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
What To Do About A Rent Increase In NSW: A Step-By-Step Guide
Chantelle Schmidt Pedestrian (No paywall)When my landlord told me he was increasing my household’s rent by $350 a week, it felt like a huge slap in the face. My three-bedroom townhouse, in the Sydney suburb of Redfern, had unresolved water damage issues and I didn’t believe the rent increase was fair or justified. So I took him to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (more on that later). If you’re one of the many Aussies living in NSW who have been slapped with a rent increase notice, I’m going to guide you through exactly what can be done.
https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/rent-increase-nsw/?utm_campaign=f…
# Must read NSW, Rent, Starting a tenancy, Tribunal NCAT.Grafton losing its affordable status with people living in tents as housing crisis worsens
Hannah Ross ABC (No paywall)The gateway to Grafton paints a stark picture of the region's social issues. Tents and tarps provide shelter for people living in a neglected park at the city's entrance. A pram is covered in mud outside one compound and a woman can be seen digging a trench in an attempt to keep water out of her dwelling. Jason Reynolds has lived in his van in the park since last year. He used to rent in the city but said his pension of $500 a week could no longer cover the cost. "I'm blind and I'm not exactly the cleanest cut looking person," Mr Reynolds said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-18/tent-city-homelessness-wo…
# Hot topic NSW, .How Sydney's boarding houses evict residents in favour of students, 'millionaires' or those able to pay more
Catherine Hanrahan ABC (No paywall)Ben Vaoa realised he was being booted out of his Sydney boarding house in favour of students when an advertisement appeared on Facebook. Five days earlier he and the 75 low-income residents of Dulwich Hill Lodge in the inner west had been given an eviction notice to be out in three weeks. The former residents are victims of what one local councillor has dubbed "renovictions". "Renovictions, which are really common, are where long-term tenants are being kicked out for minor upgrades to be undertaken, and then the rent massively increases out of reach of the original tenants," outgoing Greens Inner West councillor Dylan Griffiths said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-17/nsw-boarding-house-reside…
# Must read NSW, Boarders and lodgers, Eviction, Rent, Repairs.NSW’s Productivity Commission has fallen hook, line and sinker for miracle cures to the housing crisis
Tina Perinotto The Fifth Estate (No paywall)ANALYSIS: The New South Wales Productivity Commission’s report on fixing the housing crisis released this week says that the major barriers to fixing the housing crisis are finance costs. You can see this in the tables and charts they produced. But you have to dig for it, because the biggest, showiest focus of the report is on doing away with quality in apartments, such as sunlight, amenity, and loosening up the planning regime so that projects are fast tracked. Things that won’t save much money at all in the scheme of a raging market.
https://thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/residential-2/nsws-prod…
# Hot topic NSW, .Bondi backlash as tenant paying $950 per week can't 'come and go': 'Red flags'
Tamika Seeto Yahoo News (No paywall)A Bondi apartment located above a kindergarten has been listed for rent, with tenants advised they would be not able to “come and go” during business hours or permitted to have guests. The listing has sparked backlash with one expert saying it could potentially give rise to legal issues. The rental listing, which has now been removed, said the three-bedroom unit could only be accessed through the kindergarten. It noted it was “being offered at a lower rent figure” of $950 per week as the successful tenant would be required to undertake caretaking work, including watering the gardens, cleaning up sticks and gum nuts, and putting out the bins for the kindergarten.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/bondi-backlash-as-tenant-payin…
# Must read, Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, Rent.Major social housing project for sale for $20m+
Taylor Troeth realestate.com.au (No paywall)A major social housing building in Sydney’s west has hit the market expecting to sell over $20 million. The Merrylands apartment block has 42 apartments, only one of which is not social housing, with four retail shops. Currently, 92 per cent of the buildings income is from NSW Land and Housing Corporation. Located at 315-323 Merrylands Rd, there is also 69 car spaces on two basement levels. The lease extends through to August 2025. Colliers agents Matthew Meynell and James Cowan are selling on behalf of vendor Costa Nicodemou from Newpoint Advisory, with “price expectations in the $20 millions.”
https://www.realcommercial.com.au/news/major-social-housing-prop…
# Hot topic NSW, .Fifteen architecture firms shortlisted for NSW competition aimed at alleviating housing crisis
Kelly Burke The Guardian (No paywall)More than a dozen architecture firms from across Australia and overseas will vie to design homes for five Sydney sites set aside by the New South Wales government to help alleviate the state’s housing crisis. The 15 finalists in the government’s pattern book design competition were announced on Monday, culled from the portfolios and expressions of interest of more than 200 entries. Although pattern books to build mass housing have been sporadically used since colonial times, this is the first time the NSW government and not private enterprise has been the instigator.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/sep/16/fifteen-architec…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent.Government green-lights 13,700 new homes
Rich James Crikey (No paywall)We start the week focusing on housing as the government gives thousands of social and affordable homes the green light while its Help to Buy bill is being put up for debate in the Senate, where it is expected to fail. The ABC reports 185 projects have been green-lit in the first round of grants allocated under the government’s Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF). The national broadcaster says the government believes it will result in 13,700 homes and put it ahead of the target to build 40,000 homes in the fund’s first five years.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/09/16/social-affordable-housing-n…
# Hot topic NSW, .