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
New Greens 'renters authority' plan to fine dodgy agents $78k and freeze rents
Sara Tomevska SBS (No paywall)On-the-spot fines and taking dodgy real estate agents to police are among the proposed powers of a National Renters Protection Authority (NRPA) the Greens will push in the lead-up to the next federal election. Along with a 1,000-strong workforce to investigate rental breaches, the authority would have sweeping powers to strip agents of their licences and fine dodgy landlords up to $15,650, and real estate agencies $78,250. "Across this country, there are 7 million renters who are powerless in their own homes, unable to push back against unfair rent hikes, dodgy agents, and landlords who never do basic repairs," Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said in a statement.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/new-greens-renters-authority…
# Must read Australia, Rent.The Greens have added a 'landlord watchdog' to a growing housing policy wish list
Tom Crowley ABC ()The Greens will push for permanent rent control and a national landlord watchdog if they hold the balance of power in the next parliament. In a new proposal, the minor party wants to fine landlords thousands of dollars if they breach strict rules including minimum kitchen and bathroom sizes and rent hikes of no more than 2 per cent every two years. The policy would be difficult to implement since it exceeds the legal powers of the federal government and would require major concessions from states and territories. But the framing reflects the minor party's belief it can woo renters squeezed by a historically tight rental market.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-02/greens-call-for-landlord-…
# Must read Australia, Rent.John's relationship broke down when he and his partner bought a house in the suburbs
Matt Gazy SBS (No paywall)John (not his real name) vividly remembers walking his dog with his partner of eight years and asking himself: 'Is this the rest of my life?' Just five months earlier, they had bought their first home in a new housing development 20km from the city. "It felt like we'd gone forward in time 15 years, and we were suddenly 40, living domesticated lives where suddenly we weren't around fun things that we previously had access to," John, 29, told The Feed. "You go, 'Is this the rest of my life living like this — spending a lot of money every fortnight on my mortgage?'"
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/johns-relationship-…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/four-tough-truths-about-renting-and-retirement-20240830-p5k6lm.html
Bec Wilson The Sydney Morning Herald (Soft Paywall)A key goal for a comfortable retirement is owning your own home outright when you get there. Many renters nearing retirement write to me looking for advice, and it’s difficult to respond given the ongoing housing crisis, a problem without an easy fix. In my view, renting is a bad investment, often a necessity, driven by circumstance rather than desire. But this week, I decided to dive deeper and asked some people who rent, why they do it.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/four-tough-tru…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.Choosing to pay bills over pricey dentist visits. Australians reveal toll of dental care neglect amid cost of living crisis
Zena Chamas ABC (No paywall)Ayman Al Nabieh said he was forced to take out a high-interest loan to pay for his dental care. He resorted to seeking treatment overseas for cheaper options, but the flights and associated costs were too high. "This ordeal has been emotionally and financially draining," he shared with senators. "I urge the government to address these issues promptly, making healthcare more accessible and affordable for all Australians," he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-30/dental-health-care-neglec…
# Must read Australia, .Australia at risk of Americanisation of homelessness crisis
Australian Property Markets News (No paywall)Homelessness rates in Australia are on track to match those in the United States unless a radical shift in housing policy occurs according to international homelessness expert, Associate Professor Gregg Colburn, from the University of Washington. Professor Colburn is the author of the new book, Homelessness is a Housing Problem, which outlines how escalating housing costs are increasing the number of homeless people across the United States. Housing all Australians in partnership with property industry groups and business leaders will host Professor Colburn on his Homelessness is a Housing Problem Australian tour in early September.
https://propertymarkets.news/australia-at-risk-of-americanisatio…
# Hot topic Australia, .Room listing highlights Sydney's rental market still in crisis despite easing housing demand
Miriah Davis 9 News (No paywall)A listing offering a bottom bunk bed for rent at an astonishing $370 a week has highlighted Sydney's rental market is showing no sign of reprieve despite rent rises easing in capital cities. The ad seeks a flatmate for a studio apartment in Glebe with the tenant explaining she only had need for the single bed on the top bunk. "I'm looking for a flatmate in a studio, I just need a single bed, the double one is available," the listing reads. The pictures show a single over double bunk bed next to a desk space and tiny dining table with two chairs for $370.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-rental-crisis-continues…
# Hot topic NSW, .Surge in new hotels as crackdown on Airbnbs in Byron looms
Julietta Jameson The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)On September 24 in northern NSW’s Byron Shire, the number of days short-term rental accommodation can be inhabited “unhosted” each year drops from 180 to 60. “Unhosted” means a stay at a property, usually booked through Airbnb or a similar platform, without the owners in situ. The NSW Government restrictions – both the 180-day limit brought in back in 2021 for nominated local government areas and the new 60-day limit in Byron – were instigated because of long-term rental shortages, a burgeoning housing stock dedicated to the holiday market and other critical issues, seen as co-related.
https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/surge-in-new-hotels…
# Must read NSW, Rent.