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
Red Flag: Nationalise Deutsche Wohnen!
Nathaniel Flakin (No paywall)From Germany ... What happens with the rent you pay every month? Hopefully, some of it goes to maintenance. And the rest? If your apartment belongs to a public housing company like Gewobag, then about 27% of your rent goes to the construction of new apartments. In other words, your rent helps increase the number of apartments and thus lower rents. If your apartment belongs to a private realty company like Deutsche Wohnen, then just 1% of your rent goes to the construction of new apartments. A much larger chunk goes to buying existing buildings, which means higher realty prices and higher rents.
https://www.exberliner.com/features/opinion/red-flag-deutsche-wo…
# International, Rent, Affordable housing, Housing market.Tenants fighting landlord demands
Rebecca Digirolamo (Paywall)From Adelaide, the growing cost of renting is contributing to record numbers of tenancy disputes, fueling concerns about a rise in unreasonable demands by landlords. Realtors, property managers and tenant advocates say unlawful demands include bans on gay or bisexual sex and not allowing any guests on properties. (The Advertiser)
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/fears-sa-ten…
# Australia, Discrimination, Rent, Housing market.How the Real Estate Lobby Exploits Small Landlords
Tyra Bosnic (No paywall)From the United States ... When the New York State Legislature introduced sweeping reforms under the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, the Real Estate Board of New York painted small-property landlords as the victims. The bill passed, but the image of the struggling small-time landlord persists. “The real estate lobby’s PR focus on small landlords is an attempt to hide the fact that it’s acting in the interest of large corporate landlords. (Teen Vogue)
# International, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market, Landlords and agents.What happens to Byron Bay locals who can’t afford the soaring property prices?
Vivienne Pearson Domain (Paywall)“There are no options,” says Pip Hood about coming to terms with holding a losing hand in the game of Byron Bay’s rapidly escalating property boom. After receiving notice just before Christmas that her rented home of 10 years is to be sold, the 31-year-old has given up hope of finding anything in the wider region.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/what-happens-to-the-byron-bay-loc…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent, Regional NSW.The Battle for Badgery's billions
Catherine Hanrahan The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Land values around Australia’s new international airport have taken off — but it’s corporations, not residents, cashing in.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-28/winners-and-losers-at-new…
# NSW, Federal Government, Planning and development.‘The current definition of affordable housing is unacceptable’: introducing the first ever bishop for housing
Martin Hilditch Inside Housing (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... The Church of England’s first ever bishop for housing, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has big plans to drive change in the church and society as well as give the word ‘affordable’ some meaning again. ... 'the primary issue with the housing sector is not just a lack of housing, but instead a lack of truly affordable housing, particularly for those on low incomes' ... a good home needs to be safe, stable, sociable (a place where people can feel part of a community), satisfying and sustainable.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/the-current-defi…
# International, Public and community housing, Affordable housing.Concerns raised over 'squalid' Serco asylum seeker housing in Derby
Diane Taylor The Guardian (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... A council is arranging an urgent inspection of asylum seeker accommodation in Derby after concerns were raised about conditions there. Photos of the property seen by the Guardian show part of the kitchen ceiling missing, rubble in the base of a shower, cracked and missing tiles, rusted pipes and plaster missing from walls where wallpaper has peeled off. The garden is strewn with litter and discarded furniture.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/25/concerns-raised…
# Hot topic International, Human rights, Minimum habitability standards.'My Old Apartment' Wants Renters To Know If Their Landlords Illegally Hiked Rent
Maija Kappler Huffington Post (No paywall)From Canada ... Have you ever rented an apartment that seemed expensive, and wondered what the people who lived there before you were paying? Advocates on Prince Edward Island think you have a right to know.
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/my-old-apartment-pei_ca_6032…
# International, Rent, Landlords and agents.