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.
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Archive
Rental applications – What happens after you apply?
Lauren Vardy (No paywall)Submitted a rental property application and started the waiting process? You might be wondering how long it takes to process your request and when you’ll get an answer. Unless you’ve worked in property management or self-managed a property yourself, you may not know what goes on behind the scenes after applying for a rental in Australia. (rent.com.au)
# Australia, Rent, Landlords and agents.What references should you include in a rental application?
Lauren Vardy (No paywall)Submitting a great rental application is key to getting the rental property you want. Once your personal information, proof of income and background checks are complete, the references you include with your application can make or break the deal. (rent.com.au)
# Australia, Rent, Landlords and agents.What happens if the landlord wants to sell while you’re renting?
(No paywall)If the owner wants to put your rental property on the market for sale, don’t panic. Understanding your rights as a tenant will help you plan your next steps. (rent.com.au)
# Australia, Rent, Landlords and agents.Rural housing crisis could cause billion-dollar income hole
Benjamin Preiss The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Rural Victoria will need an additional 87,000 new homes in the next 15 years to tackle a housing shortage threatening to inflict major economic damage to the state if left unresolved. New analysis shows Victoria stands to forgo up to $1 billion in gross regional product - total income from employment and business in a region - unless action is taken to tackle the severe undersupply of housing in many rural areas. The study by SGS Economics and Planning conveys strong potential for economic growth in regional Victoria, but says a lack of accessible housing is acting as a handbrake.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/rural-housing-hole-coul…
# Australia, Affordable housing, Housing market.The planning loopholes blocking residents’ city views
Tony Moore The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)It’s all about that Brisbane city skyline view. Whether a property is in Hamilton, Highgate Hill, Paddington, Balmoral, Mt Gravatt or Holland Park West, that view makes even an average suburban home highly sought after. Until those views are built out.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/the-planning-loophole…
# Australia, Housing market, Planning and development.Alexandria terrace fetches $2.25m in drawn-out sale on record auction day
Kate Burke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)An Alexandria terrace fetched $2.25 million in a drawn-out auction on Saturday, as a sharp rise in homes for sale and a record-breaking volume of auctions allowed Sydney buyers the luxury of less competition. ... In nearby Redfern, a 10-bedroom Victorian terrace – operating as a boarding house – passed in after a single bid of $2.5 million, made by a developer, after the only other registered bidder, an investor, refrained from making an offer.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/alexandria-terrace-fetches-…
# NSW, Housing market.Grenfell survivors slam ‘disingenuous’ and ‘deeply offensive’ government inquiry statement
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)Grenfell United, which represents people who lived in and around the tower as well as those who lost loved ones in the fire, said “no one should be exempt from accountability” as the inquiry began to look at government’s actions. In opening statements, the government was accused of a “prolonged period of concealment” of the dangers of combustible cladding, driven by an “unbridled passion for deregulation”. Stephanie Barwise QC, appearing for one group of the bereaved and survivors, said it was “one of the greatest scandals of our time”. In its opening statement on Tuesday, the government said it was “deeply sorry” for “past failures in relation to the oversight of the system that regulated safety in… high-rise buildings”. However, Jason Beer QC, on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, did not admit there were flaws with government guidance or regulation.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/grenfell-survivors-sla…
# International, Public and community housing, Minimum habitability standards.Michael Sheen turns himself into a 'not-for-profit' actor
BBC (No paywall)The Welsh actor and activist sold his houses to ensure the 2019 Homeless World Cup went ahead in Cardiff. Now the Hollywood star has pledged to carry on using the money he earns from acting to fund more projects. ... Speaking to 'The Big Issue', Sheen described how he stepped in to bankroll the Homeless World Cup when funding for the £2m project fell through at the last moment. ... "I had a house in America and a house here and I put those up and just did whatever it took. ..."
# International, Homelessness, Landlords and agents, Personal stories.