Ratbag public housing tenants thrown on to the street under tough new laws Public housing tenants who trash their homes have been given the boot under a new three strikes and you are out policy. . DOZENS of public housing tenants have been turfed out of their taxpayer-funded homes in just four months following the rollout of a tough new three strikes bad behaviour policy. And the Newman Government's crackdown on anti-social tenant behaviour will be further bolstered when new laws - that will make it harder for tenants to have an eviction overturned by the state's appeal tribunal - come into effect. New figures show 495 strikes have been issued to public housing tenants for everything from aggressive and obscene behaviour to trespassing on neighbouring properties and hooning since the policy began on July 1. Tenants can receive three strikes within 12 months before facing eviction. If their breaches are serious, however, they can be evicted immediately. Are the laws too tough? About 36 tenants were instantly evicted for serious breaches such as severe property damage or drug manufacturing, the figures showed, while 400 received their first strike and 50 racked up their second. Public housing tenants in Cairns, Woodridge, Fortitude Valley and Rockhampton attracted the largest number of strikes. Public housing tenants kicked out for committing crimes in their homes Public housing tenants go online to swap properties Property damage won't be accepted in public housing, says the Newman Government. Housing Minister Tim Mander said he believed the policy was working to curb bad behaviour among tenants. "I have always said the success of this policy will not be measured by the number of evictions, but by the number of people who modify their behaviour in response," he said. The initial results are encouraging with the department only handing out 50 second strikes and no third strikes. It's still early days, but it seems the new policy is having the desired effect and people are curbing their behaviour. Mr Mander said the policy would be further bolstered by new laws passed by State Parliament this week which would prevent an eviction being delayed or overturned by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal simply because the tenant had nowhere else to go. One of the great challenges in this area is what to do when, for whatever reason, the Tenants who don't look after their property will be kicked out. Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal adjudicators refuse to terminate a tenancy despite repeated and persistent anti-social behaviour from a tenant," he said. QCAT rejected 11 applications for termination in the last 12 months. He said the changes, which would mean QCAT cannot refuse to terminate a tenancy just because the person being evicted was a public housing tenant, would ensure the body took a firmer stance. QCAT must also take into account certain issues including the needs of those on the public housing waiting list, when deciding on a termination case. The State Opposition and tenancy groups have raised concerns Queensland's most vulnerable, including those suffering from mental illness, could be left without a roof over their heads as a result.