Position Description
Tenant Advocate
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Sydney based
12 month contract – 3 days per week
Supervision: Tenancy Team Leader
1. Redfern Legal Centre
Redfern Legal Centre is a non-profit community legal centre that promotes social justice and creates change. We provide free legal advice, legal services and education to people experiencing disadvantage in New South Wales. We drive innovation and change through policy and law reform work to address inequalities in the legal system, policies and social practices that cause disadvantage.
We provide effective and integrated free legal services that are client focussed, collaborative, non-discriminatory and responsive to changing community needs – to our local community as well as state-wide. Our specialist legal services focus on tenancy, credit, debt and consumer law, financial abuse, employment law, international students, First Nations justice, police accountability, and provide outreach services including through our health justice partnership.
2. Position Overview
Redfern Legal Centre’s Inner Sydney Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Service is a busy and dynamic service that works with First Nations tenants, and tenants experiencing disadvantage, in public and private housing in Inner Sydney. We work to prevent homelessness and ensure tenants have safe and affordable housing.
The successful applicant will play a key role in supporting renters to understand and assert their rights under NSW tenancy laws and policies.
They will provide free advice, negotiation and advocacy to tenants in private, public, and community housing, and will contribute to community legal education and systemic advocacy on housing justice issues.
3. Position Responsibilities
• Provide telephone, face-to-face and written advice on a broad range of tenancy and housing issues
• Advocate and negotiate with landlords, agents, and housing providers on behalf of tenants
• Attend RLC outreaches and stakeholder events and conduct client intake, advice and casework
• Participate in regular RLC meetings, intake supervision shifts, and contribute to board and funding reports, and the effective implementation of our Reconciliation Action Plan.
4. Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential
• Experience in client advice and advocacy, preferably in the community, legal, housing, or social services sector
• Knowledge of and experience working with the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 and other relevant legislation, or a demonstrated ability to acquire such knowledge quickly
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills including demonstrated experience working with people experiencing disadvantage and from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to manage a busy caseload and respond flexibly to changing priorities
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice, the objectives of community legal centres and to promoting tenants’ rights
• Proficiency in using case management applications, Microsoft Office, and digital communication tools
Desirable
• Law Degree or other relevant tertiary qualification
• Understanding of the issues affecting First Nations people, CALD communities, and people experiencing disadvantage.
5. Conditions
Salary and benefits: $97,646.89 – $102,741.85 p.a. (pro rata for part time) depending on qualifications and experience.
Superannuation and annual leave loading are paid in addition to this and salary packaging is available.
Redfern Legal Centre offers a 35-hour working week, time in lieu options and a paid end of year closure of two weeks (including public holidays) on top of four weeks annual leave. We are a flexible workplace, and offer external debrief supervision, and a generous training, conference and professional development budget.
As a Public Benevolent Institution, Redfern Legal Centre is able to offer staff generous salary packaging options. The tax savings for a staff member choosing to take full advantage of the salary packaging option mean that their take home salary may be increased by up to $6,000 per annum.
6. Applications
Applications close: 9am Wednesday 24 September 2025
Redfern Legal Centre is a diverse and inclusive workplace. We strongly encourage applications from First Nations applicants, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and people with disability.
Your application should be no more than six pages long and should include a cover letter, your resume and must include responses to the selection criteria included in the job description. Please send your application to recruitment@rlc.org.au.
Non-lawyers employed by Redfern Legal Centre are required to comply with s 121 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law.
Inquiries should be directed to Ned Cooke on ned@rlc.org.au.
