Rent Out Property

The charts that show how Australia’s rental market got so broken

Sometimes, being a renter in Australia just plain sucks.

You might be forced to move over and over again, unable to secure a long-term lease. You might be waiting months for repairs, only to get the “landlord special”. Maybe, like many in Australia, you’ve had your rent hiked by an eye-watering amount.

Perhaps you’ve needed to make a drastic change, like 44-year-old Stephen Papadopolous, a renter of 20 years, who recently moved back in with his parents after his landlord sold his apartment of five years in Sydney’s Dulwich Hill.

“I absolutely love the area, I have so many friends close by,” he says. “I tried looking close by in the Inner West for apartments and went to a few open inspections, and the queues and the crowd that turned up was just crazy.

“For five years, I was renting a two-bedroom apartment on my own for $400 a week with no rent increase, and then to have to go find one-bedroom apartments for over $600 was a bit of a shock.”

He’s now living in his parents’ Campbelltown home, on the outskirts of metropolitan Sydney, and is in no rush to rejoin rental inspection queues. “I would never rent

READ MORE
Rent Out Property

only 13% of homeowners consider putting houses on the traditional market — idealista/news

The incentive to change Local Accommodation (LA) houses to traditional rentals is one of the measures provided for in the controversy Mais Habitação (More Housing) program, which was vetoed by the President of the Republic and will be reconsidered in Parliament on 21 September 2023. The truth is that only 13% of LA owners admit to doing so, according to a study carried out by Nova SBE at the request of the Association of Local Accommodation in Portugal (ALEP) and released this Tuesday (12 September 2023).

“(…) With regard to the Mais Habitação (More Housing) program, the vast majority say that they are not considering putting the property up for rent (only 13% are considering it) and a significant proportion of respondents say that there is a risk that they will close down. This expectation of closure is alarming considering that LA is an important part of income for many and that 73% are over 45, so they would find it very difficult to return to the labor market,” the two organizations said in a statement.

If, as a result of Mais Habitação, the accommodation is no longer available for rent, what is the expected use? In response to

READ MORE
Rent Out Property

Tenants face delays at VCAT as residential cases balloon

Pending cases on the residential tenancies list have exploded since the pandemic began, up 598 per cent to 23,892 cases as of March, compared to three years earlier, public caseload data shows. VCAT declined to comment for this story.

Tenants have had several significant wins recently. In October, VCAT member Kylea Campana ruled a Shepparton landlord couple could not encourage their tenants to sell their investment property because the tight and unaffordable rental market could make a family of five homeless. It was ruled that the house could be sold with the tenants in place.

Renters face a tight market, and delays if they pursue issues at the tribunal.

Renters face a tight market, and delays if they pursue issues at the tribunal.Credits: Peter Rae

“There is no doubt that the rented premises are the rental providers’ property and they are entitled to sell it,” Campana’s decision reads. “They should also be able to realize the best price possible for their investment – ​​but at what cost to the renters?”

VCAT member Filip Gelev ruled against a landlord attempting to evict their tenant because a family member wanted to move in because the property was held in a company name, and therefore did not have access to the quoted reason to vacate.

“The

READ MORE