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 Zealand’s 2024 Tenancy Reforms and Key Changes for Landlords and Tenants
Paul Chambers & Luke Simperingham Hamilton & Locke (No paywall)The Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act) governs residential tenancies in New Zealand as a code. From 2018 to 2020 the previous Labour-led government made a number of changes to the Act to tilt the balance in favour of tenants. With the change of government to the National Party-led coalition, many of these changes are now being reversed. The stated aim of these changes is to “remove barriers to rental supply and incentivise property owners to rent their properties via the private rental market.” Key changes included in the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024 (the Bill) which is currently before Parliament are...
https://hamiltonlocke.com.au/new-zealands-2024-tenancy-reforms-a…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Rent.What You Need to Know Before Subletting Your Apartment
Geoff Williams U.S News (No paywall)Maybe you have an opportunity for a change of scenery, a chance to get away for a long while, but you’re a renter and it would break the bank to send that monthly payment to your landlord while you're not actually living in your place. And that, folks, is how subletting came into being. Subletting is the act of renting out your own apartment while you live elsewhere. Traveling isn't the only reason to sublease your apartment.
https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/what-to-know-…
# Hot topic International, Rent.It's not a house. It's a home.
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)In an amazing victory following a long-fought legal battle, Tenants' Union client Mr Charles Joseph Warren has secured his ability to stay in his family's home of more than 100 years through a Fair Rent Determination. Mr Warren, or 'Joey' as his friends and family know him, has been in and out of court for years with his landlord, including fighting for his right to stay. An ex-miner, he has lived his whole life in the former mining town of Catherine Hill Bay. Now an elderly man 80 years in age, with declining health, Joey wished to stay and enjoy the serenity of his home for his remaining years. Unfortunately, his developer landlord, Wallalong Land Developments have taken action which could have resulted in him being evicted from his home.
# Must read, TUNSW in the media NSW, Eviction, Rent.Joey’s home is his castle. He pays $50 a month in rent
Michaela Whitbourn The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)It was a case that “appears to have been lifted from the script of the classic Australian film The Castle”, a NSW magistrate said. Charles Joseph “Joey” Warren, 80, has lived in a miner’s cottage at Catherine Hill Bay, about 30 kilometres south of Newcastle, for 57 years. His grandparents lived there before him. And for as long as he can remember, his rent has been $50 a month. Things changed in 2017. A property developer, Wallalong Land Developments, bought the land from Coal & Allied, then owned by Rio Tinto.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/joey-s-home-is-his-castle-he…
# Must read, TUNSW in the media NSW, Eviction.New data shows hardest hit areas for rental price rises as ‘desperate’ renters struggle to stay afloat
Sarah Kester 7 News (No paywall)There are fears skyrocketing rental prices could be “plunging” renters into homelessness as new data shows the areas hardest hit by NSW’s ongoing housing crisis New rental data has highlighted the areas most affected by rising rental costs over the past 12 months, urging welfare agencies to call on state government to help “desperate” people find a home. “NSW is entrenched in a severe housing crisis which is causing severe distress and harm across the state,” Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe said.
https://7news.com.au/news/new-data-shows-hardest-hit-areas-for-r…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent.‘Extremely concerning’: Once affordable areas hit hardest by rent increases in Sydney
Nathan Schmidt news.com.au (No paywall)Sydney suburbs once considered to be more affordable than other parts of the city have been hit hardest by rental increases, “extremely concerning” new data has revealed. The analysis of recent bond lodgements by Homelessness NSW found rents in Greater Sydney had risen by 9.1 per cent over the past year. Sydney’s southwest, usually more affordable, was hit hardest with increase of up to 16.4 per cent in Liverpool, Fairfield, and Camden. Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe said the findings were “extremely concerning”, with renters plunged into homelessness.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/extremely-concerning-once-…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent.$704 per week: Illawarra rental prices on the rise again
Brendan Crabb Illawarra Mercury (No paywall)Rent values in the Illawarra continue to climb, with dwelling rents going up by an average of 0.6 per cent in July. According to CoreLogic's monthly Chart Pack figures, the median rent for the Illawarra for all dwellings (houses and units combined) is $704, up from $663 a year prior. This is compared to a current median rent of $573 for the rest of NSW, excluding Sydney, and $539 a year prior. Meanwhile, in Greater Sydney, the current median rent is $777.
https://view.com.au/news/nsw/704-per-week-illawarra-rental-price…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent.Holiday rentals make up 10 per cent of housing supply
Coast Community News (No paywall)Holiday rental accommodation takes up as much as 10 per cent of housing on the Central Coast, according to a Local Housing Strategy (LHS), adopted by Administrator Rik Hart at the May 28 Central Coast Council meeting. The Strategy will now be presented to the State Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI), for endorsement. It says that about 10 per cent of private dwellings within the Central Coast Local Government Area were unoccupied on Census night in 2021. Three districts recorded unoccupancy rates above the average.
https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2024/06/hol…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent.