Housing News Digest
Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
Our main email newsletter, Tenant News is sent once every two months. You can subscribe or update your subscription preferences for any of our email newsletters here.
See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
We love sharing the news and hope you find it informative! We're very happy to deliver it for free, but if you find it valuable, can you help cover the extra costs incurred by making a donation?
Archive
Why tenants will decide NSW's next leader
John Rolfe Daily Telegraph (Paywall)Soaring rental costs and and decade-low vacancy rates will see tenants hold the power at NSW’s state election — especially in Western Sydney, new analysis has revealed.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/state-election/wester…
# TUNSW in the media NSW, Eviction, Housing affordability, Landlords and agents, State Government.Having a roof over your head is a basic human need. Renting in Australia should be treated like an essential service
Leo Patterson Ross The Guardian (No paywall)Day after day, the calls don’t stop coming in to Tenants Advice services as renters face rent increases alongside the difficulty in finding and keeping a home that lets them live safe, healthy and dignified lives. Advocates across the state are telling me weekly how difficult it is to help everyone who needs it. Calls about rent increases have increased from hundreds each year to thousands. The TikToks and Facebook threads aren’t stopping either.
It’s clear that Australia has a problem with how we provide homes and the prices we are forced to pay. Far from this just being a city problem or a Sydney problem, many of those hardest hit are regional areas facing new rent increases of more than 35% in the last 12 months amid the national vacancy rate staying below 1.5% for an unprecedented 12 months.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/28/having-a-r…
# Must read, TUNSW in the media Australia, Eviction, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Home, Housing affordability, Landlords and agents, Renting culture.Renting and housing not ‘recognised as an essential service’
Erin Molan Sky News (No paywall)Tenants’ Union of NSW’s Leo Paterson Ross says there aren’t enough homes available for people “at prices that they can afford”.
“And really the reason for that is we haven’t recognised renting and housing as an essential service that we make sure the government has a responsibility for, that industry joins in as a partner to make sure there are homes available for the community when and where they need it,” he told Sky News host Erin Molan.
https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/erin-molan/renting-and-housin…
# TUNSW in the media, Video Australia, Affordable housing, Campaigns and law reform, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents, State Government.Aussie game creators want your rental horror stories for new video game
Julian Price 9 News (No paywall)Every renter has one, from mouldy walls to broken ovens, rental horror stories are as common as door handles on doors.
It's simply fact that some landlords just aren't as good as others.
After a dodgy landlord experience of their own, award winning Sydney video game creators, Pete Foley and Scott Ford, decided to create their own new game to raise awareness of the things renters need to put up with.
https://www.9news.com.au/technology/sydney-video-game-creators-f…
# Australia, Personal stories, Renting culture.Advocates criticise Victoria’s decision to allocate affordable housing by ballot rather than need
Stephanie Converey The Guardian (No paywall)The Victorian government’s new affordable rental housing will be allocated to tenants by random ballot rather than need, with applications to be processed by a company already under scrutiny for what advocates have called a “troubling” use of renters’ data.
The first tranche of 34 houses from the 2,400 promised in the affordable housing rental scheme – part of the Andrews government’s “big build” construction blitz – were advertised in January.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/20/its-worry…
# Must read, New policy announcement Australia, Privacy and access, Affordable housing, Housing affordability, Landlords and agents.Most states ban rent bidding, so why are desperate renters still allowed to offer more?
Michelle Elias SBS (No paywall)You've inspected a flat to rent and like the look of it.
You can afford the asking price and think you've got a good chance.
Then you learn the agent has invited people to offer more than the advertised price and someone has said they'll pay an extra $100 a week.
You can't compete and you miss out. You've just become a victim of rent bidding.
South Australia became the latest state to move forward on a ban on rent bidding this week, hoping it could help ease rising rental prices.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/most-states-ban-ren…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media Australia, Rent, Landlords and agents.Calls for government intervention amid 'very serious' rental crisis
ABC ABC (No paywall)Dr Michael Fotheringham has called for state and federal governments to intervene, saying there is a lack of available rental stock across Australia.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-21/calls-for-government-inte…
# Video Australia, Federal Government, Housing affordability, State Government.Real estate agents called out on TikTok for creative rental ads
A Current Affair Staff A Current Affair (No paywall)Aussies have taken to TikTok to call out real estate agents they accuse of using creative language to incorrectly describe properties amid the nation's rental crisis.
"They should be embarrassed by some of the things they put out there," Rachel told A Current Affair after she went viral on TikTok for pointing out some of the worst.
https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/rental-crisis-aussie-r…
# TUNSW in the media, Video Australia, Campaigns and law reform, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents.