A GROUP of retirees angry over rent hikes at the holiday park they call home are believed to be the first group in WA to take owners to task using State Government legislation.
Residents living in 105 houses at the Woodman Point Holiday Park in Munster will be affected by a 14 per cent rent increase.
Resident Pauline Ball said since WA group Aspen Parks took over in 2005, rents had increased 55 per cent – 34 per cent more than the consumer price index.
Aspen Parks lease the land from the Department of Environment and Conservation.
Cockburn MLA Fran Logan believed the residents were the first caravan park group to appeal against decisions by park owners using the Residential Parks (long-stay tenants) Act 2006.
Residents own their homes but rent the land. But the WA legislation did not give residents security as they were on periodic leases.
Mr Logan said a review of the act, in particular of fixed term leases, had been carried out and had been referred to the economics standing committee by Housing Minister Troy Buswell.
Ms Ball said there had been no negotiations with Aspen Parks regarding the new lease and the company had been “greedy”.
“There needs to be an alteration to the legislation, we need security which the legislation has failed to do so far,” she said.
“We can be thrown out without reason on 180 days’ notice.”
Residents’ rent would jump $18 a week on July 1, from $129 to $147.
Resident Simon Watt said single people living in the park would suffer most.
Ms Ball said pensioners did not deserve the hefty rental increases as they were not receiving any further services for it.
“The legislation was to give us security of tenure for permanent living in parks but it hasn’t done that,” she said.
Mediation between the residents and Aspen Parks will take place at the State Administrative Tribunal on August 10.
Aspen Parks declined to comment on the issue.