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
‘Wake-up call for real estate agencies’: Harcourts hit by data breach
Tawar Razaghi and Melissa Heagney Domain (No paywall)Real estate company Harcourts has confirmed a data breach occurred at its Melbourne City office, potentially exposing the personal information of tenants, landlords and trades to hackers. The franchisee became aware on October 24 that its rental property database was accessed by an unknown third party without authorisation. For tenants, the personal information potentially breached included names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, signatures and photo identification, according to an email sent by the office to its customers and circulated online. For landlords and trades, the data comprised bank details as well as names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and signatures. It comes two weeks after security experts and tenancy advocates raised concerns about the potential for data breaches in the industry, which collects copious amounts of information with little oversight. ... Digital Rights Watch program lead Samantha Floreani said a review into the Privacy Act was urgently needed to better protect people’s data. “This is yet another example of why we need comprehensive privacy reform, because as long as companies are collecting too much of our personal information and holding on to it for long periods of time, the risk of harm is going to continue to occur,” Floreani said. Also, read Judd Boaz's article entitled: 'Harcourts Melbourne City real estate agency advises customers of data breach' on the ABC at: [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-02/harcourts-melbourne-real-estate-agent-stafflink-data-breach/101608270].
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/wake-up-call-for-real-estat…
# Australia, Privacy and access, Rent, Landlords and agents.The UK Housing Review: five charts that illustrate the state of the nation
Jules Birch Inside Housing (Paywall)The UK Housing Review provides a trove of data about trends in the country’s housing policy. Jules Birch picks through the detail. He covers 'Shifting rules on rents', 'Counting first-time buyers', 'Letting hotels take the strain', 'Failing on decarbonisation' and 'Leveling up decent homes'.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/the-uk-housing-review-fi…
# International, Public and community housing, Rent, Utilities water energy internet, Climate change, Home ownership, Homelessness, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Can New York solve its housing crisis?
Anne McElvoy (No paywall)Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, grew up on the verge of homelessness. Now he’s in charge of fixing the city’s housing crisis. Host Anne McElvoy asks him how he plans to do it. They discuss how an influx of 20,000 migrants, many from the southern border, adds to the problem. Mr Adams, a former police captain, defends his record tackling violence and relays his concerns about the Democrats’ pitch ahead of the midterms. (The Economist)
https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2022/11/03/can-new-york-solve…
# Video International, Homelessness, Housing market, Local Government.Distressed housing sales rise as owners succumb to Australia’s rising interest rates
Caitlin Cassidy The Guardian (No paywall)Distressed housing listings are on the rise as mortgage holders struggle under the weight of seven consecutive interest rate hikes. The number of homeowners selling properties under distressed conditions has risen by about 15% since interest rates began to increase in May, SQM Research found, at the same time the housing market is slowing. In the past month alone, distressed listings, where the seller is forced into making a loss or accepting a lower price than they usually would, jumped by 5.7% nationally, with increases of 7.8% in New South Wales and 7.5% in Queensland.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/05/distresse…
# Australia, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Staff, housing shortages in WA prompt labour hire firm to book out tourist hostel for two years
Sam Bold ABC (No paywall)At this time of year, Cameron Morris would normally be gearing up for a busy summer playing host to backpackers from all over the world. But his Dunsborough Beach Lodge hostel, 300 kilometres south of Perth, is instead booked solid through to 2025 – not by backpackers, but a labour-hire firm looking to house workers locally. ... it's a symptom of a growing housing crisis plaguing holiday towns in WA's South West ...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-03/staff-housing-shortage-wa…
# Australia, Housing market, Work, employment.Victorian Liberals pledge stamp duty cut for first-home buyers, Labor promises veterans card
Yara Murray-Atfield and Richard Willingham ABC (No paywall)The Victorian opposition has said it would scrap stamp duty for first-home buyers who purchase property worth less than $1 million if it wins the state election. ... "We want to get more Victorians into home ownership, not into long-term renting, but into owning their own home," Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-06/victorian-election-libera…
# Australia, Home ownership, State Government, Tax.How long after missing a mortgage payment does a home get repossessed? A financial counsellor says it doesn't have to come to that
Dannielle Maguire ABC (No paywall)With the Reserve Bank of Australia warning of more interest rate rises in the future, there are fears overextended borrowers might default on their mortgage repayments. It's a frightening prospect but Lody Stewart, a financial counsellor who works with Financial Counselling Australia, says there are ways to get yourself out of trouble. But before we get into that, let's run through the three steps of a bank repossessing a home.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-07/what-happens-when-your-de…
# Australia, Home ownership, Mortgagee repossession.Sydney’s plunging property prices leave potential sellers spooked
Tawar Razaghi Domain (No paywall)Sydney’s fastest house price decline in decades has scared home sellers, who were less likely to list their properties for sale in October than the month before. A seasonal spring rush of properties for sale has failed to materialise and new listings fell 2.3 per cent last month from the previous month, SQM Research data shows.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/sydney-s-plunging-property-…
# NSW, Housing market.