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
The First Home Super Saver scheme can boost your deposit. Here's how to use it
Patrick Wright ABC (No paywall)Ana Kresina moved to Australia from Canada about seven years ago, and lately she's been thinking of buying a family home. To help her save a deposit, she's using the First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme, which helps eligible first-home buyers to save a house deposit through super. (ABC Everyday)
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-the-first-home-super-saver-s…
# Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership.Clause that would have prevented landlords ending lease dropped from Queensland rental reforms
Jessica Marszalek and Domanii Cameron (Paywall)A clause that would have prohibited Queensland landlords from ending a lease has been dropped in major rental reforms to be introduced in parliament today. See what the changes mean for you. Landlords will be able to end a lease at the end of its term without reason and retain rights to refuse pets in redrawn rental reforms that signify a major back down to the industry. (Courier Mail) You can read about this on the Queensland Government's website at: [https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/about-us/legislation/rental-law-reform-proposals]
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/clause-that-would…
# Australia, Eviction, Rent, Pets, State Government.Renters deserve warm homes in winter
Riley Brooke Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)Like many Sydneysiders who rent, I live in an apartment that, in winter, is perpetually flippin’ freezing. My apartment is one of five in a subdivided former townhouse, and the bathroom and storage room of my apartment are an add-on to the back of the property, outside of the property’s original brick walls. You can actually see to the outside through the crack between the brick wall back of the original house and the walls of the added section. The door to the added section has a large gap underneath, and doesn’t close properly. This all means there is very little stopping the cold from getting in, and very little keeping any heating I put on inside the building – so it’s freezing!
https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/renters-deserve-warm-homes-winte…
# Must read NSW, Rent, Minimum habitability standards.Proposed changes to leasing and tenancy agreements for renters met with mixed reactions
Emilie Gramez ABC (No paywall)Proposed changes to residential tenancies legislation before the Queensland Parliament have met with a mixed reaction — fair and balanced according to the real estate lobby, but a "disappointment" according to those who represent tenants. The draft laws amend the grounds for ending tenancies, make it easier for renters to keep pets, and establishes minimum standards for rental properties. They also ensure people fleeing domestic and family violence are able to end a lease with seven days' notice. ... Tenants Queensland spokeswoman Penny Carr said the changes for pets and the family violence provisions were welcome, but the overall outcomes would not be good for tenants. "The government has very much watered down the most important platform that would help struggling renters out there across the state — helping to protect them from unreasonable and arbitrary termination of tenancies," Ms Carr said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-19/qld-rentals-renting-lease…
# Australia, Domestic violence, Rent, Minimum habitability standards, No-grounds evictions, Pets, State Government.How Airbnb and Uber use activist tactics that disguise their corporate lobbying as grassroots campaigns
Luke Yates The Conversation (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Recent practices among digital economy businesses such as Uber and Airbnb illustrate that numerous activities that run contrary to the Transparency International guidelines for ethical lobbying can take place without breaching any of the existing UK rules. ... [These] digital platforms have been cultivating corporate “grassroots lobbying” initiatives in which they resource and mobilise their users to lobby for deregulation or to block proposals or sanctions from government. They do this by using civil-society practices such as online petitions addressed to politicians, one-on-one meetings with representatives, protests and partnerships with existing civil society groups. You will find Luke Yates's report entitled: 'The Airbnb 'Movement' for deregulation: How platform-sponsored grassroots lobbying is changing politics' at: [https://research.ethicalconsumer.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Yates%202021%20-%20The%20Airbnb%20Movement%20for%20Deregulation%20report.pdf]
https://theconversation.com/how-airbnb-and-uber-use-activist-tac…
# International, Housing market, Short-term holiday letting.Stamp duty tax adds an unexpected extra billion to NSW budget
Ashleigh Raper ABC (No paywall)Sydney's booming property market has resulted in the state government collecting $1 billion more than expected in stamp duty revenue. ... But the better than expected result in 2020-21 hasn't changed the Treasurer's mind that stamp duty should be scrapped. "While stamp duty might be the number one revenue source the New South Wales budget receives," Mr Perrottet said. "It doesn't make it good tax."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-20/stamp-duty-adds-9-379-bil…
# NSW, Housing market, State Government, Tax.Siriusly Sydney? What a way to mark the anniversary of one of people power’s great triumphs
Helen Pitt The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Sydney ... sometimes you sicken me. On the very day that marks the 50th anniversary of the world’s first green ban in 1971 to save Kellys Bush – a precious remaining tract of bushland west of the Harbour Bridge – we awoke to news that would have horrified Jack Mundey and his union comrades. Three years after the last of the Sirius building’s housing commission residents were moved out, its new penthouse level apartment has been sold for $35 million.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/siriusly-sydney-…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Heritage listings, State Government.'Hold on to that hatred’: Boomers aren’t to blame for Australia’s property mismatch
Liz Allen The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Baby Boomers are often blamed for Australia’s housing affordability crisis, but empty-nesters living in large homes are just a symptom of Australia’s property and policy mismatch. Rather than dampen housing prices, COVID has seen costs soar. In fact, the growth in house prices doesn’t look like abating. The great Australian dream of owning a home is out of reach for many Australians, especially those under 40, and will remain that way without drastic policy action. ... Blaming Baby Boomers for Australia’s housing mismatch seems logical, but it’s lazy and simplistic. The reality is, Australia’s housing policies are an out-of-date mess, like a ball of decaying rubber bands wrapped together and stuffed in the bottom drawer of the office filing cabinet. Try to untangle the policy nightmare and more failures are exposed. Negative gearing isn’t helping first homebuyers, but voters missed the opportunity of changing this at the 2018 federal election and we’ve not seen much done since to arrest rising house prices. Without serious and earnest reform, housing affordability will worsen and inequality will widen and become more stubborn. The generational warfare in housing policy is politically useful. While we’re quibbling about which generation is at fault, politicians are getting off scot-free.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/hold-on-to-that-hatred-b…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, Tax.