Tenants across St George and Sutherland are struggling to make ends meet as lockdown continues across greater Sydney.
But the Tenants' Union wants renters to know that support is out there.
The union's policy and advocacy coordinator Jemima Mowbray said many renters were experiencing high levels of stress as COVID restrictions continued.
"We know that renters are more likely to have precarious or casual jobs and it has now been four or five weeks without a solid stream of income," she said.
"The disaster payment has helped out but there are still a lot of people who didn't qualify for that.
"Some protections have been put in place, like the 60-day moratorium on evictions, which is good but you also need to be eligible for that.
"We know evictions are still happening, whether people are in arrears or not, which then leaves them searching for a new home in the middle of a pandemic.
"We also know that some landlords have not been open to rent reduction discussions either."
Ms Mowbray said people across the southern Sydney were reaching out to the union and advocacy services particularly around routine access to the property.
"Under the Public Health Orders agents are still able to conduct inspections but we have had people reaching out, particularly in [hotspot] areas, who are worried about them coming into their home at this time," she said.
"Often people have elderly relatives or children that they are concerned about.
"We have also had calls from people whose rental homes are for sale and sale inspections are still happening twice a week.
"People are uncomfortable with that many people walking through their homes at this time.
"So access to properties is a big issue at the moment because people are worried about who has access to their homes."
The state government also introduced transitional plans for tenants who may have been impacted by the first wave of lockdowns in 2020, inlcuding payment plans and a moratorium on eviction.
Ms Mowbray said these measures would help to support struggling tenants.
"What we have seen though is a lot of people have increased their debt as they dug into savings during the lockdown last year," she said.
"They may have paid rent but built up credit card debt or bill debt just to make it through last year so they don't have those same resources to draw on this time.
"We will see household going through hardship become entrenched in it unless more support is provided, both in the medium and longer term."
Ms Mowbray said renters in Sutherland or St George could reach out to the Southern Sydney Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service (SSTAAS) at 9787 4679.
Details: www.tenants.org.au/covid19/guide.
