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
Landlord possessions increase by 207% following end of eviction ban
Lucie Heath Inside Housing (Paywall)The number of renters being evicted via the courts increased by 207% after the pandemic-related ban on bailiff-enforced evictions was lifted, official figures show. Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) showed there were 4,853 landlord possessions across England and Wales between July and September this year, up 207% from the previous quarter when there were 1,582 possessions. [I read this as an increase of 307%!] ... Jon Sparkes, chief executive at Crisis, said the latest MoJ figures “make clear how damaging it was for the UK government to end the eviction ban without providing sufficient support for renters who had built up arrears in the pandemic”.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/landlord-possessions-i…
# International, Eviction, Coronavirus COVID-19.‘I have to move my bike to get to the fridge’ – the UK boom in microflats
Julia Kollewe The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... From rentals the size of a tiny hotel room to Barratt’s pocket-sized new-builds, the market is expanding. For Rioch Fitzpatrick, a 39-year-old dubbing mixer for television, home is a tiny studio flat smaller than a standard Premier Inn hotel bedroom. At just 19 sq metres (204 sq ft), his north London “microflat” has a shower and lavatory separated from the main room by a partition, without even a separate wash basin. ... The government has recommended a minimum space standard of 37 sq m since 2015, although it is not mandatory – local authorities have discretion to apply it or not.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/nov/15/uk-boom-microfl…
# International, Rent, Affordable housing, Home ownership, Housing market, Planning and development.Housing affordability won't be greatly improved just by less regulation, more supply, RBA argues
Michael Janda ABC (No paywall)Are houses like mandarins? Or, to translate the analogy, do the usual economic rules of supply and demand apply to housing, or are there other factors explaining price movements that don't exist for most everyday goods? ... "Houses are not mandarins. The land underneath them is very important." ... Fundamentally, Dr Ellis [assistant governor (economic) at the Reserve Bank] explained, there is an inherent shortage of desirable land and people will pay whatever they can afford — generally how much they can borrow — to get the most suitable property in the best location. "All land is not created equal," she argued.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-16/housing-affordability-inq…
# Australia, Housing market, Tax.Homeowners on notice higher rates on cards as economy mends
Shane Wright and Jennifer Duke The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Homebuyers who have used low interest rates to drive house prices to all-time highs and take on record levels of debt are being warned they face a steep increase in repayments, with the Reserve Bank signalling it wants the official cash rate to eventually climb to 2.5 per cent.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/still-plausible-first-ra…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.What to do if you have a dispute with your landlord
Sue Williams Domain (No paywall)A landlord who kept delaying releasing a bond, knowing his tenant was having to move overseas for work and couldn’t hang around to demand it. Another who kept calling by at odd moments on the pretext of checking his property – completely ignoring the permitted inspection appointments. And a third who, when asked to fix the damp patches in his apartment, accused his renter of causing them and took money from his bond when he moved out. Then painted over them ready for the next resident. ... If tenants are unable to resolve their issue via the property manager or landlord, there’s a huge amount of free advice on the websites of tenants’ bodies the Tenants Union of NSW and Tenants Victoria. “Tenants Victoria’s website is a handy practical resource to find information about your rights as a renter,” says Farah Farouque, its director of community engagement. “Don’t be shy. If you do have a problem regarding your rented home, it’s important to let the agent or landlord know your concern and try to resolve it as quickly as possible. Always remember renters have rights ..."
https://www.domain.com.au/advice/what-to-do-if-you-have-a-disput…
# TUNSW in the media Australia, Rent, Landlords and agents.Thermal mix: a modest Canberra renovation holds and traps the sun
Lisa Green The Guardian (No paywall)Using 80% less energy than average, an unassuming suburban home is winning architecture prizes for its imaginative revamp ... “A good home can’t just be about energy efficiency. It has to feel and look like a joyful home,” insists Edwards. Her team’s process is holistic, beginning with a focus on passive solar features and draught-proofing, ditching gas for all-electric appliances, improving function and liveability by rearranging and improving the floor plan, then addressing water storage and landscaping.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/17/thermal-m…
# Australia, Utilities electricity water gas, Home, Housing market.The work from home revolution has helped trigger a migration to the regions. Now, locals say they have nowhere to live.
John Buckley (No paywall)Pandemic-induced uptake of hybrid and remote work has seen “knowledge workers” migrate to the regions in droves, pricing locals out of the market both as renters and buyers. Experts say it isn’t just the rate of homelessness that’s alarming, but that it has become more prevalent among middle income earners. (Business Insider Australia)
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/regional-migration-leaves-pus…
# Australia, Rent, Homelessness, Housing market, Regional NSW.Sydney couple in $500,000 battle over leaking Surry Hills penthouse
Sue Williams Domain (No paywall)A Sydney couple battling constant destructive leaks in their apartment has spent more than $500,000 at a NSW government tribunal to force their building’s committee to fix the defects but, despite winning every case, they’re still living with the misery. And even though a NSW Fair Trading inspector drew up an extensive catalogue of the faults with their home that need to be repaired by the owners corporation, they’re being told their only option is to return yet again to the tribunal in the hope that it can enforce compliance with its orders.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/sue-williams-strata-disaster-stor…
# NSW, Repairs, Strata, Tribunal NCAT.