Structure and agency in the private rental market : the making and remaking of Victoria's Residential Tenancies Act

Abstract

This thesis explores the dynamics of social change through an examination of the making and remaking of Victoria's Residential Tenancies Act. The conditions leading up to the creation of the Tenancies Act are examined, as are the changes which the Act has produced. The findings of this thesis suggest that, despite the hopes of social reformers, the Tenancies Act has not produced a redistribution of power between landlords and tenants. It is argues, however, that this is not the fault of the Act itself, nor of its administrators, but rather of wider structural changes in the housing market which have served to negate many of the gains made by the Tenancies Act. Indeed, it is argued that, despite appearances, the Act has produced a number of important changes to the structure of, and agents participating in the rental housing market. As a result, Victoria's rental market is now quite different compared to how it was prior to the Act's introduction. Show more