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One comedian's Tiktok has sparked a conversation about whether landlords should provide tenants with references

Monday 4th April 2022 | Quintin Jane | R1 News Reporter | quintin@r1.co.nz

 What started out as a joke may now become legislation. Australian Comedian Tom Cashman's landlord reference stunt has made its way to the Australian Capital Territory State Government, where an Australian Labor MP has put forward a bill to enable tenants to ask their landlord for a reference from a previous tenant. 

 

The saga has sparked debate around the power imbalance between landlords and tenants -  with landlords often asking potential tenants for three or more references for a rental property before offering them a lease. Tenants, however, often know little about their prospective landlord before taking on a lease. 

 

R1 News spoke to Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick this morning about her thoughts on the Landlord Reference.