Issue Date:  -  Tuesday, 1 July 1997

Legislative changes dealing with caravan park tenants come into effect

People living in caravan parks and camping grounds will have greater peace of mind as a result of legislative changes which came into effect today, Fair Trading Minister Doug Shave said.

From today, caravan park tenants will be subject to the same residential tenancy laws and protection as everyone else. People who are occupying sites for holiday purposes will be excluded.

According to the Caravan Parks and Trades Association of Western Australia, there are nearly 8,000 caravan sites occupied for long-term residency, which equates to nearly 16,000 people.

Mr Shave said that for tenants and operators of caravan parks this meant that the rights and responsibilities of both parties were now clearly defined.

"For example, during a dispute, set procedures must be followed and both parties have access to an inexpensive and quick dispute resolution process," he said.

"It also means that security bonds paid by tenants must be held independently in a tenancy bond account."

Mr Shave said the extension to the Residential Tenancies Act could affect more than 25 per cent of the 30,000 caravan sites in the State.

In the past, residential tenancy laws had only covered people in caravan parks renting on-site caravans, while others had only limited protection.

Mr Shave said the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Act 1995, which would come into effect from today, amended the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 so that tenancy laws now applied to a site at a caravan park, whether or not a caravan was situated on that site.

"This means that a person who rents a site in a caravan park and places their own park home, caravan or tent on that site, becomes a tenant for the purposes of the Residential Tenancies Act," he said.

The Ministry of Fair Trading has circulated information about the amendments to the residential tenancy laws to owners and tenants of all caravan parks and camping grounds in WA.

Media contact:
Anabel Gomez
Tel: (08) 9366 0300 or (08) 9222 9595