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
Some Byron Bay landlords are bypassing the usual real estate channels to help locals find rentals ahead of newcomers
Bianca Healy (No paywall)Amid skyrocketing rent, some landlords in the Byron Shire are bypassing agencies and opting to offer properties to private networks through social media and word of mouth. “It’s probably an indicator of just how dramatic the changes to Byron have been…that people are starting to make their decisions in that way,” Leo Patterson Ross, chief executive of the Tenant’s Union said. Regional Australia recorded an annual rate of rental growth of 12.5% as of September 2021, the highest annual growth rate on record.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/byron-bay-landlords-helping-l…
# TUNSW in the media NSW, Rent, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Regional NSW.Renter told to vacate property after requesting repairs
Abbey Halter (No paywall)“As a tenant, what the owner and real estate says goes. It’s dehumanising. It’s like you’re stripped of any human rights,” said a Canberra renter. Anna [not her real name] has been living nightmare as a renter, where she feels her landlord and the real estate agency see her solely as a figure on a bank statement, rather than as a human being. From the very start of her tenancy, she said her landlord has clearly been uninterested in maintaining his asset, telling her, “if you leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone”. She said that comment turned out to mean that if she didn’t ask for repairs, he would consider that in the amount of rent charged. (Canberra Weekly)
https://canberraweekly.com.au/real-estate-told-renter-to-vacate-…
# Australia, Eviction, Repairs, Housing market, Landlords and agents, No-grounds evictions.Leaseholders suffering suicidal thoughts as a result of cladding crisis, new report reveals
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)The report by the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence found that those living in blocks with building safety issues have reported a spectrum of impacts on their mental health, from constant worrying and an inability to concentrate, to anxiety, isolation and withdrawal, depression and suicidal feelings. Many leaseholders living in affected buildings are unable to sell their homes until external wall systems can be assessed, risks identified and remediation works carried out. Those that live in blocks requiring remediation are often facing bills of tens of thousands of pounds. Where present, fear of a dangerous fire breaking out in their building has a very “significant” negative impact on mental health. But financial concerns related to building safety costs represent the most significant strain on leaseholders’ mental health, with some facing remediation bills of more than £100,000, along with waking-watch costs and insurance hikes.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/leaseholders-suffering…
# International, Asbestos, lead, hazardous materials, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.Sydney’s most liveable suburbs – and where residents are least happy
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Western Sydney residents rate their suburbs as worse places to live than people in other parts of Sydney. A survey of more than 30,000 people around Australia, including 10,766 in NSW, found western Sydney had a liveability score of 64 out of 100, compared to the national average of 68. ... Western Sydney scored lowest when it came to things to do in the evening, evidence of recent public investment in roads and schools, local education and employment opportunities and the quality of local and state government services.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-s-most-liveable-suburbs-a…
# NSW, Planning and development.Hot in the city: can a ban on dark roofs cool Sydney?
Donna Lu The Guardian (No paywall)The New South Wales government announced this week it would move to ban dark roofs as part of environmental planning rules to help the state achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The planning minister, Rob Stokes, said on Wednesday that ditching dark roofing “would have an enormous impact on the urban heat island effect”, citing University of NSW research suggesting ambient temperatures in Sydney could drop by up to 2.4C as a result. The announcement has been welcomed by experts. Prof Andy Pitman, the director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes at UNSW, said: “The recognition that this is a useful strategy for minimising vulnerability to climate change is terrific.”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/21/hot-in-th…
# NSW, Climate change, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.How much does a house deposit cost compared to the average wage?
Melissa Heagney Domain (No paywall)Home buyers looking to get into Australia’s pricey property market would need to save more than a year’s pay to scrape together a deposit on a house in any capital city, with deposits in some locations costing up to three times annual incomes. Even to purchase an apartment, buyers would need more than a year’s pay in expensive capitals and close to a year of income in more affordable cities. House prices have soared on the back of low interest rates, while wage growth has been sluggish until recently, amid an uncertain economic outlook. Buyers are now being pushed harder towards government assistance schemes or the Bank of Mum and Dad to get into the property market sooner, experts say.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/how-much-does-a-house-deposit-cos…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.Residents paid £450,000 by landlords after Housing Ombudsman’s rulings
Jack Simpson Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Social housing residents who have been victims of poor complaint handling have received nearly £450,000 from their landlords following orders from the Housing Ombudsman last year, new figures have revealed.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/residents-paid-450000-…
# International, Public and community housing, Local Government.House prices set to rise faster than wages next year even as property market slows and incomes pick up
Melissa Heagney Domain (No paywall)First-home buyers will struggle to get into the housing market even as wages improve and house prices slow, because house prices are still set to grow faster than wages next year, economists warn. ... ANZ senior economist Felicity Emmett said the widening gap between wages growth and house price rises had made it “extremely difficult” for those who did not already own property to get into the market. Though rents had fallen in some cities, it would not be of much help to those wanting to buy, Ms Emmett said.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/house-prices-set-to-rise-faster-t…
# Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Housing market.