currently facing increased cost-of-living pressures, with factors such as rent increases and available rental property further contributing to the issue. Rent increases reflect demand and rental availability.”

Official source →

Frank Pangallo

“I rise to speak on the Hon. Robert Simms’s Residential Tenancies (Rent Control) Amendment Bill and indicate that SA-Best will not be supporting it. I will also declare my conflict as a rental property owner, although I do not believe it will cloud my objectivity on this topic. However, I do need to commend the Hon. Mr Simms and also the Hon.”

Official source →

Michelle Lensink LIB

“I rise to indicate the Liberal Party position in relation to this particular bill before us. As we know, these are difficult times. We are in the midst of a housing crisis and all ideas should be on the table. In that context, I thank the Greens for putting a bill before the parliament.”

Official source →

Sarah Game NULL

“I rise to oppose this bill. Interest rates have risen 11 times this year and they have become out of control as most South Australians are feeling the pressure from the increase of living costs. Increasing interest rates put landlords in vulnerable positions. As they feel the squeeze of yet another interest rate rise, they will end up possibly exiting the market.”

Official source →