Australia's peak union body says offering two-year rental agreements would provide more security to tenants. (ABC News: Gian De Poloni)
The ACTU is pushing the government to give all renters access to a minimum two-year lease.
It also wants to increase the rate of public housing being built from one in 50 to one in 10 new homes.
ACTU president Michele O'Neil says the changes will not drive away landlords.
Landlords would have to offer renters at least two years on their lease, and the proportion of new public housing would increase fivefold as part of a union proposal being presented to the government.
Under current laws, the minimum for lease agreements varies across states and territories, and some, including New South Wales, have no rules in place at all.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) said a nationwide two-year minimum, with the option for renters to opt for a shorter period, would give renters more stability and allow them to plan.
"Having a standard of at least two years across the country would give renters the security of knowing they can stay in their home for at least that period of time," ACTU president Michele O'Neil said.
The union also wants a return to a Hawke-style model of construction, increasing the rate of public housing being built from one in 50 new homes to one in 10.
Michele O'Neil says one in 10 new homes should be public housing. (ABC News: Tom Hancock)
Public housing is owned and administered by state and territory governments, and the 2026 State of Housing report found public housing stock declined by 1,143 rental units last year, despite annual dwelling completions for public housing increasing 32 per cent over the same period.
"If we expand public housing, you will see more rental stock available, and that is going to free up stock in the rental market and make private stock more sustainable," Ms O'Neil said.
State and federal governments are offering incentives for property developers in exchange for more affordable housing. But a Four Corners investigation has uncovered major flaws in the strategy.
"It's the combination of measures that need to be put in place — the tax changes from the budget, public housing expansion, and stronger rental rights."
According to the ACTU Housing Plan, the union will also be pushing for tighter rules around rent gouging and a long-term goal of at least 6 per cent of total housing stock being public.
