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
Social housing tenant forced to stay in home where she can't use bathroom, as sector cries out for funding
Norman Hermant and Tim Fernandez ABC (No paywall)Shelly Mussig moved back into her house last month. She didn't want to.
The back door is broken, the frame covered with a sheet of plywood. The house was broken into and vandalised when it was unoccupied.
She is unable to safely use the toilet, but Ms Mussig has moved her few belongings in anyway.
"I had to make the really hard decision of coming back here, even though I can't use the bathroom," she said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-10/social-public-community-h…
# Must read NSW, Public and community housing, State Government.Real estate agency LJ Hooker hit with data breach
Elizabeth Redman The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)The real estate industry has suffered a second data breach in two months, as LJ Hooker confirmed one of its offices had been hit.
The agency said it had notified customers of the breach as well as relevant government agencies, adding the issue was confined to one office in NSW.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/real-estate-agency-lj-hooke…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, Privacy and access, Tenant databases.NSW government rent bidding ban will be in place by Saturday after Sydney real estate agents exposed over ‘auction-like’ practice
Madeleine Bower, Lachlan Leeming, James O'Doherty, Noah Yim Daily Telegraph (Paywall)More than 80 per cent of real estate agents are encouraging "rent bidding" as Sydney faces a rental crisis that is leaving desperate would-be tenants without a home, a Daily Telegraph investigation has found.
Of more than 40 real estate agents across Sydney's east and inner west contacted by the Telegraph last week, 83 per cent either directly or indirectly encouraged prospective tenants to offer more to secure a property.
Further reporting:
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/12/nsw-move-to-ban-rental-bidding-needs-to-stop-unsolicited-offers-tenants-groups-say
News.com.au: https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/renting/state-government-bans-rental-auctions-from-saturday/news-story/21ecdf2286b381cd489d140a606b7251
ABC: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-12/nsw-to-ban-rental-bidding-by-christmas/101760236
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/agents-exposed-over-a…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media, New policy announcement NSW, Rent, Landlords and agents.Banning rent bidding: what do the new protections do?
Leo Patterson Ross (No paywall)You have likely heard the NSW Government this week signed off on changes to introduce new protections against rent bidding. These will come into effect for any new listings from this Saturday, 17 December.
What is rent bidding? What are the new protections against rent bidding? Will the new protections be effective?
https://www.tenants.org.au/blog/banning-rent-bidding-what-do-new…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Energy inefficiency costly for NSW renters
AAP Yahoo News (No paywall)Energy-hungry rental homes are costing NSW tenants more than $1 billion every year in extra bills, an analysis has found.
Tenant-driven grassroots organisation Better Renting says there are 712,000 energy-inefficient rental properties in NSW, costing each household more than $2700 annually to warm their home in winter and cool it in summer.
With cost of living concerns on the rise and rents skyrocketing in NSW, Better Renting executive director Joel Dignam said politicians should prioritise improving the energy performance of rental properties.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/energy-poor-rentals-cost-nsw-163013249…
# Research alert NSW, Utilities water energy internet, Climate change.NSW rental market has failed: alliance
AAP Yahoo News (No paywall)Skyrocketing rents in NSW are a sign the market is failing to deliver affordable options, a group advocating for more social housing says.
Shelter NSW CEO John Engeler says "the rental market has failed".
About a third of NSW people live in rented properties and rents in Greater Sydney have increased by up to 28 per cent in the past year.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw-rental-market-failed-alliance-0251…
# New policy announcement NSW, Public and community housing, Housing affordability.Fairy Meadow single mum fears for the worst as end to affordable rental scheme looms
Grace Crivellaro Illawarra Mercury (Paywall)Single mum Lisa Malone rents in Fairy Meadow. She fears the winding up of the National Rental Affordability Scheme could propel hundreds into homelessness.
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/8009922/we-could-be-le…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Affordable housing, Families, Homelessness.NSW Labor to hold Fairer Renting Roundtable next year
The Greek Herald The Greek Herald (No paywall)NSW Labor will hold a roundtable in January 2023, bringing together the NSW Tenants Union, Real Estate Institute of NSW, Tenancy Advocacy Services, Community Legal Centres, and community organisations to discuss what is needed to make renting fairer and ways to ease cost of living pressures.
Around one third of New South Wales residents live in rented properties – or 944,585 households.
Rent in Greater Sydney is up 28 percent in the last 12 months. More than a third of NSW households spent more than 30 percent of their household income on rent.
https://greekherald.com.au/politics/nsw-labor-to-hold-fairer-ren…
# NSW, Housing market, Landlords and agents, State Government.