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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

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Key topics

Australian house prices fall at 'fastest rate' since 2008 financial crisis

David Chau
ABC (No paywall)

House prices in Australia are dropping at their fastest pace since the global financial crisis — and market conditions are "likely to worsen" as interest rates continue to rise, according to property analytics firm CoreLogic. ... Renters are also disadvantaged in the current property market. As their landlords' mortgage repayments increase (and more foreign workers and students) return to Australia, rents have surged rapidly. Also, read Shane Wright's article entitled: 'House values tumble and could drop faster as rates set to rise' in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' at: [https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/house-values-tumble-and-could-drop-faster-as-rates-set-to-rise-20220731-p5b5yv.html] Read Peter Hannam's article entitled: 'Australian property prices tumble at rates not seen since GFC' in 'The Guardian' at: [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-property-prices-tumble-at-rates-not-seen-since-gfc]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-01/house-prices-dive-july-co…

# Australia, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market.
 

Renters’ rights in mouldy homes: can you get a rent reduction, or compensation for damages?

Kate Cunningham
The Guardian (No paywall)

What are your rights when it comes to mould – and how can you actually enforce them? Here’s a quick guide for renters in NSW, Queensland and Victoria. ... In NSW, Ned Cooke, a solicitor from the Tenants’ Advice and Advocacy Service at Sydney’s Redfern Legal Centre ... says, “if it really turns into a fight, then it might be a matter of getting … Fair Trading to send an inspector out to the property”.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/aug/01/mould-renta…

# NSW, Rent, Tribunal NCAT, Mould.
 

Greening the greyfields: how to renew our suburbs for more liveable, net-zero cities

Peter Newman, Giles Thomson, Peter Newton and Stephen Glackin
The Conversation (No paywall)

Our ageing cities are badly in need of regeneration. Many established residential areas, the “greyfields”, are becoming physically, technologically and environmentally obsolete. They are typically located in low-density, car-dependent middle suburbs developed in the mid to late 20th century. Compared to the outer suburbs, these middle suburbs are rich in services, amenities and jobs. But the greyfields also represent economically outdated, failing or undercapitalised real-estate assets. Their location has made them the focus of suburban backyard infill development. Unfortunately, the current approach typically cuts down all the trees and creates more car traffic as resident numbers grow. A new kind of urban regeneration is needed at the scale of precincts, rather than lot by lot, to transform the greyfields into more liveable and sustainable suburbs. It calls for a collaborative approach by federal, state and local governments.

https://theconversation.com/greening-the-greyfields-how-to-renew…

# Australia, Federal Government, Local Government, Planning and development, State Government.
 

The deadly consequences of rental evictions in WA

Jesse Noakes
(Paywall)

As a homelessness crisis unfolds around the country, the Western Australian government has undertaken to review tenancy laws to finally remove ‘no grounds’ rental evictions. (The Saturday Paper)

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2022/07/30/the-d…

# Australia, Rent, No-grounds evictions.
 

Tenants’ privacy rent asunder

Mackenzie Scott
The Australian (Paywall)

Eight housemates in inner Brisbane say they feel as though they are living in the Big Brother house after their landlord installed CCTV cameras inside their home without notice.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TA…

# Australia, Privacy and access, Rent, Landlords and agents.
 

Housing shortage has made landlords increasingly picky about tenants, leading to a lack of pet-friendly rentals

Jack D Evans, Selina Green and Leon Georgiou
ABC (No paywall)

The rising number of no-pet rental properties is placing pressure on local animal shelters as people are forced to choose between their furry friends and a place to live. Katrina Twilley, operating coordinator at the South East Animal Welfare League, said she had seen a rise in the number of pets being handed over. The kennel has been at full capacity the past few years, something Ms Twilley attributes to the scarcity and price of rental properties. She says winter is also a factor, as it is traditionally a slow time for animal adoptions.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-28/pets-not-welcome-rental-p…

# Australia, Rent, Housing market, Pets.
 

Landlord must pay back fortune made on tenant's 800-mark deposit, court rules

Abi Carter
(No paywall)

If you’re renting in Germany, you’re almost always asked to put down a deposit (Kaution). But if you stay in the same house or apartment for a long time, what happens to that money? In one recent case, it made the landlord a small fortune - and now the renter wants it back. ... A small bond from 1960 - 400 euros or so, but now worth 115,000 euros. (I am expat)

https://www.iamexpat.de/housing/real-estate-news/landlord-must-p…

# International, Bond, Public and community housing, Rent.
 

Renters struggling to compete in private rental market as prices rise in Melbourne’s south-east

Kate Ashton
ABC (No paywall)

Sarah Keating is on a race to find a rental property before her two-year-old son outgrows his cot. The 21-year-old single mum is currently living with relatives in Melbourne's outer south-east. She shares a room with son Ryder, but soon the two of them won't fit. "I'm trying to look for somewhere bigger to start our life and our family so that he has his own room, I have my own room," she said. "I just can't find anywhere. "My son can't sleep in my bed every night with me. He needs his own bed."
Ms Keating said she has been looking for a two-bedroom place in Melbourne's outer south-east — suburbs like Dandenong, Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield, Noble Park and Clyde — for now about six months and has been applying for up to 30 places a month. She has some family and community support, a casual job where she works three days a week, plus Centrelink. "I just keep getting emails saying I'm unsuccessful," she said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-29/renters-struggle-to-compe…

# Australia, Rent, Homelessness.
 

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