One of the trials of being a renter is having to regularly move, but a new issues paper from Consumer Affairs Victoria promises a shake up of the average year long lease.

Looking to change the culture of the six and 12 month tenancy agreement, leases of up to 10 years and other reforms to improve security for renters’ tenure are up for consideration, according to Consumer Affairs Minister Jane Garrett.

The Issues Paper Security of Tenure, asking for responses from the public and industry, will inform the Plan for Fairer Safer Housing that will update Victoria’s rental laws.

“More and more people, from young adults to older Victorians, are choosing to rent. We need to bring our rental laws up to date, so that they reflect what we need,” Ms Garrett said.

Longer-term leases are common overseas, in countries such as Germany where renters make up 60 per cent of the population. In Australia, the proportion of renters is closer to 30 per cent, but edging upwards.

I can see negatives for both owners and tenants who commit to long term leases.Elizabeth Lopez, Biggin & Scott Brighton

Yaelle Caspi, policy offer for Tenants Union of Victoria, said the rental market was changing, with more people renting for longer.

“There has been an increase in families renting and many continue renting into retirement,” Ms Caspi said.

“Tenants should have greater rights to privacy and standard of housing, increased security to stay in one place if they wish to do so (whilst they continue to uphold their responsibilities as a tenant), and fairer and more predictable rents.”

Security for elderly tenants and those on low incomes should be a focus, with an inevitable power imbalance between landlords and tenants at present, she said.

“We need to see Victoria’s rental laws match this demographic to aid secure, affordable and appropriate rental properties for all tenants,” she said.

Yet while tenants may be benefited by 10-year leases, most landlords would not be interested in tenancies longer than two to three years, said Elizabeth Lopez, agent at Biggin & Scott Brighton.

“Everybody’s life circumstances can change and I can see negatives for both owners and tenants who commit to long term leases,” Ms Lopez said.

Property managers derive an income from re-letting properties, which could also make the changes unpopular among the industry.

Many of the laws are “currently tipped more in favour of the tenants”, she warned, providing the example of tenants only needing to give 28 days notice of their intention to vacate when they are no longer on a lease agreement, compared to owners’ requirement to give 60 to 120 days notice.

Instead, stricter laws were needed around repairs and maintenance – an area where both property managers and tenants are often left dealing with “unacceptable” procrastination from investors, she said.

The issues paper queries notice periods from both tenants and landlords for intention and notice to vacate, rent increases and the managing of repairs and maintenance.

Melbourne buyer’s agency Wakelin Property Advisory director Paul Nugent was also sceptical about changing tenancy agreements, claiming the “current system works well”.

Tenants currently have the ability to negotiate an option in their contract to automatically extend the lease beyond the first term and are able to have longer leases than the typical one-year arrangement, Mr Nugent said.

“Tenants like the flexibility and it is the tenant who ends a lease rather than the landlord in the vast majority of circumstances,” he said.

“Prospective landlords would be wary of entering a market where they would be obliged to rent a property to a tenant for several years or even indefinitely, so a change of rules would inevitably reduce the supply of rental properties.”

In mid-2016, an options paper will be released drawing on these findings will outline proposals for reforms.