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
Average Sydney rental now costing record $711 a week
Phoebe Loomes The New Daily (No paywall)The average Sydney renter is now paying $711 a week to keep a roof over their head with the price expected to spiral further as landlords pass on the latest interest rate increase.
The cost of renting a home in Sydney jumped 13.1 per cent over the past year, with landlords putting up rentals 1.3 per cent in April, data released by Core Logic on Wednesday shows.
Rent is up in all capital cities by an average of 11.7 per cent, as the pain from 11 rate rises flows from home owners to tenants.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/nsw/2023/05/03/average-syd…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market.Mayors in NSW holiday hotspots consider short-term rental caps after 60-day limit proposed
Tamsin Rose The Guardian (No paywall)Mayors across New South Wales will look to adopt strict limits on short-term holiday rentals to address housing shortages if the state government accepts recommendations to allow the Byron shire council to impose a 60-day annual cap.
Amid warnings from Airbnb that such a cap would cause a hit to Byron Bay’s economy, the Blue Mountains mayor, Mark Greenhill, said he would jump at the chance to impose a similar cap in the region, which is facing comparable pressures.
“I am not against Airbnb but I am against the unregulated nature of it,” he said on Friday.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/29/mayors-in…
# Hot topic NSW, Housing affordability, Housing market, Short-term holiday letting.NSW eviction rates are on the rise
Luke Grant 2GB (No paywall)The NSW Sheriff’s Office has revealed figures showing that on average, 50 tenants are being evicted each week in the state as reported in the Sunday Telegraph. These evictions only occur in extreme circumstances when a tenant or resident does not leave the premises by the date ordered by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
In addition to impacting tenants, the housing crisis is also affecting homeowners, with an average of four mortgage repossessions being actioned in NSW every week.
Luke is joined by Leo Patterson Ross, Chief Executive Officer Tenants’ Union of NSW, who reports that the vast majority of evictions are “informal,” with tenants leaving the property either before formal action commences or early in the process.
https://www.2gb.com/podcast/nsw-eviction-rates-are-on-the-rise/
# TUNSW in the media, Audio NSW, Eviction, Housing affordability, Housing market.Shoalhaven Animal Shelter struggles as dozens of dumped dogs become the victims of rental crisis
Glenn Ellard Illawarra Mercury (Paywall)South Coast animal shelters are bursting at the seams - and the rental crisis is being blamed for the situation at the Shoalhaven Animal Shelter.
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/8175162/animal-shelter…
# Hot topic NSW, Housing market, Regional NSW.Man allegedly stabbed six times by North Sydney housemate blames rental crisis for brutal attack
Ailish Delaney 7 News (No paywall)A man who was allegedly stabbed six times by his housemate at their North Sydney rental is blaming the housing shortage for the brutal attack.
The victim was stabbed five times in the chest and once in the thigh with a 20cm kitchen knife on Tuesday.
His housemate appeared in Manly Local Court on Wednesday charged with assault causing actual bodily harm over the Anzac Day attack.
https://7news.com.au/news/nsw/man-allegedly-stabbed-six-times-by…
# Hot topic, Video NSW, Eviction, Share houses, Personal stories.Responsible landlords have ‘nothing to fear’ from rent cap, Scotland’s tenants minister insists
James Riding Inside Housing (Paywall)Responsible landlords have “nothing to fear” from Scotland’s rent cap, the minister for tenants’ rights has said.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/responsible-landlords-have-…
# Hot topic International, Housing affordability, Housing market, International.Affordable rent costs double the equivalent social rent in parts of England
Chaminda Jayanetti Inside Housing (Paywall)Affordable rent in England is double the equivalent social rent in some areas, with one-bed properties costing more than £10,000 a year in parts of London, analysis by Inside Housing reveals.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/affordable-rent-costs-doubl…
# Hot topic International, Affordable housing, Housing affordability, International.Thousands of children sharing beds due to overcrowding
Michael Buchanan BBC (No paywall)More than two million children in England are living in overcrowded accommodation with little or no personal space, while some 300,000 share beds with family members, new analysis suggests. The BBC has spoken to two families struggling to cope because they do not have enough space.
On the third floor of a large block of flats, Deni Reid squeezes into a small corner to practise her keyboard.
Sitting about a foot away, her mother listens intently, proud not just of her daughter's musical talents, but also of her ability to overcome adversity.
"She's nearly 10 and she's never had her own bedroom," says Joanna Szablewska. "She's always been sharing a bed with me."