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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See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
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Archive
‘You’re throwing money away’ and other renting myths – busted
Lauren Vardy (No paywall)As more Australians choose to rent each year, a growing number of people have questions about what’s involved in the renting process. Here are nine myths we regularly hear from renters and the truths behind them. (rent.com.au)
# Australia, Rent.Regulator publishes consumer regulation plans for landlords
Tim Clark Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has published its initial plans setting out how it will inspect and regulate housing associations regarding their treatment of tenants. In the paper published today, the RSH has laid out its method for regulating consumer standards. It will use the same underlying principles the regulator uses for economic regulation. The regulator identified six themes: safety, quality, neighbourhood, transparency, engagement and accountability, and tenancies.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/regulator-publishes-co…
# International, Public and community housing.Rent Control for Private SROs Passes in Vancouver
Jen St. Denis (No paywall)Vancouver city councillors voted to implement stricter rent control for tenants who live in single-room occupancy hotels after hearing the policy could prevent people from becoming homeless amid steadily rising rates and gentrification. (The Tyee)
https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/11/18/Rent-Control-Private-SROs-Pas…
# International, Rent, Homelessness, Housing market, 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.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.Australian house prices 'rolling over' as rising interest rates, affordability bite, warns ANZ
Michael Janda ABC (No paywall)ANZ bank has tipped house price falls the year after next as the pandemic boom in Australian housing comes to an end.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-18/house-prices-roll-over-af…
# Australia, Housing market.Giving up the need to possess
Amelia Lester The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)In the bid to timeshare our lives, the final frontier for Australians will be property. For us, buying a home is a rite of passage, but elsewhere in the world, buying a house isn’t seen as the greatest of all achievements.
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/is-the-n…
# Australia, Rent, Home ownership, Renting culture.Evergrande frees funds with HengTen sale amid ‘highly likely’ default
Avatar Clare Jim and Donny Kwok The New Daily (No paywall)Troubled Chinese property developer Evergrande is selling its entire stake in streaming services firm HengTen for $HK2.13 billion ($376 million), as the cash-strapped firm boosts efforts to avoid a debilitating default on its debts. However, S&P Global Ratings said in a report on Thursday a default is still “highly likely” for the world’s most indebted developer – despite its recent bond coupon payments – because it has a bigger test in March and April next year, facing a total of $US3.5 billion ($4.8 billion) maturities in dollar bonds.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2021/11/19/evergrande-hengten…
# International, Housing market, Landlords and agents.